Kate Middleton is back in business with a wardrobe to match.

Spending two days in Italy on a fact-finding mission for her early years initiative, Kate’s style choices were polished and professional—but intentionally discreet.

“It felt very much like she was focusing on her passion projects rather than her being a representative of the U.K.,” Bethan Holt, fashion director at The Telegraph, tells PEOPLE. “It had a different feel to an official royal tour and the clothes definitely reflected that.”

While her first look, a cornflower blue suit by the Vancouver-born British designer Edeline Lee, nodded to the national color of Italy — azzurro blue — Kate steered away from any obvious flag dressing and opted not to wear one of the many Italian brands based in the Italian city, such as Max Mara, which was founded there in 1951 and still has its headquarters in the city.

“Given Reggio Emilia is home to some major Italian brands, I think there could have been bigger, bolder fashion statements but I think it reflects a strategy that I’m seeing a lot from Kate,” notes Holt. “She dials up the fashion and then she dials it back down. She really chooses when to step into that fashion mode.”

Worn with her favorite Holland Cooper white body shirt, matching blue top handle bag by Asprey and tan pumps from Ralph Lauren, it was definitely a look that felt in the royal’s comfort zone in terms of color, design and brands.

“It was a very modern, executive look and all those crowds cheering “principessa” was wonderful,” notes Holt, author of The Duchess of Cambridge: A Decade of Modern Royal Style. “I think she looked more like a chief executive there for a business meeting than she did a classic princess.”

And that was likely the intention. For Kate, this trip was all about witnessing first-hand the famed Reggio Emilia Approach, the child-centered educational philosophy that aligns closely with the work of her own Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. Choosing not to change in between engagements (as she usually would on a royal tour), Kate opted for a softer look for her second day of outings, which included pasta making and visiting a local preschool, where she observed their outdoor and nature-led learning.

Wearing a cream skirt by Jenni Kayne and a previously worn jacket by Italian label Blaze Milano, with her go-to smart flats by Camilla Elphick, it was certainly understated but it worked brilliantly for the engagements.

“The images were so pretty — her sitting in the forest with the blossom trees behind her, it was very well thought through,” says Holt.

The beige and cream striped blazer had previously been worn by Kate in a photo released to update the public about her cancer treatment in June 2024, in which she was standing next to a weeping willow tree.

“There had been so much discussion about this trip being her first overseas visit since her cancer diagnosis — and with all those trees behind her, it created a lot of visual symmetry with that portrait. There was a soft but powerful acknowledgement of that.”

Kate also chose to wear a fabric and gold bracelet by Atelier Molayem. Gifted to her by a friend of the jeweler, it features three gold cubes, each one bearing the initials of her children. The piece was a collaboration with Relais Roncolo 1888, the boutique hotel where Kate stayed during her trip, and added another personal touch to the trip, which she described as “deeply moving and unforgettable” in a personal statement after she had left the country.

The overwhelmingly warm reception in Italy suggested this may be just the start of a more globally visible new chapter for the princess.

“It felt very uplifting and reassuring when we saw those images of her looking so happy doing what she loves,” says Holt. “She looked so composed and so happy to be there. It felt like she was ready.”