Diane Keaton sadly passed away on Saturday 11 October, aged 79, and as celebrity friends and fans alike reflect on her life, sharing photos from her decades-long career, many have been wondering: why did The First Wives Club star always wear hats and turtlenecks?
Speaking to PEOPLE last year, the actor said that her signature style is made up of "a turtleneck, suit, large belt and, of course, a hat and glasses!"
"Some things will never change for me," she went on – but why? It turns out that Diane's trademark look was about more than just showing off her personal flair.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times in May 2019, Diane recounted battling "many skin cancers" during her lifetime, so she opted to wear hats to "protect" her from the sun. This is something that those high-neck jumpers would have helped with, too, with Diane describing them as "protective".
In another interview (with Total Beauty), Diane opened up further about the impact skin cancer had on her life, and the extra measures she took to take care of her health as a result. "Wear sunscreen. You've got to put it on," the actor said, explaining that after being diagnosed with "serious" squamous cell carcinoma, she always carried around factor 50 SPF.
"I had it for a very, very long time [before it was diagnosed]. I knew something was up, but no one could find it," she added of the skin cancer. "I had three biopsies before they found it. And it was deep. A squamous cell cancer is second to melanoma, and you can die from it because it will spread. It's really not a joke."
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"You've got to put the sunblock on, you've got to go to the dermatologist, you have to take care of yourself and pay attention," she urged.
Diane was diagnosed with skin cancer twice, the first time at just 21 years old and then again decades later. Despite this, she admitted to not protecting her skin properly til later in her life. "Back in my 20s, I didn't pay attention much," she told the LA Times. "I didn't research and didn't really care, and that was stupid because it's dogged me my entire adult life, even recently. I didn't start sun care until my 40s."
Diane's cause of death has not yet been revealed, but a family spokesperson who confirmed her passing over the weekend requested privacy for her loved ones. Our thoughts go out to them at this difficult time.
