In 2025, Queen Letizia has once again cemented her status as an unquestioned style icon and is considered one of the most elegant women in Spain. It has been 12 months defined by practical elegance, with no shortage of on-trend choices that move between modernity and refined classicism, including both new debuts and a mindful reuse of clothing and accessories. Reinforcing her sophistication and contemporary personal taste in Spain and abroad, Luis Javier Merino, fashion editor-in-chief, and Paula Callejo, senior fashion editor at ¡HOLA! in Spain, have chosen their favorite looks of the year and break them down in detail.
A green dress in timeless tweed, by Luis Javier Merino
She stood out in green on National Day. It's a shade range that suits her and it always reads calm, balanced, and refreshing. The focus was her new dress with a round neckline, three-quarter sleeves, a softly defined waist, and an A-line midi skirt. Tweed did most of the work here. It’s timeless, tied to Coco Chanel’s 1920s legacy, and it instantly adds polish. The origin is still unclear. It may be from a known house or one of the pieces made by the palace dressmakers.
With enormous success on this holiday, where she has shown a clear evolution in her style, Queen Letizia paired her green dress with her long emerald earrings from Tous, a gift from the Spanish brand in 2022 for her 50th birthday. As for accessories, she added elegance by choosing black pieces, achieving a final result that felt calm, elegant, and respectful. She defined her silhouette with a slim leather belt from Hugo Boss, rewore her slingback pumps from Massimo Dutti, and carried the Victoria Insignia bag by Carolina Herrera, a favorite of hers. And speaking of repeat favorites, her Coreterno ring was also there, as expected.
A necklace that changes everything, by Paula Callejo
A piece of historic jewelry instantly captivates us. This July, at the ABC Journalism Awards Mariano de Cavia, Luca de Tena, and Mingote in Madrid, the Queen brought back one of the least seen heirlooms from the royal jewel collection: a striking necklace made of 37 natural pearls. Her mother-in-law, Queen Sofía, wore it several times in the 1970s and 1980s. It was a gift from Alfonso XII to María de las Mercedes and was purchased in St. Petersburg in 1877. At the time, it weighed 2,105 grams and featured 41 pearls, four more than it has today, after Queen Victoria Eugenia chose to remove them.
To provide it full prominence, she paired it with a simple yet beautiful black strapless dress by Sybilla, a look that turned her into a modern Audrey Hepburn, elegant and effortlessly stylish. We loved the minimalist approach, which let the jewel shine and highlighted her impressive arms.
Bridal inspiration for vintage-minded brides, by Luis Javier Merino
In September, a historic moment took place: the first trip to Egypt by the King and Queen of Spain, Felipe VI and Letizia, since 2014. There, the Queen almost unified her suitcase through the color white. Purity and elegance reached their peak in the guipure lace dress over a base of natural silk organza that she debuted on Wednesday the 17th for the welcome ceremony in Cairo. This bridal-inspired design, perfect for brides who love vintage creations, is the Lady White model by The 2nd Skin Co., a label led by Juan Carlos Fernández and Antonio Burillo, which has become one of her favorites for the most formal, protocol-driven special occasions.
While she brought back a matching tone-on-tone handbag, she broke up the all-white look with her Carlota pumps in a soft caramel shade by Magrit. They were slingbacks, a small but meaningful detail that points to her more contemporary style. For jewelry, and to avoid any more debuts, she wore her Coreterno ring again and her Luzia earrings by Gold and Roses, a star-shaped design.
The outfit that inspired my Christmas look, by Paula Callejo
On November 18, the Queen attended the Francisco Cerecedo Journalism Award at Madrid’s Ritz hotel wearing a look my colleague Mariana Chacón described as “the combo you’ll wear on Christmas Eve,” and she could not have been more right. I have to admit I copied it for the holidays. She went for burgundy, a major trend shade that both celebrities and royals have embraced in recent months, and wore an especially inspiring monochrome outfit. She brought back a cashmere sweater from Falconeri, a simple design with a round neckline and long sleeves, and debuted an ankle-length sequined skirt from Massimo Dutti, a piece that can transform any outfit by giving it a festive, sophisticated feel.
I love everything about this outfit. The mix of knitwear and sequins is perfect for this time of year. It feels modern and stylish without straying from Christmas tradition, and it keeps its elegance. I also loved that she added oversized gold chain jewelry. As we have said, she does not usually wear necklaces, and it seems that in 2025 she has started to add them, cautiously, to her looks. This one from Parfois and the matching earrings, both priced at 15.99 euros, give the look a more contemporary edge. The hair and makeup, in the same tones as the outfit, also felt spot on.
The softened eighties look that refreshes her image, by Luis Javier Merino
Another historic engagement Queen Letizia experienced in 2025 was the presentation of the Collar of the Illustrious Order of the Golden Fleece to Her Majesty Queen Sofía at the Royal Palace on November 12. That day, the wife of an emotional Felipe VI chose to wear pastel pink, bringing back one of the most unusual outfits in her wardrobe, which refreshed her more typical image. Specifically, after debuting it on her trip to Italy in 2024, she gave another outing to a tweed jacket with striking raised shoulders and front embroidery, paired with a pencil skirt. From the Fall Winter 2024 to 2025 collection, it was a Wes Gordon design for Carolina Herrera.
Although she often likes to create smart contrasts, on this occasion she went for a full pink look, bringing back her matching Carlota pumps from Magrit and a coordinating bag from the same Spanish brand. For jewelry, she once again relied on her usual duo: her Coreterno ring and her Luzia earrings by Gold and Roses.
Her elegance was showcased with a mantilla at the Vatican, designed by Paula Callejo
On May 18, leaders from around the world traveled to the Vatican for the welcome ceremony for Pope Leo XIV, which marked the start of his pontificate. At events like this, the dress code is very strict, and I always love seeing how Queen Letizia adapts her style to it. In this case, she used the “privilege of white,” which allows certain Catholic queens to wear white instead of the usual black during audiences or official events with the Pope. Today, those queens are Letizia and Sofía of Spain, Mathilde and Paola of Belgium, María Teresa of Luxembourg, and Charlene of Monaco.
While the choice of white is striking in its own right, the addition of a mantilla to complete the look is truly exceptional. Compared to other European royals, Queen Letizia typically does not wear hair accessories, except for slim headbands. She only wears hats or fascinators when attending international events that require them, as was the case here. She paired an impeccable Redondo Brand dress, which features a rounded neckline, a defined waist, and a straight skirt that reaches the ankles, with a classic lace mantilla placed directly over her head. It would have been preferable if her hair were styled up, but she dislikes wearing buns. She finished with pearl and diamond earrings by Ansorena, which brightened her face and added the sober, elegant, and sophisticated note that the occasion required. Undoubtedly, it was a look that deserves a place in the history books.