American audiences might be more familiar with the wardrobes of Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, but, for me, the sartorial selections of Queen Letizia of Spain always reign supreme. Letizia has a vivid beauty that has only deepened as she’s gotten older, making her the perfect style muse for mature women.
Letizia was a former broadcast journalist who married King Felipe in 2004 after meeting him while on assignment covering an oil-spill disaster. They have two gorgeous daughters. The oldest is Leonor, who turned 18 in October and is the heir presumptive to the Spanish throne. She has her mother’s style—even borrowing clothes for official activities. She recently left home for the traditional three years of military training, when she inherits the throne will become the first Queen Regent of Spain since Queen Isabella II in the 19th century.
Letizia is known for elegant ensembles with clean lines, usually in her signature colors of black, white, red or jewel tones. I love how she opts for clean silhouettes, nothing too fussy or frilly. When she wears prints, they’re usually bold florals or classic stripes/polka dots. Her favorite designers include Carolina Herrera, Nina Ricci, and Hugo Boss, though standout pieces from Zara often get thrown into the rotation.
For a comprehensive look at her official outfits, head over to Queen Letizia Style—an exhaustive blog detailing every fashion choice for the past ten years with links to either the item itself or something similar.
Here are some of my favorite looks of this royal rebel.
Lady in Red
With her light olive skin, strong brows and dark hair, Letizia embodies the classic True Winter color palette. Many of her outfits are monochromatic and she is frequently seen in peacock shades like blues, teals, and fuchsias. But when she really wants to wow, the Queen’s go-to is a powerful red ensemble. (I’m sure it helps that this bold choice is also a prominent color on the national flag.)
As we all know, red is associated with desire and attraction, so when a woman uses red—whether a whole outfit or maybe on her lips or nails—she’s ready to be noticed.
Sexy Shoulders
In our overly sexualized society, the allure of a woman’s collarbones and shoulders are often underestimated, but Queen Letizia is a master of showing skin in a tasteful way. Like Michele Obama, Letizia has sculpted and strong arms, and—especially in summer—she rocks sleeveless looks on the regular.
She’s also a fan of the off-the-shoulder cut whether in romantic florals for sundresses or sharp lace looks for diplomatic dinners.
Edgy Monarch
Letizia is the only royal I know that wears leather on a regular basis. On most people, a black leather dress would look trashy or like they’re trying too hard, but on the Queen the material is supple and luxe. She’s also not afraid of sexy sandals or a bold smoky eye, though she’s always careful not to go to far when embracing the edge.
Whether it’s cropped pants, leggings, blazer or dress, we can safely say that Letizia loves leather.
Going Gray Gracefully
Queen Letizia has rocked any number of hairstyles over the years, but beginning to grow out her gray is probably the most controversial one. It seemed to start during the pandemic, when, like most of us, hair coloring wasn’t high on the list of priorities for the royal. Even British Vogue did an expose on the trend in November of 2021 with the title “The Grey Hair Movement Has Reached Royal Circles” and a glam shot of Letizia in Stockholm.
Powerful Pantsuits
For decades, women leaders have had to suffer from press ridicule on the cut of their professional pantsuits. (Poor Hilary Clinton!) For ladies like myself that still have to rely on the occasional suit in various office settings, it’s inspiring to note how Letizia makes this stalwart mainstay fresh and feminine.
Her first technique is to head-to-toe bright color—especially red. Also, the fit of the outfit is always perfection—the jacket always nips in at the waist, and many times the pant is either flare legged or cigarette and cropped. At the recent Francisco Cerecedo Journalism Awards in Madrid, Letizia looked stunning in an all-white Hugo Boss pantsuit, accessorized with bright gold heels and purse.
Letizia is an endless source of inspiration and delight. All hail the Queen!
All images are taken from my Queen Letizia Pinterest Board where you can find all original sources of these images.
