Even before her death at seventy-nine, the "Something's Gotta Give" star's signature look was as iconic as her celebrated film career. Yet behind the bold suits and ever-present hats lay a profoundly personal story of health battles, self-preservation, and quiet strength.
In one of her final interviews, Diane Keaton revealed that her style wasn't just a statement — it was a shield. It was also a way to protect, to express, and to remember.
"A turtleneck, suit, large belt and of course a hat and glasses [sic]!" she told People magazine. "Some things will never change for me."
Skin Cancer, Family History, and Why She Covered Up
Keaton's love for high collars and broad-brimmed hats wasn't just about fashion — it was survival. Over the years, she openly discussed her long and harrowing battle with skin cancer, one that had plagued her family for generations.
"It's a family history," she told the Los Angeles Times. "I remember my Auntie Martha had skin cancer so bad they removed her nose. My father had basal skin cancer and my brother had it. It's tricky with this skin cancer. That's why you've got to put the sunblock on [sic]."
In her youth, Keaton admitted, she didn't take sun exposure seriously — a decision that would haunt her well into adulthood. It wasn't until her forties that she began incorporating consistent sun protection into her daily routine.
In an interview with Total Beauty, she revealed:
"Six years ago I had a squamous cell, which is serious. And I had it for a very, very long time [before it was diagnosed]. I knew something was up, but no one could find it. I had three biopsies before they found it. And it was deep […] you can die from it, because it will spread. It's really not a joke."
Fashion as Armor, Art, and Identity
That health scare was a turning point. It led the actress to lean even more into wide-brimmed hats, high collars, and covered-up silhouettes — not just as a means of shielding her body but as a creative ritual, a sartorial language of survival.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Keaton used her signature hats to keep the sun off her face and wore them religiously, often pairing them with turtlenecks and suits. And yet, her approach to dressing wasn't simply practical — it was joyful, imaginative, and powerfully individual.
The "The Godfather" actress loved getting dressed. She embraced layering, bold textures, and timeless staples, making fashion a daily act of playfulness and creative freedom.
In remarks from an interview reported by Metro, she admitted:
"Yes, it's very protective. It hides a multitude of sins. Flaws, anxiety — things like that. I would not feel comfortable in a short skirt or something cut off with my arms hanging out there."
She added, "And I've always liked hats. They just frame a head. But, of course, nobody really thinks they're as great as I do."
Her self-imposed boundaries were never about insecurity — they were about intention. In a conversation with Women's Wear Daily, the actress made it crystal clear that, in her words, "anything showing my body or skin" was off-limits, while emphasizing her love for turtlenecks and the essential presence of glasses to complete her look.
For Keaton, fashion was never about trends; it was about truth. Her devotion to turtlenecks, suits, and hats wasn't about hiding, but about owning her story. Even now, her style stands as a defiant legacy, a testament to grace, vulnerability, and fierce independence.
A Final Walk in the Sun and Into History
In August 2024, that legacy was on full display one last time.
Keaton was spotted strolling through the sunlit streets of Brentwood, a serene image of elegance and quiet strength. She wore her iconic wide-brimmed hat, a black turtleneck, and a tailored blazer, holding shopping bags with the familiar poise fans had adored for decades.
Few realized that her outing on August 20 would be her final public appearance. When news of her death spread, fans turned to those last images — a woman completely herself, unshaken, iconic to the end.
Fans Mourn the Icon's Final Moments
"Wide belt & classic turtle neck!" one admirer posted on Facebook, applauding the unwavering consistency of Keaton's style. "She still seemed so vivacious. So sad her health changed so quickly. She was and will always be an icon and a role model for so many women," another wrote.
Not every voice was that of praise. One viewer noted, "Something about her seemed insincere, even her smile seemed strained." Another commented that she "looked thinner."
But those whispers were drowned out by a chorus of gratitude and heartbreak. "She was very active," one fan recalled, while another summed up the heartbreak felt by many, "It's bittersweet knowing her last public moment was just a quiet day out. Rest in peace, Diane Keaton."
In the end, Diane Keaton's legacy was never just about the films she made or the awards she won — it was about the way she lived. Every turtleneck, every hat, every laugh that filled the screen spoke to a woman who turned her vulnerabilities into art and her fears into style. Even in her final days, she remained wholly herself — strong, original, and endlessly inspiring.
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