Reading through Diane Keaton’s Fashion First is a little like seeing a legacy band on tour. Sure, there’s some time spent on looks that followed outdated trends and brief experimental phases—in Keaton’s case, these are almost always hair-related—but that’s overshadowed by the sheer number of hits. The key moment falls around halfway through the book, when a set of twin images shows Keaton in the tomboyish Ralph Lauren suiting that would soon become her signature style. It’s like hearing the first few bars of “Gimme Shelter”—you know the roof’s about to get blown off. What makes Fashion First all the more exciting is that you can see what it took to get there and the fun Keaton has had along the way. The book is organized like a photo album with a loose chronological structure, beginning with a handful of baby photos, including prescient snaps of a toddler Keaton wearing a bowler hat. The “1960” chapter delves into Keaton’s entrance into theater, never downplaying her interest in costumes first, acting second. If anything, Keaton’s insistence that style matters makes sense when you consider that her most iconic roles are known for their stylishness, from Annie Hall to Baby Boom to Book Club. Handwritten captions add moments of intimacy to a glossy, photo-heavy tome. Still, because this is Diane Keaton we’re talking about, she maintains a self-effacing charm throughout, including several misses alongside her greatest hits. One particular shot from the “1980” chapter shows Keaton in a long-sleeved ankle-length dress, which she’s paired with a very high-collared blouse and loafers, thick wooly socks and layers of pearls. In the caption, she confesses that she was on vacation “somewhere tropical—and no, I am not kidding.” The undercurrent of humor elevates the book from mere fashion bible (although it is that) to an essential record of how to be cool.
Valiant Women is a vital and engrossing attempt to correct the record and rightfully celebrate the achievements of female veterans of World War II.
