Reba Recalls Feeling “Uncomfortable” When Stylist Put Her In A Strapless Dress 

Reba McEntire Opens Up About Her Personal Style & Confidence Journey

Reba McEntire has always been faithful to herself and her style. Even then, Reba once needed to advocate for herself after a stylist put her in a dress she didn’t like.

Reba recently spoke with PEOPLE about her relationship with fashion, beauty, hairstyles, and self-confidence. She started by telling stories about her childhood growing up on a cattle ranch:

“My mama was not into hair, makeup, looking a certain way,” she said. “If she got us four kids dressed and out the door, that was a huge accomplishment. If we got a brush through our hair, that was another big step. Get our teeth brushed, that was another big deal. So the niceties past that was not even a thought. It was just surviving.”

RELATED: 7 THINGS WIKIPEDIA WON’T TELL YOU ABOUT REBA MCENTIRE

Of course, once Reba became famous, fashion and makeup played a more important role in her life. But because of her personal preference for a more laid-back style, she relied on a stylist and other team members to help her get ready for big events.

Reba Remembers A Time She Stood Up For Herself After A Stylist Put Her In A Dress That Made Her “Uncomfortable”

Reba recalled a time when a stylist got her dressed for an event. The stylist put Reba in a strapless gown, which she didn’t like at all. She constantly had to adjust the dress to keep it from sliding down.

“I was so uncomfortable and self-conscious,” she remembered.

So she stood up for herself, and told the stylist, “OK, from now on, never anything like that again.”

For reference, we’ve included a photo of Reba wearing a strapless gown at the top of this article. She wore the photographed dress to a charity concert honoring Elizabeth Taylor in 2000. She can also be seen performing in the dress in the video below.

However, Reba did not specify if this was the gown that made her feel “uncomfortable.”

She continued:

“It took me a while to gain that confidence to stand up to a professional stylist, hair and makeup person and say, ‘That’s not me. I don’t like that.’ And they’d say, ‘Well, yeah, you just sit here and we’ll make sure you look just right.’ I said, ‘Well, make me look like me.'”

As she continued her career, Reba looked up to other female country stars and followed their lead in fashion and beauty. She cited Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and Barbara Mandrell as sources of inspiration.

“Those were my role models,” she said. “Those were the women that I watched and learned and listened to and watched, learned from. They were my guide. They were my manual.”

Now, Reba serves as a role model to the female country stars following in her footsteps…when it comes to fashion, acting, music, and so much more.