The Real Reason Zelenskyy Doesn’t Wear A Suit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s contentious Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance didn’t just highlight a debate over geopolitics. It also kicked off an argument over clothes.

“Why don’t you wear a suit?” asked Brian Glenn, a correspondent for the conservative Real America’s Voice network, prompting a smirk from Vance. “You’re at the highest level in this country’s office, and you refuse to wear a suit.”

But the criticism of Zelenskyy’s lack of traditional tie-and-jacket attire misses an obvious question: Why does he dress like that? As it turns out, the black tactical gear he wore to the Oval Office — much like his now-iconic olive-green fleeces and combat boots — is part of a growing visual shift in Ukraine, marked by the war’s impact on the clothing industry and the military’s now central place in Ukrainian culture.

I spoke to Illia Ponomarenko — a Ukrainian journalist who has covered the war, written for the Kyiv Post and The Kyiv Independent and authored I Will Show You How It Was: The Story of Wartime Kyiv — about the real meaning behind Zelenskyy’s style. “The clothes are more than clothes,” he said. “They are part of a culture of people who are involved in this war.”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

There’s a lot of discussion in the U.S. about whether Zelenskyy should wear a suit on diplomatic trips. But the discourse is almost always filtered through American eyes. From a Ukrainian perspective, why do you think he dresses the way he does?

Zelenskyy’s clothes are sending a soft, anti-elitist message. When he meets with prominent figures and power brokers, his clothes are basically asking, what are you about? Are you about the business of saving lives, or are you about fancy protocols? Even when he meets with kings, he dresses in a way that represents the average Ukrainian involved in this war effort. So it’s a message to say, “I’ve come to the corners of power as a representative of my humble people.”

The war has undoubtedly reshaped many industries in Ukraine, including clothing production. How has the conflict influenced the way Ukrainian brands approach technical and military apparel?

As you know, Ukraine has been at war with Russia and its armed proxies for over a decade now. When this conflict was in its early stages in 2014, the Ukrainian military was in a very poor condition. So resistance depended on the response from everyday people, such as cab drivers and IT people, who self-organized into volunteer battalions. These people bought clothes from hunting supply shops and military surplus stores, just so they could get some equipment and go fight. Naturally, the demand produced supply.

With time, new companies were started to supply people with better equipment. Many of these tactical clothing producers are veteran-owned businesses producing clothes in Ukraine for Ukrainians. This includes companies such as M-TAC for tactical gear and Talan for boots. The growth of this tactical clothing industry rose out of the spirit of the time, which is to say the self-organizing forces to defend Ukraine. The clothes are more than clothes; they are part of a culture of people who are involved in this war.

A friend of mine who works as a war photographer in Ukraine told me that it was somewhat unpopular to wear tactical gear in civilian life prior to 2014, but that has changed since the war. How did the average Ukrainian see this style of clothing before this conflict?

We must understand that 2014 [the year Russia invaded Crimea] was a watershed moment for this country, not just for its trajectory, but how people see military service members. In some ways, 2014 marked the end of a long, sad period when the Ukrainian military was deeply neglected, under-financed and mistreated. The image of the average Ukrainian soldier was laughable. Wearing military gear at the time may have signaled that you came from a poor family and didn’t have many prospects in life.

After 2014, the image of the military improved, partly because the government instituted a series of large-scale reforms to rebuild the nation’s defense systems. The image of the average Ukrainian soldier now is much different, largely because so many people have gotten involved in the war effort or know someone who has, and thus they’ve seen the price of freedom. The military now is one of the most trusted institutions in Ukrainian society, so the uniform represents something different. Plus, service members are better outfitted and equipped today, so they also look different.

Are there distinctions between what people can wear depending on how they’re involved in this effort?

Yes, there’s a distinction for camouflage. As a civilian, you’re not supposed to wear something with camouflage — you can wear any type of solid color, including navy, black, olive green, but not camouflage. It would be considered dishonorable, like stolen valor. Camouflage is a symbol of you being an actual soldier.

For his meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy wore what looked to be a black tactical quarter zip with the Ukrainian trident and black pants. I think for the average American, they see this as casual clothing, not necessarily military clothing. Can you describe how these elements related to the military?

Yes, Zelenskyy prefers to wear clothes from Ukrainian brands, such as M-TAC. The thing about M-TAC is that they produce clothes that could also be considered casual, such as sweatshirts and hoodies. But some of these clothes are also the things you’d wear in war zones. These are the same clothes you might wear with body armor and a military combat jacket. When I working as a war reporter, I had a sweater that was pretty close to what Zelenskyy wore during that meeting. I also had a police-style jacket with lots of pockets. Both of these are things I wore underneath my body armor. There are a million variations of how someone can combine clothing for a war zone. What Zelenskyy wore could have been easily worn by someone in the military.

What is the meaning of the Ukrainian trident?

It’s one of the key national symbols and the official Ukrainian coat of arms. This specific one with three prongs derives from 1,000 years ago, with Prince Volodymyr the Great, who introduced Christianity to Eastern Slavs. He’s considered to be one of the greatest rulers of Kyiv and predecessors of Ukraine. That was his sign.

Ukrainian men of fighting age haven’t been able to leave the country during this conflict. For those who are able to secure exemptions and go abroad, I’ve heard there’s some sensitivity around what you post online. If you’re able to go out of the country, you’re careful not to post photos online, lest people resent you for it. Do you feel Zelenskyy wearing tactical gear abroad is a way for him to signal to people back home that he’s not on vacation — he’s doing things for the war effort?

I think that’s true. Zelenskyy represents a large community of people who are actively involved in things necessary for the war and security effort. In Ukrainian society, there’s a strong emphasis on equality. People don’t care about status and wealth, but common cause. When Zelenskyy travels abroad, it wouldn’t be very nice of him to wear very expensive suits, such as Ralph Lauren or whatever.

But his clothing is also a message for people beyond Ukrainians. His clothes pose a question: Are you ready to look beyond dress protocols and talk to someone who represents humble soldiers who are doing heroic things every day? Are you ready to step down from the heights of your protocols and talk about real-life issues, such as saving the country and lives of people?