When Kate Middleton joined a group of primary school children on a trip to the National Portrait Gallery in London on Tuesday, there were gasps of surprise when she stepped off a minibus.
The Princess of Wales was sending a clear message: Not only is she back to her duties, she is rolling up her sleeves and getting to work.
Sources close to the princess say she is delighted to be picking up her early childhood development projects and resuming other work she was forced to put on hold during her year-long cancer battle.
However, Kate made headlines this week for making the decision not to release details of her wardrobe when she is on engagements. A palace source told The Times, “There is an absolute feeling that it [the public-facing work] is not about what the princess is wearing.”
Usually known for wearing a pop of color to her engagements, Kate opted for black trousers, a black turtleneck and a brown jacket for her visit to the National Portrait Gallery.
“It’s hard to know if she was making a point, but this felt like a bit of a departure from what we are used to seeing her in, which are lovely bright trouser suits and pretty dresses,” Claudia Joseph, author of How To Dress Like A Princess: The Secrets of Kate’s Wardrobe, tells Vanity Fair.
“This felt a bit drab, but it’s winter, she was with children so I do get it, but I hope it doesn’t mean she’s going to stop experimenting with fashion.
“Fashion can be seen as frivolous but it generates a lot of money into the economy and part of Kate’s role is to boost British fashion. She has put many small brands on the map,” Joseph says.
Kate’s decision not to publicize details of her wardrobe is driven by a desire for the focus to be on her work. According to one friend, the princess is reluctant to be seen as a clothes horse.
“I suspect Catherine chose not to go for a pretty dress or a bright color on purpose,” says a source who knows her well. “She feels too much is written about what she is wearing and she really wants the focus to be on the work she is doing.”
Kate prefers a more laid-back style that doesn’t attract too much attention, the source says.
“The fact is Catherine likes fashion, but she never wanted to be a style icon. She’s happiest when she’s in jeans and a stripey top. She throws things together very effortlessly and she is stylish, but she’s not fashion-obsessed by any stretch.”
Princess Kate has relied on the services of her trusted stylist Natasha Archer for over a decade. “Tash,” as she is known, has been instrumental in developing Kate’s style and getting her to experiment with new looks.
“Tash knows exactly what she is looking for and knows Kate very well,” says one fashion insider. “She has been instrumental in the princess’s wardrobe and Kate really relies on her.”
The princess has become more experimental with fashion in recent years. While a fan of the high street, she has elevated her style since becoming the Princess of Wales, opting for more designer clothes including Alexander McQueen, Jenny Packham, Catherine Walker and Emilia Wickstead.
Last week, she stepped out in a black and white houndstooth Zara dress that she has worn previously, and wore a plain pair of black trousers and a black coat to attend a Holocaust survivors’ memorial service.
“Queen Elizabeth wore bright colors to stand out from the crowd – Kate did the same and it would be a great shame if she stopped,” says Joseph. “She takes a great picture, and while that sounds superficial, she needs to be in the papers to promote what she’s doing.”
The news that the palace will no longer release details about Princess Kate’s wardrobe has divided the fashion brigade. Many feel that Kate’s influence as a style icon and the so-called “Kate Effect” is important for the British fashion industry.
