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The Princess of Wales has honed her personal style for royal engagements over her 12 years as a working member of the British monarchy, making a considered move away from structured coat dress ensembles into chic sharply tailored pantsuits.
Kate owns a number of pantsuits in various cuts, colors and textiles, from razor sharp fitting Alexander McQueen examples in block colors, to softer tailored wide-legged suits from Roland Mouret.
Over the past year, the princess has increased her number of pantsuit public appearances, signaling what one fashion expert previously described to Newsweek as an "ascent into pantsuits," which suggests an elevated and more serious approach not only to fashion but to royal work in general.
"We've seen a huge shift in the Princess of Wales's work and presence within the royal family, from cutting ribbons to funding and supporting early childhood development research," royal fashion commentator Christine Ross told Newsweek in December.
"The ascent into pantsuits seems to follow her development into a very-involved working royal. We often see these pantsuits on more business-formal events, where her outfit may fit in better with the people she is meeting."
September 2023 has seen Kate increase her working output after the royals' annual summer vacation, stepping up to undertake a range of joint and solo engagements around Britain.
Of the eight days of engagements the princess took on in September, she opted for pantsuit looks for five of them.
Here, Newsweek looks at the Princess of Wales' month in fashion, focused on her new working royal uniform.
Rugby World Cup
Kate's first pantsuit debut of September was made for a special visit to France for the Rugby World Cup where England played Argentina in the group stages.
As patron of the England Rugby Football Union, Kate attended the match at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille. For the occasion the princess wore a striking white Alexander McQueen pantsuit featuring a wide-legged pant with statement seam-work together with a fitted blazer showcasing slanted pocket details.
The princess first wore the suit in this variation for a statue unveiling in London in June 2022.
HMP High Down
Kate's second statement pantsuit look of the month was worn for a visit to His Majesty's Prison (HMP) High Down in her capacity as patron of The Forward Trust, a charity that helps tackle addiction.
The royal wore an amethyst pantsuit from Alexander McQueen, comprising of a straight-leg pant and close fitted blazer. The princess previously wore this suit at Logan International Airport in Boston, to begin a visit to the U.S. city with Prince William in December 2022 for the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony.
RNAS Yeovilton
On September 18, 2022, Kate made her first visit to the Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton, following her appointment by King Charles III as commodore in-chief of the Fleet Air Arm (aviation division of the Royal Navy).
For the occasion, Kate wore a jacket and straight-leg pant combination in dark navy blue.
The princess' jacket was made by the British designer brand Holland Cooper.
Streets of Growth
For a visit to the non-profit youth intervention charity, Streets of Growth, in London on September 19, Kate turned once again to a wide-legged pantsuit look, this time from another trusted designer, Roland Mouret.
Kate has a number of Mouret pieces, notably the striking monochrome evening gown worn to the London premiere of Tom Cruise's Top Gun: Maverick in 2022.
Kate's pantsuit featured a softly tailored jacket with padded shoulder detail in a light shade of beige. The royal also owns a duplicate version of the suit in a shade of purple.
Textile Manufacturers
Kate's most recent pantsuit moment was made for a visit to textile manufacturers in Yorkshire on September 26.
For the occasion, the princess wore a deep emerald color suit featuring a wide-legged pant and straight-cut jacket with contrasting brown buttons.
This was not the first time Kate has worn the suit. She debuted it for a meeting with the Crown Prince and Princess of Norway with Prince William at Windsor Castle in March 2023.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more