Diane Keaton’s Unmistakable Style: What Was Really Behind It

The world mourns the death of Diane Keaton (1946-2025). The Hollywood icon died on October 11th in her hometown of Los Angeles at the age of 79. A spokesman for the family confirmed the sad news. Further details are not yet known as her relatives have requested privacy.

Over the course of her career, Keaton not only shaped the cinema. She also developed a distinctive style. For her, the perfect outfit included “a turtleneck, a suit, a wide belt, a hat and glasses.” She always cited her mother as inspiration for her wardrobe.

Their outfits became as iconic as their on-screen roles. The mix of traditionally feminine clothing and more masculine accessories developed into her unmistakable trademark.

But behind Diane Keaton’s style there is also a touching story. The actress confessed that she never felt comfortable showing a lot of skin. : “I know who I am now” when talking about her style. “I know how old I am. I know my limits and what I can and can’t do.”

: “It hides a multitude of sins. I wouldn’t feel comfortable in a short skirt or something low-cut that showed my arms.” About her love of hats, she said: “I’ve always loved hats. They just frame your head. But no one loves them as much as I do.”

For Keaton, her clothing was also a form of protection. The actress opened up about her long-term battle with skin cancer. She was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma at the age of 21. She later developed squamous cell carcinoma and had to undergo two operations. Since then, she has paid meticulous attention to her skin care and advocated consistent sun protection.

“Wear sunscreen,” and reported that she always uses SPF 50 since her serious illness. About a diagnosis, she said: “I knew something was wrong, but no one could find it. I had three biopsies before it was discovered. Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most dangerous type of cancer after melanoma and can be fatal,” she explained at the time.

At a young age she was careless and a sun worshiper, which she later described as “stupid”. Since skin cancer was common in her family – her aunt, father and brother were also affected – Keaton lamented that she could have avoided “20 skin cancers” if she had used sunscreen sooner.

In addition to skin cancer, Keaton also spoke in interviews about her eating disorder bulimia, which she developed in her twenties when she was asked to lose weight for a role.

This mental illness accompanied her for years. She reported how she secretly ate large quantities and successfully hid it from the public: “When you live with a lie for four years, you have to think about what it’s doing to you.” She was able to overcome the eating disorder, but remained “connected with everyone who has had some form of eating disorder – women and men. I’m part of this team,” as she once said to Ellen DeGeneres.