A Wren Says

If you are in the U.S. or are simply in the world not underneath a rock, you will likely have heard about how the meeting between President of Zelensky of Ukraine and President Trump of the U.S. took a turn. A member of the press asked Zelensky why he was not wearing a suit. Zelensky replied that his clothing was in solidarity with the military of Ukraine, who continue to fight the Russian force that has invaded his country. Now, there are millions of takes you could write of this meeting, but I will focus on the idea of clothing.

On the one hand, the reporter and some members of the U.S. political machine have ascribed the importance of clothing to signify a sign of respect. To wear a suit, one of the most formal outfits in American attire, is to demonstrate that you believe the occasion is special. We wear suits for weddings, and funerals, to graduate, and to accept awards. Clothing is a message about how we feel about an occasion.

One the other hand, clothing also is a way of indicating your connection to a particular group. We wear uniforms to play sports to let people know which team we are a part of. And fans wear similar colors to show their allegiance. We wear band tees to let the world our taste in music. We wear all black, from head to toe, to connect with other goths. Clothing is how we show how we feel about our relationships.

I imagine, that to Zelensky, it is much more important to show the Ukrainian people that he is in solidarity with them, regardless of his position of power.  His choice of dress was never intended to be a message to the American people. His message was to his own.