There are many discussions lately about whether President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky wears formal attire appropriate to his position. When he exited his car in Washington on Friday morning earlier, he was met by U.S. President Donald Trump, who reportedly said to him: "Today you will be dressed elegantly." This was the first of several comments about his style of clothing on that day, which ended with an aggressive question about his choice, when a journalist from the channel "Real America Voice" smiled and asked: "Why aren't you wearing a suit? You are at the top in that country; why are you refusing to wear a suit?" He also added: "Do you have a suit?" and then said: "Many Americans are wondering why you do not respect the sanctity of this office," to which Zelensky replied simply: "I will wear a suit after the end of this war."
In the time of many of his international trips, where he has been trying to secure military and financial support for his country, the President of Ukraine chose to forgo traditional attire for heads of state. Instead of an official suit and tie, he preferred to wear simple sports shirts, most often black or olive-green, on which the Ukrainian symbol - a tryzub (trident) - was depicted. He also wore regular trousers and work shoes.
This choice has remained unchanged since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in 2022. During his first visit to the U.S. after the war began, Zelensky appeared before Congress in an olive-green military-style outfit, which has now become one of the characteristic elements of his wardrobe.
He often wore similar clothing during many official visits, television interviews, and meetings with world leaders or when he joined his compatriots to sing the national anthem.
As in all of his leadership decisions, Zelensky carefully chooses what to wear. Agata Hurska, the chairwoman of the organization "Teni," a non-governmental and consulting creative organization aimed at preserving and spreading Ukrainian culture, stated: "This is the reality in which we live, and obviously, our president reflects this reality," and added: "If you walk through Kyiv, you will see that people look exactly like this," and continued: "This is a very important metaphor about the fact that we are in a state of war, and this is our reality."
However, Zelensky is not the first world leader to wear military clothing in support of his country's needs in wartime. Generally speaking, the late Prime Minister of Great Britain Winston Churchill visited the White House in a suit made from the same piece of fabric originally designated for use in shelters from airstrikes.
Unlike Churchill, Zelensky has made his clothing a permanent part of his image and does not revert to formal attire for diplomatic events, never failing to remind about the situation in his country.
Military clothing is associated with strength, and it is worn not only by leaders in wartime but also to portray a sense of achievement, power, and authority. Military clothing worn by generals, veterans, and state officials can add a feeling of legitimacy and experience to whoever wears it.
However, the traditional attire for Zelensky is not entirely formal, because he wears the same clothes that Ukrainian soldiers wear on the front line, and does not wear medals for his achievements in battles, highlighting that his style reflects the feelings of a military veteran.
