Queen Letizia Elevates Summer Florals With ‘60s Spin

This season, summer dressing has seen various forms thus far: there’s been shorter hemlines, of course. Plenty of sheer and matching sets galore. But, regardless of the year, there seems to be one constant throughout the warmer months: florals. And on Wednesday, the tried-and-true motif got the Royal treatment by way of Queen Letizia of Spain.

Attending the opening of The Gallery Of The Royal Collections in Madrid, the Royal stepped out in a very modern take on florals. But the a-line silhouette of her dress, too, seemed to harken back to the romantic shapes of the 1960s (think Dior’s “New Look” and Audrey Hepburn’s billowing ballgowns).

For the occasion, the Queen opted for a black and white floral dress from Carolina Herrera—the motif was slightly out of the ordinary as the brushstrokes of the pattern imitated a smudging effect of watercolors. The piece followed an a-line shape with a tightly fitted bodice that fanned out into a voluminous skirt that fell just above her ankles.

The 50-year-old’s dress also had interesting details up top. The ruched floral section of the bodice stopped about half way and gave way to a stain black portion which led into straps (similar to the exposed bra trend we’ve seen on the red carpets this year).

She kept things rather simple accessories-wise with a black clutch, gold hoop earrings, and simple slingback heels. There was a definite warm weather feel to the Queen’s look (which makes sense given the global heatwave going on right now). But of course, this isn’t the first time the Royal has pulled out the pattern recently.

For a lunch with Queen Rania of Jordan in June, the Spaniard donned another floral midi dress, this one decidedly more colorful than her black and white piece. The dress featured a variety of red, blue, and pale pink accents which she perfectly coordinated to her purple heels.

And back in April, she wore a similarly colored dress, this one with a more ‘70s touch for an event in Cordoba. Cleary, the Queen has yet to meet a floral she isn’t drawn to.