How Kate Middleton's Power Pantsuit Era Nods to Princess Diana: 'She's Transforming Before Our Eyes'

The Princess of Wales has a new work uniform: suits and blazers

Kate Middleton has a new style motto: Eat, sleep, pantsuit, repeat!

Since stepping out to attend the Rugby World Cup in France earlier this month in a striking all-white tailored pantsuit, the Princess of Wales seems to have ditched dresses in favor of a strong and sharp suit, all-be-it in various colors and silhouettes.

"I think it marks a new era in her royal life," Bethan Holt, fashion director at the Daily Telegraph tells PEOPLE. "It shows her confidence is growing and that she’s willing to take more risks and do something that might not have come naturally to her."

Related: Kate Middleton's Royal Style: Every Outfit Worn by the Princess of Wales in 2023...So Far

While Princess Kate's love of a fit and flare dress and beige heels was once her go-to fashion formula, in recent months, she has been more daring in her fashion choices and many of her smart outfits now include pants. In fact, out of eight days of engagements in September so far, Kate opted for a pantsuit on five occasions and a combination of pants and a blazer two times.

Visiting AW Hainsworth, a heritage textile mill in Leeds on Tuesday, Princess Kate wore a bespoke forest green Burberry pantsuit with wide-legged trousers. One week earlier, she wore a similar style suit in a soft camel hue, this time by Roland Mouret, to attend a non-profit youth intervention charity in East London. (She also owns the same suit in purple!)

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Other choices over recent weeks have included a violet pantsuit by Alexander McQueen (the brand behind her 2011 wedding dress), a double-breasted navy blazer from Holland Cooper featuring nautical-inspired gold buttons with similar but not matching navy pants and a red tweed blazer look from Zara that the royal has worn numerous times before.

Whether it’s a suit or separates, there is a definite trend emerging when it comes to her work uniform.

"She’s transforming before our eyes. She might not be able to say to us, 'Look, my life is now completely different, me and my husband are one step closer to the biggest job of his life,' but she is saying that through her fashion choices," says Holt, who authored The Duchess of Cambridge, A Decade of Modern Royal Style.

Related: Kate Middleton Suits Up in Recycled Outfit for Textile Factory Visit as Her Power Dressing Spree Continues

The Princess of Wales is not the only royal who had a style shift at a critical time in her royal life — so did her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.

"Diana had her own trouser suit moment in the late 1980s at a time when she wanted to be taken more seriously," recalls Holt. "She said to designers, 'I'm sick of the frothy ball gowns — I want to wear menswear.' She had these fabulous power suit moments!"

From film premieres to polo matches, Princess Diana loved to wear a sharp blazer, often double-breasted and with shoulder pads, as was the trend in the 1980s.

Like Kate, Diana also had a penchant for pussy bow blouses and polka dots — although recently, Princess Kate has pared down the feminine touches and opted for a plain white or tan t-shirt style top under her blazers.

"I think what's really interesting is how it's taken quite a serious slant," Holt says. "There’s a lot of very polished tailoring — it’s a very sleek silhouette and quite a controlled look.”

Accessorizing her sharp new look for fall with a new hairstyle, Kate also showed off her long cheek-sweeping bangs on Wednesday by wearing her hair styled in a (very fancy!) low bun to visit children with special educational needs in Kent.

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