When royals make a statement with their clothes, it's usually the subtle kind: a well-chosen designer here, a specially commissioned piece of jewellery there.
The subtleties are what make royal fashion so interesting, but then once in a while someone makes a truly bold statement. Very often, it's Queen Maxima of The Netherlands.
The striking Queen is one of the more fearless when it comes to dressing up, whether it's a sheer-effect cocktail dress with red polka dots, hot pink formal dresses or modern voluminous silhouettes. But her most recent look has set a new gold standard.
The Queen stepped out in a monochromatic red outfit for the start of the Music Training Agreement in TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht, the Netherlands yesterday.
Maxima chose a stunning red midi dress, featuring a high neckline, relaxed draped long sleeves and a fitted waist. Making the most of the chillier weather, she paired this with a full length scarlet coat, embroidered with a folk-style floral motif, which she draped loosely over her shoulders.
Always one to make a trend her own, Maxima accented her monochromatic look with a sleek and elegant red leather handbag and slouchy red leather knee-high boots.
It's an ideal outfit for an autumnal night on the town, the rich scarlet colour a perfect transitional shade from the bright tomato reds of summer and the deep burgundy of winter. Pairing a high boot with a loose dress is one way to look stylish while keeping warm, and when in doubt going for a monochrome look is an easy way to look effortlessly elegant.
However, it was another accessory that really caught our eye: her statement snake earrings in a dramatic black and red pattern. She didn't stop there, though, and added a statement ring on one hand.
The Queen finished off her look with a smokey line of black eyeliner and lashings of mascara, making her brown eyes pop, and a bold red lip to pull the outfit together. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a loose and relaxed ponytail, and she added a simple black protective face mask when indoors.
It's just one of her exceedingly stylish outfits in recent weeks, after stunning in a ruffled mustard yellow gown for the Prinsjesdag celebrations at the Noordeinde Royal Palace, and the sophisticated orange midi dress she chose for a bike ride with her husband King Willem-Alexander– done while still in her soft brown high heels!
