Veteran actor Diane Keaton died on Saturday at 79, People first reported. Her family, through a spokesperson, said they are “requesting privacy at this time.” Known worldwide for her role as Kay Corleone in The Godfather series, Keaton was not just a Hollywood icon – she was a fashion original.
While revisiting her career, The Guardian wrote that Keaton’s personal style was as distinct as her voice, a look that outlasted every red-carpet trend.
Also read: Diane Keaton listed beloved $29M LA home for sale months before death amid ‘unexpected’ health decline
Diane Keaton’s unique fashion statement
Keaton’s wardrobe was instantly recognizable: shirts and ties, loose trousers, fitted waistcoats. She turned men’s tailoring into something playful, smart, and strangely tender. Her style was a mix of grace and awkwardness that made sense only on her frame. She was, as The Guardian put it, “a quiet subversive,” someone who ducked the Hollywood machine and walked her own path.
When she played Annie Hall, Keaton did not need a stylist. Most of the film’s wardrobe came straight from her closet. “I look back on Annie Hall and can’t talk about that movie without talking about the fashion. It was everything to me. I loved being able to dress like myself,” she once said, reports The Guardian.
Even Woody Allen saw it, as per the outlet. He reportedly told the costume team, “Leave her. She’s a genius. Let her wear what she wants.”
Also read: Diane Keaton cause of death: How did Godfather, Annie Hall star die? Health ‘declined very suddenly’
Diane Keaton wore confidence like an accessory
Keaton’s style, The Guardian noted, was not about power dressing or chasing trends; it was about comfort and even privacy. In her 2024 book Fashion First, Keaton wrote that men’s clothing gave her “a kind of armor,” oversized coats, she said, were her “ballgowns.”
She wore tartan shirts on red carpets and mismatched socks to premieres. Critics sometimes mocked it, but she never cared. From pinstripe suits to bowler hats, she treated dressing as performance art. Ralph Lauren once clarified in Fashion First: “I am often credited with dressing Diane in her Oscar-winning role as Annie Hall. Not so. Annie’s style was Diane’s style.”
Her influence still lingers. You can see traces of it in every woman who pairs a tailored blazer with sneakers or turns up to a gala in trousers. Like Cary Grant or Fred Astaire, she made structure look free.
FAQs
How old was Diane Keaton when she died?
She was 79.
What was Diane Keaton’s most iconic fashion look?
Her Annie Hall menswear – vests, wide trousers, and ties – became legendary.
What did Ralph Lauren say about her style?
He wrote that “Annie’s style was Diane’s style,” crediting her originality.
What was Diane Keaton’s approach to fashion?
She used clothes as self-expression, turning men’s tailoring into something deeply personal.
