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Fashion
LifestyleFashion & Beauty

Why Diane Keaton remains the ultimate fashion icon and the ‘coastal grandmother’ of our wardrobe dreams

  • American actress Diane Keaton is proof that there’s no age limit when it comes to playing around with your style
  • The 76-year-old’s wardrobe on 2003 film Something’s Gotta Give is the epitome of ‘coastal grandmother’, a trend that is gathering serious steam on TikTok

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Diane Keaton at the 2017 American Film Institute Life Achievement Award show in Los Angeles. Keaton’s wardrobe in the 2003 film Something’s Gotta Give has helped popularise the “coastal grandmother” look. Photo: Shutterstock
Carolina Malis

Diane Keaton’s turn as the menswear-wearing Annie Hall in the 1977 film of the same name turned the actress into a fashion icon. She was the epitome of how cool New York women dressed and she became a fashion inspiration all over the world.

Keaton has since developed a unique, timeless style filled with tailored pieces, dresses and skirts, layers, wide belts, neutral tones, wide-legged trousers, and hats. Now 76, she is proof that there’s no age limit when it comes to playing around with your style.

Keaton in a still from Annie Hall.
Keaton in a still from Annie Hall.

In a way, Keaton’s signature style embodies freedom. Some call her the “fairy godmother of fearless style” – she plays with audacious looks that have nothing to do with what other people think and everything to do with what she likes.

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One of the reasons the actress’ style remains relevant is social media. You rarely see only one or two seasonal fashion trends any more – TikTok and Instagram have opened the door for hundreds of niche trends to take place all at once.
There’s something to suit everyone’s tastes now, from ’80s retro to Bridgerton-like corsets and opera gloves. One particular trend that’s taken social media by storm is what TikTok user Lex Nicoleta calls “coastal grandmother”, which can be summarised in her words as “Martha Stewart-adjacent, not fully Ina Garten … Nancy Meyers chic.”
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