Diane von Furstenberg is a fountain of knowledge. When we spoke earlier this year, I left the conversation with a new life mantra I didn’t know I needed. And then there was this bit of wisdom: “Much like the moon, women also have seasons,” she said over video chat. “The spring of life is when everything is starting, and you like to marvel at each and every thing. Then there is the summer of life, where the fruits of it all are being revealed. In the autumn of life, there are many beautiful colors and lessons. Then you enter winter, which is where I am now. It’s such a luxury to have experienced the other three seasons, because aging is such a luxury. It’s beautiful, too.”
While von Furstenberg may be luxuriously aging, that doesn’t mean she’s stopped protecting her skin. Yesterday, she shared one of her own beauty secrets on Instagram—a full-body UPF suit—plus hat and face mask—to protect herself from the summer sun.
“Much like SPF can be an ingredient in a lotion or cream that protects against harmful UV rays, UPF is a weave or type of fabric that does the same thing,” associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine Mona A. Gohara, MD, told Vogue previously. It’s a fantastic way to go a step further to protect yourself from sun-related skin cancer, she adds—especially if you’re spending all day in the water, where sun protection can be washed away.
I always have a UPF long-sleeved shirt or two on hand for beach vacations and hikes. And while von Furstenberg gravitated to something more minimalist and streamlined for her look, there’s plenty of options out there for the more flamboyant sun-seekers, too. Anne Hathaway is also a fan of UPF clothing, wearing long-sleeved and pants in bold tie-dyed colors while on holiday for a few summers in a row. I’ve been enjoying a leopard print long-sleeved suit from WatSkin (with a hood!) and the Kendall Jenner-approved UPF dress from Claudent.
Von Furstenburg took her sun-protective measures to the next level by adding a face mask. If you’re trying to find one online, you’re out of luck—the designer took a pair of scissors to a shirt, carving out two eye holes and one for her face. It’s an innovative move, and basically, one of one couture. Once a fashion designer, always a fashion designer—just more sun-conscious.
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