Backwoods Barbie
Spring 2020
Cover: Forever Country Jacket, Tennessee Walker Hat, Double D Ranch Jewelry This Spread: Chicksaw Basket Workshirt, Forever Country Jacket, Hard Times Top, Tennessee Walker Hat, Blow Out Boot, Texas Jack Boot, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt, Double D Ranch Jewelry
Backwoods Barbie Have you ever known somebody before they were somebody? Or known someone who believed they were destined to become somebody, even if no one else did? Or was that you? Did you fulfill a dream, whatever it was, big or small, against the odds? You didn’t come from the right place, you didn’t look the right way, you didn’t have the sound or the style or the talent you were told you needed to make it. But you did.
That’s the dream behind Backwoods Barbie. We look at Loretta, a coal miner’s daughter. We look at Dolly, with her coat of many colors. We look at the beauty of the struggle, of going from where you came from to who and where you wanted to be. “I played with Barbies until an uncomfortable age,” said Double D Ranch Designer, Cheryl McMullen. “Long after my friends had seemed to outgrow them. I would lose myself for hours on end, creating imaginary worlds for them, and having them dress the part. I loved to experiment with pieces that weren’t intended to go together, even altering them – cropping the length of a dress, removing the sleeves from a shirt, adding designs to a pair of shoes. There was a rewarding thrill in transforming the dolls from one persona into an entirely different one, simply by changing their clothes. “But I was a small-town girl from South Texas. I grew up going to horse races with my dad, admiring women in extravagant outfits I couldn’t afford, and being so inspired by their courageous outfit choices and their big, bold jewelry. I observed and I absorbed, and I translated it into dressing those Barbies. And eventually, I made dressing beautiful women my life’s work, and by the grace of God, I’ve been doing it for 30 years now.” The Backwoods Barbie collection celebrates all of that. It celebrates the desire and courage to chase a dream. The belief that you can always reinvent yourself; change your style, change your path, change your destiny. The conviction of knowing that where you come from doesn’t dictate where you’re going. “I grew up poor and ragged, just a simple country girl. I wanted to be pretty more than anything in the world, Like Barbie or the models in the Fredericks catalog. From rags to wishes in my dreams I could have it all. I’m just a backwoods Barbie.” -- Dolly Parton, Backwoods Barbie
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This Page: Hard Times Top, Circus Rodeo Scarf, Double D Ranch Jewelry Opposite Page: Hard Times Top & Skirt, Circus Rodeo Scarf, Bakersfield Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt
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Fiddle Phenom: Jenee Fleenor She’s one of the most talented and respected musicians in the industry, and her sound has been making its mark on country music for decades.
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enee Fleenor is nothing short of phenomenal. She began playing at the remarkable age of three. She played the Grand Ole Opry at 18. She’s toured with some of America’s most renowned artists – Blake Shelton, Martina McBride, and Steven Tyler, to name a few. Currently, you can find her fiddling away on NBC’s The Voice. Recently, we spent some time with Jenee in the green room of the legendary Ryman Auditorium. We talked fiddling, and we talked fashion. We laughed, we cried, and we had the honor of hearing her play. We’ve long admired her as an artist, and after meeting her, we adore her as a person. In addition to being insanely talented, she is warm, genuine, and humble, crediting her success to her parents’ support and persistence, a lot of hard work, and a little God-given talent. Once a little violin-wielding toddler out of Springdale, Arkansas, in 2019, Jenee became the first woman in history to win – or even be nominated for – the Country Music Academy’s Musician of the Year. She is carrying the torch and paving new roads. She is this generation’s embodiment of Backwoods Barbie. CONTINUED ON PAGES 8-13 WITH A Q&A
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That Colossal Dress, City Slicker Hat, Double D Ranch Jewelry
DDR: For starters, talk about where we are, Jenee. JF: We are at the Ryman Auditorium, where all the history is made. I still get nervous walking in this building, thinking of all the history that’s been made here. I remember one of the first times I came to Nashville, I was probably between 13 and 16, and I remember running as fast as I could to just touch the steps. You feel like a lightning bolt goes through you. I moved to town when I was 18, and within a month I played the Ryman stage. If you would’ve told me that was going to happen so quickly for me, I wouldn’t have believed you. I was just blown away. DDR: Do you ever touch those steps anymore? JF: You know, you always come in the back entrance, so I rarely walk past the front anymore, but every now and then I do, and I can still see 15-year-old Jenee running to them. DDR: That’s sweet, that’s really special. Ok, I want to start from the very beginning, and this may sound stupid, but what’s the difference between a fiddle and a violin? Or is there a difference? JF: This is my number one most asked
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question, and no, there’s really not a difference. It’s the same instrument. I actually started out playing classical, when I was three, with the Suzuki Classical Method. Maybe sometimes fiddle players will have a flatter bridge, but it’s the same instrument.
“I’m pretty sure I
wouldn’t – well, I know I wouldn’t – be where I am today if it wasn’t for them, encouraging me and making me practice. It is a God-given gift, too, but that was very important.”
DDR: As a 3-year-old, what makes you want to pick up a violin? JF: Your mom and dad. (laughing) Them making you. I just did what my parents told me. They put a violin and a bow in my hand, and away we
went to lessons every week. With that method, or with any instrument, really, I think it’s important that at least one of your parents is there nurturing that. Every time I picked up my instrument either my mom or dad was right there, making sure that [I was using] what we learned in the lesson that week, giving those little pointers. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t – well, I know I wouldn’t – be where I am today if it wasn’t for them, encouraging me and making me practice. It is a God-given gift, too, but that was very important. DDR: When did you know that you loved it? When did you say, “this is my passion”? JF: I always say around 11 years old. I feel like it was the first time I stepped in the studio, which was around that age, and I put headphones on my head, and I heard my instrument coming through… I was like, “Oh my goodness, where do I get to do this all the time?” Even last night, I had a session, and as we were getting the sounds from my fiddle, it struck me again… It’s a beautiful thing, those tracking sessions. I remember when I was a teenager, I would hear these older musicians telling their road stories and telling their studio stories, and I would think, “Gosh, I wish I had some road stories
Both Pages: TV Cowboys Dress, Almost Famous Boot, City Slicker Hat, Double D Ranch Jewelry
Both Pages: Forever Country Jacket, Bakersfield Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry
and some studio stories!” And now I do, I really do. DDR: Ok, let’s talk about your songwriting. Fiddle & Steel. When you sing ‘Fiddle & Steel’, I don’t know if you meant to do this, but your voice sounds like an instrument to me. JF: Well, thank you. I wrote that song with Phil O’Donnell and Buddy Owens, and I remember walking into the writing room and saying, “Why is there not a song called Fiddle & Steel? We need to write this.” And we did. We wrote it actually more tailored for a guy to sing, but when I realized I wanted to put out some of my own music, that song rang true to me, so there were a few lines we went in and tweaked. But the melody, it just kind of went there. DDR: Ok, let’s talk about the Country Music Awards. How did you find out? How did that information come to you? Is it a text, is it an email? JF: I was driving to a session at
Blackbird, which is Martina McBride’s studio. I’m on the road, and I knew they were announcing the top 5, and my phone starts going off like a casino! One of my best friends is texting me, and my husband, and I’m driving so I can’t be on my phone, so I pull in the parking lot and I look at my phone and I see all these congratulations messages, and I just start bawling. But that’s how I found out, I pulled into the studio, of course doing what I love to do. And I had a session to go in for! I’m trying to play, and I’m so excited, and my phone is just absolutely going off. There was a newspaper and the Associated Press trying to get in touch with me, because I was the first female nominated, which I didn’t even realize. I never really thought about that part of it, just being a session musician was always my number one goal when I moved to town. DDR: For me, that’s what I like about you. You’re here, you’re doing your art, you’re doing your passion, you’re getting acknowledged for it. Yeah, it’s great you’re a woman and the first
woman to do it, but it’s about YOU. You earned it. JF: Well, yeah, I think I’ve put in my 10,000 hours. They say it takes 10,000 hours to “perfect” something, I guess. Nashville’s been really good to me, but yeah, I’ve put in a lot of work. DDR: So, upcoming tours, tell me what you’ve got planned. JF: Well, the big Blake Shelton tour. John Anderson, Trace Adkins, Bellamy Brothers, and Lauren Alaina are all with us. You have GOT to see this tour! We did it last year, and everyone agreed to come back, and it’s just magic. Last year – I just have to say this – John Anderson, we played ‘Seminole Wind’, and he came out in this Seminole patchwork jacket, and the whole stage looks at me because they know how obsessed I am with that look. It was all I could do not to just run out there and touch that jacket. On the last day of the tour, he brought us all in the dressing room, and he handed me this dry cleaning bag. I opened it up and he had given me his jacket! And I – and the whole
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band – were back there crying. I’d been asking him the whole tour where I could get one, so when I opened it up, I just lost it. That night I played ‘Seminole Wind’ with the jacket on. At our request, Jenee played a bit of ‘Seminole Wind’, which brought us to tears in a moment of reverie.
DDR: One of the first fashion shows we ever did, that was the opening song. JF: No way? Well, this is a full-circle moment! DDR: Ok, we’ve got to talk style real quick. How would you describe your style, and what are you trying to say with your look when you’re on stage? JF: You know, there was a long time where we had to wear just black, so for a long time I was just kind of a plain dresser. I’m not now! And obviously, I’m as country as it comes, so I was
looking for a way to be, I guess, “Southern glam”. I just like to be fun. I’m trying to think what was the first thing I had of Double D’s... I think it was tall, flowered boots. I wore them on stage with Martina and a bunch of times. Then I stepped across the street from here, from the Ryman, and my buddy works at Betty’s Boots, and they had your jackets, and that Space Cowboy Jacket – I was like, “you come here, you’re coming home with me!” We had a show with Blake that afternoon, I think we were playing at Ole Red, and I was wearing it for that show and I’m sure I Instagram-tagged the heck out of it, because I thought it was so awesome. And actually, I was at The Voice in December, and I wore the Escalante Jacket, and even the camera guys were coming up to me going, “WHERE did you get that jacket?!” That was fun.
DDR: Can I hug you? I just love you. It has been so nice to get to meet you and such a blessing to get to hear you play. We wish you well, and it’s going to be so fun for us to get to watch you! JF: Well, I appreciate that, and thank you for making me look good!
Both Pages: Choctaw Ridge Top, Bakersfield Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry
“Well, I was born a coal miner’s daughter, In a cabin, on a hill in Butcher Holler.” - Loretta Lynn, Coal Miner’s Daughter 14
Hard Times Top, Hard Times Skirt, Circus Rodeo Scarf, The Bargain Store Jacket, Hard Times Jean, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt
The Bargain Store Jacket, Hard Times Jean, Hellish Drought Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry
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The Bargain Store Jacket, Hard Times Jean, Hellish Drought Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry
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This Page: The Bargain Store Top, Sealy Shorts, Tennessee Walker Hat, Double D Ranch Jewelry Opposite Page: The Bargain Store Top, Tennessee Walker Hat, Double D Ranch Jewelry
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The Loretta Lynn Look She might’ve been born a coal miner’s daughter, but Loretta Lynn has made an indelible impact on country music, both the sound and the style. Loretta emerged on to the country music scene in the 1960s, with her career really peaking in the 1970s; in fact, she was awarded the Academy of Country Music Artist of the Decade for the 70s. It’s that era that most people envision when they think of Loretta. Us, too; it was that “look” that influenced the Backwoods Barbie collection.
She came from modest, humble beginnings and her early style embodied that. Her style was softer, simpler, and more subtle. She was known for her modest, high-necked, floorlength prairie-style dresses. She was often seen in floral prints and muted colors, feminine embroidered pearl snaps, and usually had an accent of ruffles, whether on collars or cuffs. As is often the case in fashion, what was old is new again. We’ve been seeing prairie prints and prairie dresses that are reminiscent of Loretta’s on runways for a little while now, incorporating elements of volume by way of ruffles and fuller sleeves, all things you can find in Loretta’s signature looks. They’re lovely and lightweight, and they’re an easy-to-wear silhouette that provides a lot of movement. Everything about Loretta’s look felt genuine, true to herself. That’s what we wanted to bring to Backwoods Barbie.
Loretta’s Flour Sack Dress, Double D Ranch Jewelry
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Loretta’s Flour Sack Dress, Stockyards Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry
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Loretta’s Flour Sack Dress, Stockyards Boot
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The Westerner Tee, Blowout Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry
Midtown Hustle Jacket, The Westerner Tee, Blowout Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry
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This Page: Hand Me Down Jacket, Forever Country Pant, Old Pawn Hat, Stockyards Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry Opposite Page: Hand Me Down Jacket, Old Pawn Hat, Double D Ranch Jewelry
This Page: You’re the Only One Dress, Blowout Boot, Tennessee Walker Hat, Double D Ranch Jewelry Opposite Page: Blowout Boot
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This Page: Choctaw Ridge Top, Blowout Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt Opposite Page: Choctaw Ridge Top, Tennessee Walker Hat, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt
“If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, then you are an excellent leader.” - Dolly Parton
Plaza Charro Jacket, Riata Hat, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Opry in Her Eyes Jacket, VintageDouble DoubleDDRanch RanchJewelry Belt
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Lil’ Nellie Rose Top, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt
Lil’ Nellie Rose Top, Bakersfield Boot, Love is Like a Butterfly Sock, Double D Ranch Jewelry
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This Page: Butcher Hollow Jacket, Hard Times Top, Blowout Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt Opposite Page: Butcher Hollow Jacket, Double D Ranch Jewelry
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Tennessee Walker Jacket, Hard Times Top, Cosmic Camo Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt
Tennessee Walker Jacket, Double D Ranch Jewelry
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“You either have to be first, best, or different.” - Loretta Lynn
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Jolene Dress, Coat of Many Colors Vest, Old Pawn Hat, Bakersfield Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry
Double D Ranch Jewelry
This Page: Chicksaw Basket Dress, Blowout Boot, Old Pawn Hat, Double D Ranch Jewelry Opposite Page: Chicksaw Basket Workshirt, Double D Ranch Jewelry
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This Page: Backwoods Barbie Boot, Tennessee Walker Hat Opposite Page: Tennessee Walker Tank, Sealy Shorts, Tennessee Walker Hat, Double D Ranch Jewelry
This Page: Backwoods Barbie Jacket, Backwoods Barbie Hat Opposite Page: Backwoods Barbie Jacket, Hard Times Top, Backwoods Barbie Hat, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt
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Bakersfield Boot
You’re the Only One Top, Sealy Shorts, Bakersfield Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry
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Both Pages: Homesick Blues Top, Homesick Blues Skirt, Doodle Dandy Scarf, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt
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Country Colors The soul of any collection is the color. It sets the tone, it tells you how to feel about it. Is it edgy and rebellious? Is it elegant and regal? Is it patriotic? Backwoods Barbie is on the softer side of country. These mellowed colors represent hard times. Times of hand-medowns, times of literally scrapping together fragments of fabric to make something out of nothing, times of clothes being washed on a washboard so many times you don’t even remember what color they were supposed to be. Maybe they were vibrant reds and bright blues at one point, but they spent much more time existing in their softer shades. It’s an unintended metaphor, but sometimes beauty is unearthed through struggle and strife. An unusual color scheme for Double D Ranch, known for bright, bold colors and blacks, you will find a pervasive presence of washed-out pinks and faded blues in everything from biker jackets to boots. In many of the pieces, these softer shades serve as a backdrop for the beautiful hand-embroidery of florals or statement stitching. In others, they are the accent colors on neutral canvases in floral prints or appliques.
Another critical color in this collection is black. Adding elements of black to a garment or ensemble not only adds to the pop-factor of the pastels, but it also tempers the overall aesthetic to prevent your outfit from looking too much like the inside of a nursery. Black works beautifully in Backwoods Barbie as an anchor piece or an accessory. If Backwoods Barbie has a tone, it would be soft, and if it is intended to make you feel any type of way, it would be both strong and enduring.
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Backwoods Barbie Hat, Miner’s Daughter Top
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Miner’s Daughter Top, Sealy Shorts, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt
Miner’s Daughter Top, Sealy Shorts, Backwoods Barbie Hat, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt
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Plaza Charro Jacket, Riata Hat, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt
This Page: Miner’s Daughter Dress, Double D Ranch Jewelry Opposite Page: Circus Rodeo Scarf, Double D Ranch Jewelry
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This Page: Butcher Hollow Jacket, Helluva Stud Top, Backwoods Barbie Hat, Four Winds Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt Opposite Page: Helluva Stud Top, Backwoods Barbie Hat, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt
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Both Pages: Shadow Capture Tee, Opry in Her Eyes Pant, Old Pawn Hat, Double D Ranch Jewelry
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Going to the Opry If you’re a small town country girl with a big voice and big dreams, the Grand Ole Opry is the only stage that matters. Many of the Opry’s most notable names came from nothing and from the middle of nowhere. They came from the hills, the “hollers”, the backwoods. Their humble roots arguably contributed to their success. It brought a grit to their voice and a truth to their songs, and the world took notice.
And they made it. They proved that where they came from didn’t dictate where they were going. They proved they were superstars, and now they were free to dress like it. Loretta’s prairie peasant dresses got a little more structured and a little more glamorous: bolder colors, more elegant fabrics, and dramatic puffed shoulders. Dolly’s waist got smaller and her bust got bigger, and everything she wore fit like a glove. Everything got a little sassier, a little twangier. Risk the bright colors. Rock the bold silhouettes. Wear too much jewelry. Express yourself through your outfit. You don’t need to make it to the Grand Ole Opry to have the freedom to dress outside the box, you’re already a superstar. Dress like it.
The Warhol’s Jacket, Helluva Stud Top, TV Cowboys Dress, Backwoods Barbie Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry
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The Warhol’s Jacket, The Warhol’s Pant, Helluva Stud Top, TV Cowboys Dress, Circus Rodeo Scarf, Backwoods Barbie Boot, Four Winds Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry
TV Cowboys Dress, City Slicker Hat, Backwoods Barbie Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry
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TV Cowboys Dress, City Slicker Hat, Double D Ranch Jewelry
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“If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” - Dolly Parton
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Bakersfield Boot
Forever Country Jacket, Leopard Jegging, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt
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Lil’ Nellie Rose Top, Hard Times Skirt, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt
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Backwoods Barbie Jacket, Four Winds Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry
Backwoods Barbie Jacket, Double D Ranch Jewelry
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Billie Joe Tee, Think About Love Legging, Double D Ranch Jewelry
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This Page: Circus Rodeo Vest, Hard Times Top, Hard Times Jean, Cosmic Camo Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry Opposite Page: Circus Rodeo Vest, Hard Times Jean, Double D Ranch Jewelry
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This Page: Cosmic Camo Boot Opposite Page: Circus Rodeo Tee, Jesse Hat, Cosmic Camo Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry
Rise & Shine Tee, Tennessee Walker Pant, Cosmic Camo Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry
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This Page: Love is Like a Butterfly Tank, Sealy Shorts, Backwoods Barbie Hat, Double D Ranch Jewelry Opposite Page: Double D Ranch Jewelry
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This Page: Backwoods Barbie Boot Opposite Page: Choctaw Ridge Top, Sealy Shorts, Backwoods Barbie Boot, Circus Rodeo Scarf, City Slicker Hat, Double D Ranch Jewelry
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