Zelenskyy's Unique Suit Style Steals the Spotlight at Meeting with Trump

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Key Points

Just half a year ago, questions were raised about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s choice not to wear a traditional suit.
He opted for a suit-style attire during his meeting with US President Donald Trump.
Trump’s demeanor was noticeably more cordial towards Zelenskyy this time around.

The previous encounter between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House saw Zelenskyy face criticism over his attire.

“Why do you avoid wearing a suit? You’re in the top office of this nation and won’t wear a suit,” questioned reporter Brian Glenn from the conservative media outlet Real America’s Voice.

This past Monday’s meeting, however, painted a different picture. Wearing a black jacket paired with a collared black shirt, minus a tie, Zelenskyy exited his vehicle to greet Trump.

Explaining his outfit to Trump, Zelenskyy said, “Mr. President, this is the best I can offer.”

“I like it,” Trump responded.

As discussions with European leaders progress, Zelenskyy’s evolving fashion has become a significant talking point. The Ukrainian leader, who in 2022 pledged not to return to formal suits and ties until the war concludes, is adopting a new style that is linked to his diplomatic initiatives aimed at securing peace for Ukraine.

What happened at the last meeting?

At their last meeting in March, Zelenskyy wore a black long-sleeve Henley-style shirt with a Ukrainian crest and combat trousers. Trump commented on Zelenskyy’s appearance as he arrived.

“You’re all dressed up today,” Trump said sarcastically.

When questioned again about his apparel during the meeting, Zelenskyy remarked to Trump and the media, “I will put on formal attire once this war concludes.”

At that time, associate professor Matthew Sussex from the Centre for European Studies at Australian National University commented to SBS News that the meeting represented “an unprecedented spectacle of public embarrassment within American diplomacy.”

Zelenskyy adopts a ‘suit-style’

Several US news outlets are reporting that White House officials inquired about Zelenskyy’s fashion choices ahead of this latest meeting.

Ukrainian officials reportedly told the White House that Zelenskyy would be wearing the same suit he wore to a NATO summit in the Netherlands in June.

“It is going to be ‘suit-style’ but not a full suit,” one of the sources is reported to have said.

Since the March meeting, Kyiv-based designer Viktor Anisimov was commissioned by Zelenskyy’s team to create a capsule of formal attire exclusively for the president. The collection features turtlenecks, field jackets and coats all made from natural fibres and all made in Ukraine.

The strategy, as explained by Anisimov to Women’s Wear Daily, was “to craft a reserved, pragmatic, and solemn image reflecting the current circumstances of our nation.”

Zelenskyy sported the same jacket during Pope Francis’s funeral in April and at the NATO summit held in the Netherlands in June. It seems that Zelenskyy opted for the jacket once more in Tuesday’s meeting with Trump.