Dolly Parton Could 'Fill A Nordstrom' with All The Clothing Artifacts She Saved

Dolly Parton may be gone, but her iconic looks live on ... through a massive trove of mementos from her legendary time on Earth.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ … Dolly saved every little thing connected to her life and career, so much so that she could "fill a Nordstrom" department store.

We're told every item -- which her team calls "artifacts" -- was saved ... from the shoes she wore during a photoshoot to a dress she wore at an award show.

Dolly even held onto the accessories, too ... like jewelry from an appearance.

Our sources tell us ... some of her items are scheduled to be displayed at the Dolly's Life of Many Colors Museum -- set to open on the third floor of the Dolly Parton's SongTeller Hotel in Nashville.

We're told the late legend held onto an "unimaginable" amount of artifacts ... and the items are stored throughout her property in Nashville as well as a warehouse off-site.

There were longstanding rumors Dolly wanted to turn her home in Nashville into a "Graceland-type" museum, which would display these artifacts -- but sources with direct knowledge say there are no plans for anything like that.

As you know, there's been a bit of drama over Dolly's estate since her death ... her nephew has been fired as her head of security, and his companies have been replaced.