Batwoman Season 2 has seen Ryan Wilder change the Batsuit from the version worn by Kate Kane. Though it's unclear if Kane is dead or merely missing - and this is likely to remain unsolved for some time - it's clear Wilder is being set up as a permanent Arrowverse Batwoman.
Although Luke told Kate the design was perfection, the original Bat Suit used in Batwoman required some modifications. The first time Kate put the suit on and went out onto the streets of Gotham, her head was completely encased in the cowl, she was mistaken for the missing Dark Knight, Batman. Before she chose to go out in the suit again, she told Luke the suit would be perfect when it was re-designed to fit a woman. Adding the red bat symbol on her chest, the red utility belt, and the long, flowing red wig, there was no mistaking Batwoman for Batman.
A tragic incident dropped the Bat Suit into Ryan Wilder’s hands. She initially planned to wear the suit just once, to enact revenge on Alice for the murder of her foster mother by the Wonderland Gang. Ryan realized she could help the forgotten people of Gotham more by actually becoming Batwoman, but she quickly learned - as she told Mary Hamilton - that it was one thing to put the suit on, and another to wear it. Adjusting to the intricacies of a suit that was built for someone else hampered her first outings as Batwoman. She struggled with reaching her weapons on the utility belt and stumbled on her landings, wearing boots that didn't fit, both literally and figuratively. Ryan finally concluded she couldn’t be fighting the suit as much as she was fighting the bad guys of Gotham.
Ryan’s modified streamlined suit signals her making the superhero role her own, and one that fits her by design, instead of using a suit passed down to her by chance. By changing the design elements to include brighter red colors on the belt, glove accents, and bat symbol on her chest, she's choosing to be a more visible Batwoman, working well with her status as the new symbol of Gotham's hope. The biggest change, however, is the wig. Like Kate added the red wig to identify herself as Batwoman, Ryan's new curly, dark wig is sending a strong message. The new Batwoman is proudly identifying herself as a Black woman, a crucial part of who Ryan Wilder is.
Another particularly good reason for Ryan changing the Bat Suit was that the original was hampering her fighting style. Batwoman needs to be both strong and confident, and an ill-fitting suit wouldn’t help Ryan be either. The Batwoman suit Wilder inherited was built and designed for Kate, which naturally wouldn't work, as the two of them were not the same build. Similarly, wearing the suit Kane wore even if it didn't fit right would have only served to make it feel more as though she would be coming back - both to those in-universe, and to those watching the show.
Ryan Wilder reworking the Bat Suit on Batwoman foreshadows that even if her predecessor returns to Gotham (as was hinted in season 2 episode 3, "Bat Girl Magic!"), Kate Kane might not put the suit on again. It also signals Ryan’s commitment to everything that Batwoman stands for, creating her own version of Gotham’s hero. She’s not only filling the shoes Kate left in all respects, but she’s also making those shoes more comfortable for her to wear. Whether Kate returns to join Ryan and the Bat Team in protecting Gotham or just visits for a farewell passing of the Batwoman torch to Ryan, the new Batwoman is here to stay.