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“Mom and I loved to put an outfit together,” Diane Keaton, who died on October 11 at the age of 79, writes in her 2024 book “Fashion First.” Its 304 pages are flooded with the actress’ timeless, androgynous, and utterly charming ensembles over the years, which arguably managed to captivate audiences just as much as her performances in “Annie Hall,” “Manhattan,” “The First Wives Club,” and similar instant-hit releases.
Alongside the aspirational, rare imagery inside (Keaton with bangs tucked under a wide hairband; Keaton first getting into the wide-brimmed hat trend that would one day become her sartorial signature), the star has also blessed us with intimately personal recollections of how her fashion sense evolved from that of an impressionable young child — observing her parents’ ’40s-chic garb (“Mom couldn’t have been more adorable in her square-shouldered jacket with her matching fabric skirt and pumps”) — to something experimental at heart, while still staying classy and, for the most part, centered on all things black-and-white.
‘Fashion First’ by Diane Keaton
Price upon publish date of this article: $55
Keaton’s voice is clear and lively throughout, complemented by quotes from longtime collaborators, friends, and admirers the likes of Thom Browne, Georgio Armani, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Ralph Lauren (the latter wrote the fashion book’s foreword).
“Diane Keaton has always been my kind of woman,” the designer shares in the first few pages. “I am often credited with dressing Diane in her Oscar-winning role as Annie Hall. Not so. Annie’s style was Diane’ style. Very eclectic. We shared a sensibility, but she had a style that was all her own.”
Lauren goes on to describe her nonnegotiables: the aforementioned floppy hats, menswear, and “dangly neckties.” “Diane has always marched to the beat of her own drum, in the way she dresses and the way she lives… her style is not defined by the moment. It’s not about trends. It’s authentic and forever,” he adds.
Keaton can be credited with popularizing fashions typically reserved for men as early as the 1970s — confidently catapulting them into the mainstream. The 1977 arrival of “Annie Hall” only helped to solidify her trailblazing influence in the fashion realm, since Keaton’s on-screen getups (men’s vests, ties, sharp-collared button-ups, khaki pants, and other pieces, many of them courtesy of the Ralph Lauren line) inspired multiple generations of women to follow suit.
As Keaton aged, her looks remained age-appropriate and empowering in equal measure. Whether she was spotted in berets, preppy jackets, pearl strands, oversized belts, or velvet tuxedos — while gracing red carpets or playing outspoken protagonists — every clothing combination felt genuine and not, as Lauren aptly commented, in frantic pursuit of the trend cycle.
A particular passion of Keaton’s? Hats. “A hat allows me to hide the worst part of the head. You know, that strange area from your eyebrows to your hairline,” she candidly shared in a past interview. “A hat is the final touch to a great outfit.”
“Fashion First” is saturated with just this level of honesty and charisma. Readers are immediately drawn in through anecdotes about Keaton’s mother sewing outfits for her even past high school; desperately wanting her hair to look like Raquel Welch’s; having backyard photoshoots after going on shopping sprees; rummaging through the Goodwill bins with her mother and sister (“someone else’s junk was now our perfect treasure”); developing a more relaxed, pants-forward aesthetic after getting her first Broadway acting job; breaking norms by wearing a suit to present at the 1976 Oscars; and beyond.
With everything from glossy, professional photographs lensed by Annie Leibowitz to casual selfies exuding the same kind of energy as some of the social media clips Keaton posted in the recent past (in which she showed off scrapbooks full of the looks she loved on herself most throughout the years, while sprinkling self-deprecating jokes into the voice-overs), “Fashion First” succeeds at capturing the woman behind all her accolades and fashion-icon status.
“I got away with wearing some crazy outfits. No wonder people slam me for being eccentric. Gosh, I am lucky,” Keaton told WWD’s Leigh Nordstrom last year. “The more we worked on the book we found humor in my choices. I mean hysterics… If we can’t laugh at ourselves, what is life about?”
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‘Fashion First’ by Diane Keaton
Price upon publish date of this article: $55
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Meet the Author
Stacia Datskovska is a Senior Commerce Writer at WWD. Previously, she worked at ELLE DECOR as an assistant digital editor, covering all things luxury, culture, and lifestyle through a design lens. Her bylines over the past five years have appeared in USA Today, Baltimore Sun, Teen Vogue, Boston Globe, Food & Wine, and more. Prior to joining ELLE DECOR, Datskovska learned the ins and outs of e-commerce at Mashable, where she tested products, covered tentpole sales events, and curated gift guide roundups. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and international relations. Datskovska regularly reports on news in the world of fashion and influential tastemakers throughout history.
