Princess Kate means business — and her latest style statements are proof.
While representing the monarchy at a number of different engagements last month, Kate, 41, ditched her posh midi-length dresses for perfectly tailored suits. One standout look came when she attended the Rugby World Cup in France, wearing a cinched white blazer with matching wide-leg pants on September 9. She nailed the monochrome trend again in a camel-colored set when meeting with frontline staff from Streets of Growth on September 19.
Royal fashion expert Miranda Holder exclusively told Us Weekly that Kate is “sending a message” with her recent looks, stressing “the transformative power of clothes.”
“Kate is saying, ‘Don’t focus so much on my clothes. I am here to do a role. I want to be taken seriously. I am treating this as a proper duty. I’m pledging my allegiance to these charities and causes. … I’m your future queen, and I’m doing the best I can,’” Holder told Us. “It’s sending out a message of business rather than fashion. … [She’s] trying to take away from the world’s — including my [own] — fixation on [her] fashion.”
Holder continued, “It’s not that successful, however, because whatever she wears, she looks fantastic, and we can discuss the color, the cut, the shoes, the handbag and the jewelry.”
In general, Holder said Kate’s wardrobe can be categorized as “quite serious.”
“She’s definitely a wonderful mother, a lovely wife and we all adore her, but she’s very, very committed to her role and she puts everything into whatever she’s doing, and that’s reflected throughout her life,” Holder continued. “Her wardrobe needs to reflect that, and she’s worked really hard over the years to refine her look.”
When Kate first came into the picture — and following her April 2011 wedding to Prince William — she often donned soft colors and dainty prints paired with girly headbands and wedges. As she’s matured, Holder explained, the princess has leaned on a much “sharper” aesthetic, due in part to her increasing royal duties.
After Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September 2022, Kate became the Princess of Wales — a title she inherited from her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana. (William’s father is now King Charles III and his wife is Queen Camilla.)
Additionally, Kate’s new regional titles in North Ireland are Countess of Carrick and Baroness of Renfrew. She is also Colonel of the Irish Guards, her first honorary appointment in the British Army, and Patron of Rugby, per Elizabeth’s orders in February 2022.
“[Suits] have really become Kate’s uniform of choice, certainly for appointments,” Holder added. “[She] is slightly directing us more to her causes and what she would like to get out there into the media.”
