Why does Dolly Parton wear gloves or long sleeves?

WITH her huge blonde hair, and love of rhinestones and double denim, Dolly Parton is known for her icon look.

However, fans often wonder why she likes also wear gloves and long sleeves.

Why does Dolly Parton wear gloves or long sleeves?

Since 2010, Dolly has worn fingerless gloves for virtually every public appearance or photoshoot, or instead long sleeves which cover the top of her hands.

At a number of industry events, she's sported the flesh-colored gloves.

Dolly even wore them during her 2022 New Year's Eve hosting gig with her goddaughter Miley Cyrus.

Although the gloves and long sleeves are a style choice, the country crooner admitted she wants to cover up some tattoos in those areas on her body.

Dolly originally got the tattoos to cover up scar tissue that Parton has opened up about.

Parton confessed to : "Most of the tattoos, when I first started, I was covering up some scars that I had, ‘cause I have a tendency to have keloid scar tissue.

"I have a tendency where if I have any kind of scars anywhere, then they kind of have a purple tinge that I can never get rid of.

The Jolene singer added: "So mine are all pastels, what few that I have, and they’re meant to cover some scars. I’m not trying to make some big, bold statement."

"I thought, 'Well, I’m going to kind of decorate these with some flowers or little butterflies or whatever'."

Dolly Parton superfan Duane Gordon speculated another reason back in 2011 for the singer's decision.

He said: "She has not publicly given her real reason for wearing them.

"Consequently, although many fans have asked me about them, I can't give an answer with first-hand information.

"She has even been asked about them on a couple of television interviews, and she joked about them, saying in one she was wearing them because she was cold and in another because she thought they were cute. 

"However, I can relay third-hand information that she was asked about the gloves by fans while filming scenes for her upcoming movie Joyful Noise and told them that last year she had had corrective hand surgery (medical, not cosmetic) and it left a scar that she's covering.

"Again, I've not heard that directly from Dolly or her management, but I'm told that's the answer she gave privately in Atlanta to those who asked.”

However, Dolly’s creative director Steve Summers says Dolly does it as a fashion statement.

He said at the time: “People always ask why she always wears sleeves — well, she’s 73 years old, and she doesn’t like her elbows.”

He said: “[They ask] 'what’s wrong with her hands?' She’s 73, and she doesn’t like them! It’s a normal woman thing.”