Kate Middleton’s Style Inspiration Is Queen Letizia Of Spain

Kate Middleton wore a plum lace dress Wednesday as she and Prince William met Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at a creative industry event at Lancaster House in London to celebrate cultural collaboration between the U.K. and China. The style inspiration for her lace confection was none other than style icon and Letizia, queen of Spain.

The Duchess of Cambridge’s sophisticated lace dress by Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana was strikingly similar to a green lace dress that Queen Letizia wore recently. Her knee-length dress featured a demure neckline and three-quarter sleeves. The 43-year-old style icon paired it with nude pumps and carried a matching envelope clutch. Her brunette tresses were styled into loose curls and kept in side part.

The dress is by the Spanish royal’s go-to designer, Felipe Varela. She reportedly has a strong penchant for lace dresses for day and evening wear, usually from the atelier of her favorite designer.

Middleton’s fitted lace dress featured long sleeves, high neck and ran up her knees. The dress by the Italian fashion house is made of the luxurious Guipure lace. The rich shade was just right for an autumnal day. The high neck and long sleeves ensured that she was dressed appropriately for the occasion.

The dress is available for purchase and comes with a silk-blend slip for coverage, but is sheer through the sleeves to reveal a hint of skin.

For Middleton, choosing an expensive dress from a foreign label was rather unusual. She normally tends to stick to British designers and thrifty dresses, just like Letizia, who mostly wears Felipe Varela dresses.

The two royal ladies have a similar sense of style, according to Hello magazine. Both have been on top of the best-dressed lists for years. For daytime, both the royals prefer clean, structured looks and vertiginous heels to match their tall husbands. King Felipe VI is 6-foot-5 as compared to Letizia, who is 5-foot-7, while Kate stands at 5-foot-10 next to the 6-foor-3 Prince William.

When off duty, Middleton and Letizia both like to dress casually in skinny jeans and tops. Both of them also like vibrant colors. Letizia has several red gowns.