Queen Letizia of Spain consistently nails the perfect middle ground between being classically chic and fashion-forward: she is known for blending high-street with luxury, and subtlety with boldness, all in a single outfit.
The 53-year-old is easily one of the most stylish European royals as a result, and her most recent outfit is yet another brilliant example of how she can strike the balance between business chic and regal elegance.
On Tuesday, 16 December, the Spanish royal attended a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Fad Juventud Foundation, for whom she serves as honorary president, at the Meta headquarters in Madrid.
The meeting served as a discussion of strategies to ensure safe digital environments for young people, after which a panel discussion, called "Challenges and Issues of Digital Safety for Adolescents, Children, and Young People – Safe Digital Environments," was held.
© WireImageFor such an occasion, it was vital for Queen Letizia to look especially professional, but also down-to-earth, given the sensitive nature of the discussions. As one of HELLO!'s resident royal style writers, I keep my finger on the pulse of royal fashion, and I think that she found the perfect way to appear classy, professional and fashionable all at once.
Queen Letizia's outfit
The Spanish Queen opted for a black and white pinstripe suit, with a double-breasted blazer and straight-leg trousers, which she layered over a silky violet blouse with a high collar and bow across the neckline.
To accessorise, she brought out a pair of subtle gold earrings, and a pair of patent leather heeled boots to complement the shine of the silk blouse.
The colour of her shirt truly popped as it contrasted the subtle darker colours and more traditional sharpness of the pinstripe suit, conveying an extra confidence.
© WireImageOriona Robb, a luxury stylist with more than two decades of experience in the fashion industry, spoke to HELLO! about why the Spanish Queen's outfit worked, telling us her breakdown of the patterns, colours and silhouette.
"Her look balances sharp tailoring with a subtle softness," the fashion expert begins. "The strong, architectural lines of the suit convey authority, while the fluid blouse and rich colour choice stop it from feeling severe." She called it a "masterclass in modern power dressing that feels polished, contemporary and entirely wearable beyond royal duties".
For Oriona, the shirt is the centrepiece that brings the look to a new level. "The soft, draped front and refined collar act almost like a built-in accessory, drawing the eye upward and framing the face," she says.
"This kind of fluid neckline softens traditional tailoring and adds movement, which is why it works so well under a structured jacket, it creates contrast without visual clutter."
Queen Letizia's look is bang on-trend
Pinstripes have been seeing a resurgence in high fashion, as well as on the high street recently, which the luxury stylist attributes to a "wider revival of '90s and early-2000s tailoring, where confident, corporate-inspired dressing is being reinterpreted in a more relaxed, modern way."
She explains that they introduce "depth and verticality, subtly elongating the silhouette," but that the new take on them is "less rigid and more expressive, especially when paired with softer elements like silk blouses."
How to style a double-breasted suit like Queen Letizia
Double-breasted jackets have been seeing a surge in popularity yet again, with their strong lapels, and structural intrigue, with their overlapping front. However, given that they make quite a statement, they're not always the easiest thing to style.
Oriona asserts that, as with Queen Letizia, the fit is vital: "Tailored through the waist but not tight, which maintains elegance without restricting movement."
© Europa Press via Getty ImagesShe also advises: "When styling a double-breasted suit, keep the layers underneath streamlined, opt for fluid fabrics, and avoid overly bulky accessories so the jacket remains the focal point."
As for the bottom half, straight-leg trousers like the Spanish Queen's are a versatile and timeless pick, because they work no matter what's trending and look flattering on almost every single body type. The style expert explains that their uninterrupted line from hip to hem feels "elegant and grounding, especially when paired with statement tailoring".
Most importantly, their adaptability means that they can look "sharp with heels, relaxed with flats, and always feel relevant regardless of shifting fashion cycles," according to Oriona.
