Queen Letizia of Spain wore a traditional 69-euro bag highlighting island craftsmanship during a private visit to a Mallorca foundation with her daughters on Thursday.
The Queen was joined by Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia for an unofficial tour of the Esment Foundation in the island's capital, Palma.
The Spanish royal family, headed by King Felipe VI, traditionally spends part of their summer holidays on the Mediterranean island. They typically reside at the Marivent Palace, a cliffside estate overlooking the Bay of Palma.
Feel Mallorca tote bag
For the morning engagement, Queen Letizia wore a relaxed summer outfit. She chose a blue blouse with French sleeves, light-coloured trousers and a pair of navy blue flat espadrilles. Espadrilles, a traditional Spanish shoe featuring a woven rope sole, are a staple of the royal family's summer wardrobe.
The focal point of her look was a large blue and white shopper bag from the local brand Feel Mallorca. The piece, known as the Tote Ikat Mallorca model, retails for 69 euros.
The bag is made from "tela de lenguas", which translates as tongues of cloth. This is a local name for ikat, an ancient dyeing technique where yarns are bound and dyed before weaving. The method creates a characteristic blurred pattern and has become a historic hallmark of Mallorcan textile production.
Traditional textile design
The material used for the Tote Ikat Mallorca is a thick fabric blended from 50 percent linen and 50 percent cotton. According to the brand, the cloth is woven thread by thread in the Mallorcan towns of Santa Maria del Cami or Lloseta.
Both municipalities, located in the centre of the island, have a long history of agricultural and craft traditions, including the operation of historic textile mills. Feel Mallorca states that their manufacturing process maintains a Mediterranean aesthetic and traditional methods.
The Queen's blue and white patterned bag features a zip closure to protect belongings inside. It is finished with long, brown cowhide leather handles designed to be worn over the shoulder.
The large, lightweight design makes it highly functional for summer styling. It is designed to pair easily with linen trousers, shirts, dresses and espadrilles.
Feel Mallorca accessories
This is not the Queen's first time carrying items from Feel Mallorca. The local craft brand has been part of her wardrobe for several years, and its designs frequently feature in the outfits she chooses during her stays on the island.
She has previously worn other accessories featuring the distinctive ikat print in different colours and formats. The ongoing relationship with the Mallorcan brand makes her choice for Thursday's visit more than a simple accessory.
On this occasion, the blue and white tones of the tote bag coordinated directly with the rest of her outfit. The blue matched her blouse and footwear, while the light background tied in with her trousers.
Esment Foundation tour
The relaxed styling matched the informal nature of the engagement. The Queen, the Princess of Asturias and the Infanta visited the Esment Foundation outside of their official institutional agenda.
The Esment Foundation is an organisation based in Palma that provides support, training and employment opportunities. The royal visit was described as much more relaxed than the institutional commitments they had undertaken in recent days.
During their tour, the royal party focused on the work carried out in the organisation's printing press, where they spent time speaking with the employees.
Photographs released from the visit captured spontaneous moments, including Queen Letizia and her daughters stopping to take a selfie photograph with one of the printing press workers.
Princess Leonor, who is first in line to the Spanish throne, and her younger sister Sofia also chose summery outfits for the foundation visit. Both royals wore printed dresses and espadrilles, contrasting with their mother's choice of basic separates anchored by the 69-euro artisanal bag.
