Is ‘Zelensky Green’ the New Black? President’s Shirt Has Become ‘Iconic Message of Defiance’

He is being admired and praised from around the globe as the world watches while President Volodymyr Zelensky courageously defends his country with unshakeable poise. And he has done so primarily wearing a military olive green short-sleeved T-shirt, often one with the symbol of Ukraine’s armed forces.

Just google “Zelensky green shirt” and dozens of photographs in the past weeks pop up as well as headlines such as “How Ukrainian President Zelensky’s Simple Green T-Shirt Became an Iconic Message of Defiance ” from the Guardian Independent.

Or “The Man in the Olive Green Tee ” from The New York Times or “How Putin’s US $14,000 coat, Zelensky’s T-shirts send a message to the world” in the South China Morning Post. Amazon is even selling the simple tee, with the message: “This shirt is specially designed for those who support Ukraine, love peace, and want to stop the war!”

As the Independent wrote about the President and his t-shirt, the shining admiration is evident. Not only does the news outlet label the shirt itself an “iconic message of defiance” but describes how the shirt “oftentimes it gets bunched up a little, as it digs into his biceps.”

Zelensky addressed the United States Congress as well as the British and Canadian parliaments wearing one of the simple t-shirts. Of course, the public was busy on social media discussing whether his outfit choice was a bold connection to his armed forces and a way to connect with everyday people, or if he should be leading in a suit.

The Independent notes that his outfit, along with being “seated in a simple chair and appearing to be speaking from an artificially lit room that suggests an operations centre, or a bunker, or a combination of the two” protects him with “no visual clues that could give away his whereabouts.”