‘Dukes of Hazzard’ Star Catherine Bach Reveals Dolly Parton Inspired Daisy Duke’s Original Look

Catherine Bach is revealing who came up with the idea for the short-shorts and which superstar celeb was the inspiration behind her iconic The Dukes of Hazzard character.

In a recently resurfaced 2023 interview clip, Bach opened up to Pitt Community College about the original inspo for Daisy Duke. And as it turns out, the show’s creators chose the queen of country as their model.

While both Bo and Luke Duke (played by John Schneider and Tom Wopat) and Boss Hog (played by Sorrell Booke) were based on real people, Daisy was, as Bach says, ” really a figment of imagination.”

She continued, explaining that when she questioned where her first Daisy Duke costume came from, she was told, “We loosely based it on Dolly Parton. So what we want you to do is wear a blonde wig, nice and big, like Dolly. And we want you to have a white turtleneck on. And a red-and-white checkered skirt. Poodle skirt. And white go-go boots.”

So what did Bach think of the explanation? In her mind, it was a no-go. “I said no, that’s going to be terrible. Nobody looks good in those kinds of clothes. And they said Dolly does. I said it’s a picture; it’s not real life,” she revealed.

Fans now know Bach for her signature cutoff jean shorts, which spawned one of the most well-known trends — Daisy Dukes. As it turns out, the actress was actually the one behind the costume that viewers now see on TV. Bach shared that after she told the powers-that-be, “Give me a minute and I’ll give you what I think the girl should be,” they obliged.

The actress continued, “So that’s when I brought the ‘Daisy Dukes.’ And that’s when I brought the jeans and the cowboy boots and all the different tops. And they said that’s it, that’s what we want.”

Nearly half a century later, Bach’s creation is still one of the most popular looks. Even celebs like Kendall Jenner, Miley Cyrus, Carrie Underwood, and Victoria Beckham regularly sport the high-cut denim shorts.