Letizia fades to grey

There's two things guaranteed to come up every week when talking about Princess Letizia.  Firstly, that she loves a bit of forward fashion.  And secondly, that someone, somewhere won't be best pleased about an outfit she's chosen for a formal event.  From the causal trousers and cardies that have made an appearance at military parades to the floaty skirts that have skimmed her knees at formal audiences, she seems to have an uncanny knack for choosing an outfit that will rile at least some royal watchers for being, well, not royal enough.  So her obsession this week with fitted grey skirts poses an interesting dilemma.

 

 

The Princess of Asturias presents an award to Susan Solomont, wife of the former US ambassador to Spain, on October 1st 2013 in Madrid

 

The skirts, worn both times with long sleeved and ultra formal white blouses, are super smart and perfectly prim and proper.  Letizia looks like a very serious princess doing very serious royal things.  But the skirts, and particularly the matching jacket that she wore on October 2nd when accompanying Felipe to the annual Police Day in Alcalá de Henares in Madrid, are so on trend that they're almost too fashionable.  Letizia is channeling a look that is set to be huge this autumn and winter and which is slowly creeping into the shops now.  So is the princess making over an image that has left her open to criticism or is she just doing what she usually does and following fashion?

 

 

The Prince and Princess of Asturias at the annual Police Day in Madrid on October 2nd 2013

 

Ultimately, does it really matter?  Even if Letizia is just sticking to what's hot it has done her image as a consort in waiting no harm at all.  Even if people want to criticize her for fashion frivolity, their job is suddenly a whole lot harder as the latest trends will be making everyone look like a public figure going about their job with not a crease or a crinkle to be seen.  It might just be the stroke of luck she needs after a terrible summer which left her public image under attack from many sides and her personal life under a microscope of massive proportions.  The next few outfits might tell us more.  In the meantime, this princess is no doubt happy to fade, for a while, to grey.