Why Don’t You Wear a Suit? - Thoughts on the Trump-Zelensky Suit Question

During the disastrous Trump-Zelenskyy press conference, Brian Glenn, a reporter for Real America’s Voice, asked Zelenskyy, “Why are you not wearing a suit? You’re in the highest level of this country’s office. Do you even own one?”

Zelenskyy replied, “I will wear costume after this war will finish.” He may have been referring to the Ukrainian word kostyum, which means suit.

At the time, Zelenskyy was dressed in all-black combat gear. He is a wartime leader. His country has been invaded, and thousands of his people—friends, family, fellow citizens—have died. He has carried this burden for three years, operating under unimaginable stress. This very meeting could determine the fate of thousands more.

While I agree that certain places have dress codes, I try not to judge people based on what they wear. Fashion is an art of the privileged—many people lack the money or leisure to care about clothing. Zelenskyy is fighting for his country’s survival; he doesn’t have time to worry about his wardrobe.

The intent and delivery of the question felt adversarial too. If you had one chance to ask Zelenskyy an intelligent question, why waste it on his outfit?

I love reading and writing about fashion, but at the end of the day, it’s just clothes man.