Diane Keaton’s Iconic Fashion Legacy: Androgynous Style Guide

Diane Keaton’s five-decade career in Hollywood left an indelible mark not just through her legendary performances, but through her fearless approach to personal style. Unlike today’s celebrity fashion that often follows trending micro-trends, Keaton carved her own aesthetic path, proving that a compelling personal style can rewrite fashion rules rather than follow them. Her wardrobe choices, characterized by androgynous tailoring and gender-bending silhouettes, continue to influence modern fashion.

The Power of Tailored Menswear

One of Keaton’s signature looks involved classic peaked-lapel tuxedo jackets paired with crisp white shirts, wide belts, and her iconic jet-black bowler hat. These pieces, often crafted from lightweight or crepe wool, exemplified quiet luxury and authority. Fashion designer Sanjana Bubber Divecha notes that Keaton’s genius lay in her use of menswear fabrics and patterns—checks, stripes, and polka dots—transformed through styling choices like structured accessories and belts to feel distinctly feminine.

Unconventional Fabric Choices

Beyond traditional suiting, Keaton embraced unconventional fabrics like seersucker in her famous three-piece striped suit. The puckered texture of seersucker proved ideal for warm climates while maintaining structural elegance. Her white Nehru-collar floor-length jacket, reminiscent of a sherwani and worn at the 2004 Golden Globe Awards, demonstrated her innovative fusion of Indian and Western formalwear.

Keaton’s influence on contemporary fashion remains profound. Her approach—combining neutral palettes, structured silhouettes, and playful accessories—offers a timeless blueprint for anyone seeking to develop an authentic personal style that transcends fleeting trends.