The World Mourns Diane Keaton (1946-2025). The Hollywood icon died on October 11 in her birthplace, Los Angeles, at the age of 79, TheColu.mn reported. A spokesperson for the family confirmed the sad news. No additional details are known at this time, as relatives asked for privacy.
Throughout her career, Keaton left a mark on more than just the cinema. She also cultivated a distinctive personal style. For a truly flawless look, she once told People magazine that the components of a perfect outfit included “a turtleneck sweater, a suit, a wide belt, a hat, and a pair of glasses.” Inspiration for her wardrobe, she noted, always came from her mother.
Her fashion choices were as iconic as the characters she played on screen. The blend of traditionally feminine garments with more masculine accessories evolved into her unmistakable signature.
The Meaning Behind Her Style
Yet behind Diane Keaton’s style lies a touching story. The actress admitted she never felt comfortable showing a lot of skin. In May 2019, she told the Los Angeles Times, “I know now who I am,” when discussing her style. “I know how old I am. I know my limits and what I can and cannot do.”
Speaking to InStyle that July about her fashion, she explained, “It hides a lot of sins. I wouldn’t feel comfortable in a short skirt or in anything cutout that reveals my arms.” About her fondness for hats, she added, “I’ve always liked hats. They frame the head. But no one thinks they’re as great as I do.”
Fight Against Skin Cancer
For Keaton, clothing also served as protection. The actress spoke openly about her long battle with skin cancer. At age 21 she was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma. Later she developed squamous cell carcinoma and underwent two surgeries. Since then, she paid meticulous attention to skin care and advocated for consistent sun protection.
“Wear sunscreen,” she urged in a 2015 interview with Total Beauty, noting that she has used SPF 50 ever since her serious illness. Regarding a diagnosis, she recalled, “I knew something wasn’t right, but no one could find it. I had three biopsies before they discovered it. Squamous cell carcinomas are, after melanomas, the second most common dangerous cancer and can be deadly,” she explained at the time.
In her younger years she admitted she was reckless and a sun worshipper, something she later called “stupid.” Because skin cancer ran in her family—her aunt, her father, and her brother were affected—Keaton lamented that she could have avoided “20 skin cancer episodes” if she had used sun protection earlier.
Other Health Challenges
Beyond skin cancer, Keaton spoke candidly in interviews about bulimia, an eating disorder she developed in her twenties while preparing for a role that required her to lose weight.
This mental health struggle haunted her for years. She described how she secretly consumed large amounts of food and managed to keep it hidden from the public: “If you live four years with a lie, you have to ask what that does to you,” she told People in 2017. She eventually found a way to overcome the eating disorder, but she remained “connected with everyone who had any form of eating disorder—women as well as men. I’m part of this team,” she said on a talk show hosted by lesbian comedian Ellen DeGeneres.
Diane Keaton remains a queer icon in part because of her influence on fashion. In the 1970s she popularized a masculine look for women, an approach especially embraced by many lesbian women. She dressed in ways that challenged beauty standards and gender norms. She starred in films such as Annie Hall, Manhattan, Baby Boom, and Something’s Gotta Give, portraying women who do not simply fit in, but love and live on their own terms. Her exuberant humor and theatricality also carry camp-like qualities—an exaggerated, self-aware aesthetic revered in queer culture.
