Kate Middleton’s wardrobe is undergoing a massive shake up – here’s why

Duchess Catherine has long been revered as a style icon and muse – but you might have noticed she’s stepped things up a notch recently.

While her sleek wool coats, pencil skirts and understated accessories might as well be trademarked as Kate Middleton’s own, we’re currently seeing quite a shake up when it comes to her wardrobe.

And there’s a very intriguing reason as to why.

For context, a few weeks back in March, Kate stepped out in a gorgeous purple Gucci blouse that had us, and royal fans talking for more reason than one.

The style was heavenly, which is nothing new where this royal wardrobe is concerned. But what really caught our attention was that the chic top appeared to be on backwards.

Yep, Kate – our Queen of Chic– was wearing a top backwards, and it wasn’t because she dressed herself in the dark on three hours sleep (like the rest of us normal folk).

Nope, Kate actually wore it backwards on purpose, and it was, quite frankly, genius.

While Kate isn’t shy of taking the odd fashion risk (within reason of course), there was something very fresh about this look, and it was all to do with her brand new stylist.

Enter Virginia ‘Ginnie’ Chadwyck-Healey, a former editor at Vogue magazine and close friend of William and Kate’s.

In his column for the Mail on Sunday, Richard Eden discussed the exciting new appointment, with a royal source telling him: “Ginnie is Catherine’s secret weapon … She has made a big difference to the Duchess’s wardrobe for public engagements and has helped give her a whole new sense of confidence.”

We can’t say we blame her for being impressed, Kate has looked particularly chic of late.

Up until now, Kate’s close pal Natasha Archer was her stylist, but she has officially gone on maternity leave.

Clearly, there’s no need to fear where Kate’s wardrobe is concerned – Ginnie is already making the best kind of waves going by the Duchess’ latest ensembles.

Daughter to the 3rd Lord Stratford, Ginnie has two daughters aged four and two, with husband Oliver Chadwyck-Healey. They attended St Andrews University in Scotland at the same time as William and Kate, which is where it seems they struck up their friendship.

The blonde fashion maven spent 12 years at Vogue UK. She also started her own styling consultancy business called VCH.

It’s not hard to see why the two fashionable mums get along!

Ginnie was among the best dressed guests at William and Kate’s royal wedding in 2011, opting for a pink skirt designed by Emilia Wickstead for the occasion.

A match made in heaven, the New Zealand-born designer is also revered by both Kate and Meghan!

The stylish royal opened about the whirlwind royal wedding experience, writing: “Royal protocol had to come first, but I wanted to feel like I had an identity amid the sea of celebrities, friends, military personnel, foreign members of state and, of course, the Royal Family.”

She then added: “To my mother’s horror, I didn’t wear tights.”

WATCH: Prince William and Duchess Catherine exchange wedding vows: