Last Friday’s meeting between President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine was one of the most sensational pieces of news to come out of February. Originally organized to help foster peace three years into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the meeting turned into a dogfight—all three leaders raising their voices and trading snarky comments.
Despite the tense discussions about military aid, one of the things that stood out most was something unrelated to the war at all. During question and answer with members of the media, Brian Glenn asked Zelenskyy, “Why don’t you wear a suit? You are the highest level in this country’s office, and you refuse to wear a suit.” In his typical blunt manner, Zelenskyy responds by asserting that he will wear the suit when the war is over, and his suit may indeed be better than Glenn’s. This was met with a few chuckles, but it wasn’t the first time that day that Zelenskyy’s wardrobe choices were questioned. Trump himself made a comment when Zelenskyy arrived at the White House, saying that Zelenskyy is “all dressed up today.” While this interaction has been meme-ified, it brings up an interesting point. Why do we expect politicians, businesspeople and all professionals to wear suits? Maybe we shouldn’t.
The history of the suit can be traced back as far as the Regency era, beginning in 1795 with Beau Brummell. Frustrated by the “feminine” tailcoats, frilly shirts and silk stockings, Brummell advocated for simpler menswear with dark coats and plain trousers, laying the groundwork for the development of the modern suit. In the Victorian era, the modern suit became popular with simple trousers, a short jacket and tie. Throughout this time, suits were only accessible to high and middle-to-high-class people, thus giving them the air of professionalism and class, not to mention masculinity.
Since this time, the expectations for “professional” dress have changed. No longer do we expect people to wear suits to every event in every career. Usually, they are reserved for special occasions or important conversations, but we still expect men to wear a button up shirt and slacks. Why? I think it needs to change.
When I am watching a politician, I am looking for someone relatable, someone who represents the American people well. This is not an isolated phenomenon. Recent studies have found that the personality and values of a candidate are more important than their actual policies. That being said, wouldn’t it make more sense to have candidates and professionals dressed in a way that represents their constituents? I am not saying that we should allow our president to walk around in a matching Nike Tech sweatsuit, but I am saying that I would feel much more trusting of a government official if I saw them in jeans and a nice sweater.
Similarly, when working with someone or electing them to office, I want to understand their personality and how they express themselves. Most people do this through how they dress, but when they are constricted to beige pants and neutral-colored jackets, their creativity and expression are stifled. Companies like Microsoft and Apple have begun shifting away from the business casual dress code and encouraging employees to wear something comfortable but appropriate. This includes blue jeans and sneakers. The goal is to give employees space to be themselves and lean into their creative side. Freeing them from the dress code might also mean encouraging more innovation.
Beyond how someone dresses, we should be evaluating someone’s professionalism based on how they conduct themselves, both when they know they are being watched and when they are acting alone. It is easy to put on a suit and a show, demonstrating composure and poise. You can hide a lot behind a suit. It is harder to be in your natural form and maintain integrity and grace, but that is what I want to see in a leader, boss or coworker. I want to work with someone who acts with honor in all aspects of their life, both when they feel comfortable and when they are under pressure.
Professionalism isn’t defined by whether your suit comes from Nautica, Hugo Boss or Versace, it is decided by the quality of your work, honesty in your words and most importantly the values that you uphold. Money can’t buy class, and a suit can’t make you a professional. Therefore, we need to move past proving professionalism, as it should be self-evident. A true professional has no one to convince, not even themselves.