Carrie Underwood Admits a Love of Country Music’s Big Hair Tradition

Carrie Underwood has evolved from fresh-faced college co-ed to country music fashion maven since first bursting on the scene after winning ‘American Idol’ in 2005. Even with the pressure of adapting to the current trends in fashion, the gorgeous superstar believes that there is one tradition that will never go out of style: big hair.

“We country folk, we like our big hair,” Underwood to People. “It makes me laugh, but it really is southern humor.”

“I just feel like… maybe it makes the rest of me look smaller,” jokes the petite superstar, who has become just as known for her toned physique as her powerful pipes. “I’m not sure of my reasoning, but that’s the number-one thing I do, when someone fixes my hair, I put my fingers in it and make it look bigger.”

Underwood attributes her fondness for towering tresses to the likes of Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn or Tammy Wynette, all pioneer women who revolutionized the sound — and style — of country music during the peak of their careers.

“I mean for me, it was all about country women,” the ‘Blown Away’ singer says of her childhood fashion idols. “They like sparkles, they like big hair and they wear big hair. That was gorgeous to me and it still is.”

Though Underwood has embraced her role as a pop culture style icon, the Oklahoma native admits that her outward change in appearance is not a clear indication of her mental attitude toward fame and wealth. “I still feel like the same person, but sometimes I’ll look back at pictures of me in college or in high school and I’ll say, ‘Oh my gosh, what was I thinking?!’” the humble singer admits.

She adds, “But I’m sure 10 to 15 years from now I’ll look back to now and say, ‘Why would I wear that?’”

For now, Underwood continues to dazzle with her impeccable fashion sense, dodging worst dressed lists found in virtually every pop culture publication and online blogs. She does sympathize with her fellow celebrities who aren’t quite as well-received, saying, “I always feel bad for people in magazines and on TV, where people [criticize] their look a little bit, because they walked out of their house feeling beautiful, and that’s the most important thing.”

“So I really just try to wear what I love,” she shares, adding, “and try not to think about who might or might not like it afterward.”