| Title: | The Real Reason Zelenskyy Doesn’t Wear a Suit |
| URL: | https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/03/08/zelenskyy-suit-ukraine-fashion-style-00219275 |
| Publisher: | Politico |
| Date published: | March 8, 2025 |
| Description: | 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.” |
The Real Reason Zelenskyy Doesn’t 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."
