Queen Letizia's Daytime Fashion Part 2: July 2014 - November 2014

[Jacknch]

Originally Posted by An Ard Ri

I think its safe to say we were never gonna get QL wearing a hat or gloves today,its not her style but she could have made an effort and worn a necklace or bracelet.

It might not be too late - if the King and Queen of Spain are still in the Netherlands, someone could pop over there now with hat and gloves and force Queen Letizia to put them on - even for a moment!

[Marengo]

Hehe, who knows, thus far I liked all (two?) hats on Letizia. Though in Brussels and Luxembourg the same issue will probably arise. I think she looked fine actually. It wasnt a casual dress and she wore nice ruby earrings. As others showed, Queen Sofia also didn´t wear hats and gloves when visiting the Netherlands.

[An Ard Ri]

Originally Posted by Jacknch

It might not be too late - if the King and Queen of Spain are still in the Netherlands, someone could pop over there now with hat and gloves and force Queen Letizia to put them on - even for a moment!

I'm trying envisage QL wearing one of Queen Maxima's or Beatrix's hats

[udyusa]

That's never going to happen sadly, Jacknch. It seems that QL only makes an effort when SHE feels like it. That said, she does look lovely in red. :)

[udyusa]

I'm rofl, An Ard Ri!! I am trying to imagine which hats would be worse!

[Lady Nimue]

Originally Posted by muriel

I hear what you say. That said, I think Letizia has always been a conservative dresser, and to some extent, has always been somewhat "underdressed". Further, I just think republican winds are blowing strongly in an economically depressed Spain. She probably is not comfortable pushing the boat out in that environment. Thirdly, IMO, we have still not really fully heard the story of why JC abdicated. Is more bad news going to emerge at some stage? I think, for now, Letizia is probably focussed on being seen as a down-to-earth, approachable and hard working Queen of the people than fully dressing the part.

She is always true to her own style, which is conservative with impeccable grooming and superlative posture.

I also think you make some very pertinent points. Letizia's actions speak volumes.

But the question arises: what is 'dressing the part' in modern parlance?

[MARG]

Letizia has never been conservative. She has merely been either dressed for the office or majorly underdressed when standing beside her husband taking a military salute dressed in capri pants and sandals.

She has upped her game considerably since then but she seems to save her really terrific clothes for private occassions. When she dressed in that fabulous ensemble for Felipe's ascension I thought she finally "got it". That she understood that her husband is King and she his Consort.

http://juliapgelardi.files.wordpress...6/felipe21.jpg

Sadly she has never looked that well dressed at a military salute since then. Spain's National Day falls into the same category and, as we have seen, she doesn't have to wear a hat and gloves to knock it out of the park, she just chooses not to.

http://royalista.com/wp-content/imag...dia--h=500.jpg

http://royalista.com/wp-content/imag...dia--h=500.jpg

It would be different if she didn't have the wardrobe, but she does. She has really wonderful ensembles, suits, pantsuits, dresses, separates and a truely enviable collection of shoes and accessories. It is almost as if she "dresses down" for royal engagements except of course gala events where she she seems to allow herself to indulge in some girly pleasure and break out the bling.

Today's red dress is just that, a red dress, and her hair looks limp and flyaway. Her shoes are a different red than the dress and I haven't a clue why she picked that capacious clutch. Don't get me wrong, Letizia looks great in red but she didn't look like she was on a State Visit to another country.

[Humera]

I have to admit that as soon as I saw pictures of this visit my instinct was to remark on the lack of hat on Letizia's head. If she doesn't want to wear one, she could've styled her hair better, not so lank and unexciting. I love the red on her though.
I know comparisons between Letizia and Maxima are inevitable when they're standing right next to each other but they're so different in terms of their style and personality. One's petite and rather predictable and safe in terms of her style choices; and appears quite reserved to me. The other's statuesque, glamorous and tends to be quite experimental in keeping with her vivacious personality.
However I think that an official visit to a foreign country is one of those occasions where one simply has to step up their game.

[Frelinghighness]

She wore a beautiful red dress with sparkles, diamond and ruby earrings for her hosts. Her country has one of four unemployed, so many others under employed, she is a modern, well informed queen
Who is representing her country well without alienating them

[Humera]

There are no sparkles/sequins on Letizia's dress, it's embroidered with silk thread (it's a perfectly lovely dress). She doesn't need to spend extra money to do her hair differently. It's just a question of putting things together differently to create a more impressive effect. But I realize that this is just her style. However there are examples of many royal women (including Maxima) who seem to dress down on a regular basis but really dress to impress on a foreign visit.

[MARG]

Originally Posted by Frelinghighness

She wore a beautiful red dress with sparkles, diamond and ruby earrings for her hosts. Her country has one of four unemployed, so many others under employed, she is a modern, well informed queen
Who is representing her country well without alienating them

As Humera pointed out, there are no sparkles but dressing appropriately for an occassion is not a question of who has the most money. I would chance a guess that Letizia's wardrobe is on par with that of her contemporaries. It's how you choose to use what you have that counts, and I don't think Letizia's red "Recession Dress" cost any less than Maxima's ensemble. Hat and gloves notwithstanding.

As for her limp hair, I have no idea why that is, but a good hairdresser is essential for a woman in Letizia's position.

[4Pam]

I thought Queen Letizia looked great. She looked very professional. It would have been better to see her in an outfit similar to Queen Maxima but they're two different women, different tastes and styles. I think she represented Spain well.

[Duc_et_Pair]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Hehe, who knows, thus far I liked all (two?) hats on Letizia. Though in Brussels and Luxembourg the same issue will probably arise. I think she looked fine actually. It wasnt a casual dress and she wore nice ruby earrings. As others showed, Queen Sofia also didn´t wear hats and gloves when visiting the Netherlands.

Queen Sofía did observe the dresscode in 1981 and in 2002 when she was in the Netherlands:

With hat:
http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/tqgr/ima...25-785-800.jpg

With hat:
http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/tqgr/ima...52-790-800.jpg

No hat but with gloves:
http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/tqgr/ima...78-800-553.jpg

With hat:
http://krant.telegraaf.nl/krant/huwe...ipe.spanje.jpg

[Duc_et_Pair]

Originally Posted by Frelinghighness

She wore a beautiful red dress with sparkles, diamond and ruby earrings for her hosts. Her country has one of four unemployed, so many others under employed, she is a modern, well informed queen
Who is representing her country well without alienating them

Does this implicate that Queen Máxima, who maintains royal standards when it is needed, is not a "modern, well informed Queen"?

[muriel]

Originally Posted by MARG

She has upped her game considerably since then but she seems to save her really terrific clothes for private occassions. When she dressed in that fabulous ensemble for Felipe's ascension I thought she finally "got it". That she understood that her husband is King and she his Consort.

http://juliapgelardi.files.wordpress...6/felipe21.jpg

Sadly she has never looked that well dressed at a military salute since then. Spain's National Day falls into the same category and, as we have seen, she doesn't have to wear a hat and gloves to knock it out of the park, she just chooses not to.

Actually, even for Felipe's inauguration, she did not wear a hat and gloves. Sofia rarely did. It just is not the Spanish way. We can keep criticising her till the cows come home, but I doubt Letizia is about to change the Spanish approach to these things.

[Duc_et_Pair]

Originally Posted by muriel

Actually, even for Felipe's inauguration, she did not wear a hat and gloves. Sofia rarely did. It just is not the Spanish way. We can keep criticising her till the cows come home, but I doubt Letizia is about to change the Spanish approach to these things.

If Doña Letizia keeps it like this, she will be outstaged by Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Margrethe II, Queen Silvia, Queen Sonja, Queen Mathilde and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa who do observe the dresscode for formal events. And without doubt the future Queen Victoria, Queen Mary, Queen Mette-Marit and Queen Camilla will observe the same dresscode.

And that while she is really not a nobody, she escorts her spouse, the King of one of the worlds grandest monarchies... When the King of Spain receives members of the Corps Diplomatique, he requests them to observe the dresscode. So it is not that this is all one-way direction for Spain.

[MARG]

Originally Posted by muriel

Actually, even for Felipe's inauguration, she did not wear a hat and gloves. Sofia rarely did. It just is not the Spanish way. We can keep criticising her till the cows come home, but I doubt Letizia is about to change the Spanish approach to these things.

That was the point I was trying to make. She didn't need a hat or gloves to look every inch a Queen. Therefore it comes down to her choice, no more, no less.

[muriel]

Originally Posted by Duc_et_Pair

If Doña Letizia keeps it like this, she will be outstaged by Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Margrethe II, Queen Silvia, Queen Sonja, Queen Mathilde and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa who do observe the dresscode for formal events. And without doubt the future Queen Victoria, Queen Mary, Queen Mette-Marit and Queen Camilla will observe the same dresscode.

And that while she is really not a nobody, she escorts her spouse, the King of one of the worlds grandest monarchies... When the King of Spain receives members of the Corps Diplomatique, he requests them to observe the dresscode. So it is not that this is all one-way direction for Spain.

Originally Posted by MARG

That was the point I was trying to make. She didn't need a hat or gloves to look every inch a Queen. Therefore it comes down to her choice, no more, no less.

I hear what you say, but Sofia herself hardly ever wore hats and gloves at events of this type. The fact of the matter is, there really is no tradition in modern day Spain to wear hats and gloves. That said, nothing stops Letizia from starting such a tradition if she felt it was the right thing to do.

[An Ard Ri]

Letizia could have done something with her hair yesterday and on Spain's National Day,but sadly the attention to the finer details seems to have slipped her mind.

[princess carmen]

I don't think Letizia should start wearing hats and gloves , that would just cause her problems. She is being herself and there is no one that does not know she is Queen . I also think that she dresses well but never wants to take focus from King Felipe.