Kate Middleton's Latest Understated Look Was No Accident – All About the Message It Sent

Kate Middleton's stylist is switching things up.

Arriving at the National Portrait Gallery with a group of excited kindergarten children on Tuesday, Feb. 4, the Princess of Wales showcased a very different style than usual.

Wearing a fitted brown wool-blend blazer from the Ukrainian designer Petar Petrov over a black fine knit turtleneck with black pinstripe trousers from Maxmara, the royal’s understated look seemingly underscored a recent report that claimed the royal was increasingly concerned that focus on her style was overshadowing her charity work.

Stating that Kensington Palace would no longer be releasing details of her outfits except “for the most important family and state events,” the Sunday Times article quoted a palace source as saying that Kate "wants the focus to be on the really important issues, the people and the causes she is spotlighting." Despite the new report, this is not a new policy, and the palace doesn't always share the royal's outfit details for outings.

"It’s understandable that the Princess would like the emphasis to be on her work and not her fashion, and that’s a conundrum many women face, especially women in high profile positions,” Susan Kelley, founder of the original Kate style blog What Kate Wore tells PEOPLE.

Related: Kate Middleton's Work Wardrobe: What's the Palace Policy on Releasing Details About Her Outfits?

“However, two things can be true. Journalists like myself, as well as bloggers, can cover both the work being done by the Princess and her fashion,” explains Kelley. "I consistently hear the same message from my readers: I came for the fashion but stayed to learn about the causes."

Shifting the focus away from what Princess Kate wears and firmly on what she does is a strategy the palace has been working on for some time. While they confirmed the details of her maroon ensemble at the recent Qatar state visit and sent a nine-page document detailing everything from floral embroidery details to headpieces and fabrics for King Charles’ 2023 coronation, style credits when it comes to her royal engagements are increasingly rare.

“Most of us have never relied on the palace for fashion information,” states Kelley.

“We identify the styles ourselves, along with a cadre of very talented people on social media who are terrific at discovering specific designers and styles,” adds the royal style expert, who launched the successful website in 2011 and has been tracking her style choices whilst detailing all her charity work ever since.

The much-discussed "Kate Effect" also has the ability to launch small brands from obscurity and keep luxury brands relevant during economically challenging times.

"The Princess of Wales is a terrific champion for the British fashion industry, exposing millions of people to brands they might not have been familiar with, especially some of the U.K.'s heritage brands and smaller companies patronized by the princess like Brora, Really Wild or the Welsh jewelry brand Spells of Love,” explains Kelley.

Even brands worn by her children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — feel the golden touch of the "Kate Effect," such as royal favorite Trotters, whose business has been booming ever since the family became loyal customers.

"Every time Princess Charlotte is photographed wearing something of ours, it just goes viral, especially in the U.S.," Sophie Mirman, founder of the British brand told PEOPLE after Charlotte wore her burgundy coat to the Christmas carol concert hosted by Kate in December.

There’s also the symbolism that the Princess of Wales manages to silently but powerfully portray in her fashion choices, like the pearl necklace she bought from Susan Caplan, a Jewish-owned brand that she purposefully chose to wear at last month’s Holocaust Memorial Service, a gesture that the jewelry curator said touched her soul.

"She’s so sensitive and I think she’s able to convey just the right message with the right outfit or the right piece of jewelry for the right occasion," Caplan said at the time.

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Every time she wears Princess Diana’s earrings or a piece of jewelry that once belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth, it's a reminder of the royal lineage and all the emotions that come with it.

Her style statements run much deeper than simply choosing an appropriate outfit. Kelley sees no signs of enthusiasm waning, either in the style blogging community or with the general public.

“The reality is that people have an interest in the Princess’ style and that is not something that Kensington Palace can control,” she says, adding: “I think the Princess very much understands the impact her style choices have on the fashion industry but as far as understanding the delight people find in seeing photos of her or reading about her style choices, I don’t know if this is something she thinks about.”

Read the original article on People