Latest news with #SharpDressedMan
Euronews
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Sharp dressed man: Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the sartorial switch for NATO
US rock band ZZ Top stormed the charts in 1983 with a song about a "Sharp Dressed Man," lyrics that this week could apply to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy is currently in The Hague attending this year's NATO summit in a bid to ensure continued Western military support for his country, which, more than three years since Russia's full-scale invasion, is still trying to repel Moscow's forces. And this time around, the Ukrainian president looks more formal than he has been since Russia's all-out war against Ukraine started in early 2022. Gone are the army fatigues Zelenskyy has worn since then; in their place is a blazer (albeit with military overtones), dress pants, and a dress shirt, sans necktie. But why the switch? There are several possible reasons. But first, let's take a quick look at why Zelenskyy ditched the more usual presidential attire of suit, dress shirt and tie in the first place. Between his election to the Ukrainian presidency in 2019 and the Russian full-scale invasion, Zelenskyy dressed much like any other head of state: he was clean-shaven and wore tailored suits, dress shoes, shirts and ties. But after the 2022 invasion, Zelenskyy opted for a sartorial switch, favouring instead sweatshirts, cargo pants and work boots. He has also worn a military-style vyshyvanka — a traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirt that is part of the country's cultural heritage. The choice of clothes partly reflects the fact that he is Ukraine's commander-in-chief and is also a sign of solidarity with Ukraine's armed forces. "Zelenskyy dresses demonstratively. But the only message he wants to convey with his clothing is: 'In my country, there is a war,'" Ukrainian fashion historian Zoya Zvynyatskivska told The Kyiv Independent newspaper. "Everyone wants to forget. Everyone wants to move on. But he keeps reminding them." The Trump factor One occasion where no one was allowed to forget Zelenskyy's choice of clothes was a disastrous meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on 28 February. That meeting started then got worse. Trump and his Vice President JD Vance were in confrontational mode, berating Zelenskyy in front of journalists for not being grateful enough for US military support for the war effort and for "gambling with World War III." Zelenskyy was encouraged by Trump's team prior to the Oval Office meeting to wear a formal suit, something he declined to do, a decision that reportedly offended Trump. When Zelenskyy arrived at the White House, Trump greeted him with "You're all dressed up today." And Zelenskyy's combat attire was raised again by a journalist in the Oval Office. "Why don't you wear a suit? You're at the highest level in this country's office and you refuse to wear a suit," Brian Glenn, chief White House correspondent for Real America's Voice TV channel asked. "Do you own a suit? A lot of Americans have problems with you not respecting the office," Glenn continued. Zelenskyy replied simply: "I will wear (a suit) after this war finishes." Royal reception Another reason for Zelenskyy's more formal attire in The Hague may be related to the Dutch royal family. Prior to the start of the summit, NATO delegates were welcomed at the Huis ten Bosch royal palace for an official dinner with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. There, Zelenskyy sported a military-style black jacket and dress shirt, perhaps seen as more appropriate to the setting than the olive-green sweatshirt and combat pants he tends to wear. But this type of black jacket, Zelenskyy has worn in public at least twice before. The first time was in April when he headed to Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis. In keeping with the solemnity of that occasion, Zelenskyy chose to wear a formal dress shirt underneath the jacket. It was seen again just two days ago, when he was invited to a private meeting and lunch with King Charles III at Windsor Castle. Zelenskyy wore the jacket again for that meeting, but interestingly, it was absent the first time he met the king at Sandringham in March. At that meeting, Zelenskyy chose only to wear a black sweatshirt. High-stakes summit A final reason for Zelenskyy's more formal choice of clothing may be the importance being attributed to this NATO summit. Several media outlets have already called it the most consequential meeting of NATO allies in the alliance's 76-year history. Defence spending, the threat from Russia and Trump's commitment to European security are all seen as hot-button topics this year, and several delegates will be wary of upsetting the famously unpredictable Trump. However, Trump may well go into this summit in a more benign mood than usual. He'll be riding high on the back of what he sees as a successful ceasefire deal ending 12 days of fighting between Iran and Israel and trumpeting that Iran's nuclear facilities have been "completely and totally obliterated." Prior to his arrival in The Hague, Trump shared a series of gushing text messages he'd received from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte praising him for his military action against Iran and putting pressure on the alliance's allies to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP. "Mr President, dear Donald, congratulations and thank you for your decisive action in Iran, that was truly extraordinary, and something no one else dared to do. It makes us all safer," one of the messages read. Zelenskyy's position at the summit and whether he will be able to secure continued American support for Ukraine remain unclear, but he would certainly be mindful of that February meeting at the White House and be more inclined to dress to impress. Clothes may not make the man, but this time around, they may make all the difference.
Euronews
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Sharp dressed man: Zelenskyy and the NATO sartorial switch
US rock band ZZ Top stormed the charts in 1983 with a song about a "Sharp Dressed Man," lyrics that this week could apply to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy is currently in The Hague attending this year's NATO summit in a bid to ensure continued Western military support for his country, which, more than three years since Russia's full-scale invasion, is still trying to repel Moscow's forces. And this time around, the Ukrainian president looks more formal than he has been since Russia's all-out war against Ukraine started in early 2022. Gone are the army fatigues Zelenskyy has worn since then; in their place is a blazer (albeit with military overtones), dress pants, and a dress shirt, sans necktie. But why the switch? There are several possible reasons. But first, let's take a quick look at why Zelenskyy ditched the more usual presidential attire of suit, dress shirt and tie in the first place. Between his election to the Ukrainian presidency in 2019 and the Russian full-scale invasion, Zelenskyy dressed much like any other head of state: he was clean-shaven and wore tailored suits, dress shoes, shirts and ties. But after the 2022 invasion, Zelenskyy opted for a sartorial switch, favouring instead sweatshirts, cargo pants and work boots. He has also worn a military-style vyshyvanka — a traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirt that is part of the country's cultural heritage. The choice of clothes partly reflects the fact that he is Ukraine's commander-in-chief and is also a sign of solidarity with Ukraine's armed forces. "Zelenskyy dresses demonstratively. But the only message he wants to convey with his clothing is: 'In my country, there is a war,'" Ukrainian fashion historian Zoya Zvynyatskivska told The Kyiv Independent newspaper. "Everyone wants to forget. Everyone wants to move on. But he keeps reminding them." The Trump factor One occasion where no one was allowed to forget Zelenskyy's choice of clothes was a disastrous meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on 28 February. That meeting started then got worse. Trump and his Vice President JD Vance were in confrontational mode, berating Zelenskyy in front of journalists for not being grateful enough for US military support for the war effort and for "gambling with World War III." Zelenskyy was encouraged by Trump's team prior to the Oval Office meeting to wear a formal suit, something he declined to do, a decision that reportedly offended Trump. When Zelenskyy arrived at the White House, Trump greeted him with "You're all dressed up today." And Zelenskyy's combat attire was raised again by a journalist in the Oval Office. "Why don't you wear a suit? You're at the highest level in this country's office and you refuse to wear a suit," Brian Glenn, chief White House correspondent for Real America's Voice TV channel asked. "Do you own a suit? A lot of Americans have problems with you not respecting the office," Glenn continued. Zelenskyy replied simply: "I will wear (a suit) after this war finishes." Royal reception Another reason for Zelenskyy's more formal attire in The Hague may be related to the Dutch royal family. Prior to the start of the summit, NATO delegates were welcomed at the Huis ten Bosch royal palace for an official dinner with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. There, Zelenskyy sported a military-style black jacket and dress shirt, perhaps seen as more appropriate to the setting than the olive-green sweatshirt and combat pants he tends to wear. But this type of black jacket, Zelenskyy has worn in public at least twice before. The first time was in April when he headed to Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis. In keeping with the solemnity of that occasion, Zelenskyy chose to wear a formal dress shirt underneath the jacket. It was seen again just two days ago, when he was invited to a private meeting and lunch with King Charles III at Windsor Castle. Zelenskyy wore the jacket again for that meeting, but interestingly, it was absent the first time he met the king at Sandringham in March. At that meeting, Zelenskyy chose only to wear a black sweatshirt. High-stakes summit A final reason for Zelenskyy's more formal choice of clothing may be the importance being attributed to this NATO summit. Several media outlets have already called it the most consequential meeting of NATO allies in the alliance's 76-year history. Defence spending, the threat from Russia and Trump's commitment to European security are all seen as hot-button topics this year, and several delegates will be wary of upsetting the famously unpredictable Trump. However, Trump may well go into this summit in a more benign mood than usual. He'll be riding high on the back of what he sees as a successful ceasefire deal ending 12 days of fighting between Iran and Israel and trumpeting that Iran's nuclear facilities have been "completely and totally obliterated." Prior to his arrival in The Hague, Trump shared a series of gushing text messages he'd received from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte praising him for his military action against Iran and putting pressure on the alliance's allies to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP. "Mr President, dear Donald, congratulations and thank you for your decisive action in Iran, that was truly extraordinary, and something no one else dared to do. It makes us all safer," one of the messages read. Zelenskyy's position at the summit and whether he will be able to secure continued American support for Ukraine remain unclear, but he would certainly be mindful of that February meeting at the White House and be more inclined to dress to impress. Clothes may not make the man, but this time around, they may make all the difference.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
ZZ Top to play Northwest Washington Fair
Rock band ZZ Top will headline the Northwest Washington Fair this summer in Lynden. The band was formed in Houston, Texas, in 1969 and is known for hits such as 'Sharp Dressed Man' and 'Gimme All Your Lovin.'' The band's members are Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard, and new bassist Elwood Francis, who joined in 2021 after longtime member Dusty Hill died. ZZ Top will perform on Saturday, Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. Concert tickets will go on sale at 9 a.m. Wednesday, March 26, for the fair's email list subscribers. You can subscribe by clicking here. Tickets for the general public go on sale Friday, March 28. Tickets cost $50 for grandstand reserved seats, $65 for grandstand preferred, and $75 for preferred chairs. Ticket prices do not include fair admission. This year's fair runs from Aug. 7 to 16. For more information about this year's fair, click here.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
ZZ Top coming to Sioux City this August
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — ZZ Top is joining the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino's 2025 Battery Park lineup. ZZ Top will be bringing 'The Elevation Tour' to Sioux City this August. Hard Rock names Country star as first 2025 Battery Park concert One of the most recognizable names in rock, ZZ Top will be bringing hits such as 'La Grange,' 'Sharp Dressed Man,' and 'Legs,' to the Battery Park stage. You can see these beards of legend at the Hard Rock on Aug. 2, 2025. Tickets will go on sale on March 21 and can be purchased online or in-person at the Rock Shop. This show is open to all ages. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
ZZ Top coming to The Big E to perform on the last day of the fair
WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Hits like 'Sharp Dressed Man,' and 'Cheap Sunglasses' will be rocking The Big E Arena by members of the band ZZ Top. The American rock band including vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard, and Elwood Francis will be coming to the West Springfield fairgrounds to perform on Sunday, September 28th. Tickets will officially go on sale this Friday at 10:00 a.m. on The Big E website. ZZ Top was formed in Houston, Texas in 1969 with Gibbons, Beard, and bassist-vocalist Dusty Hill. Francis joined after Hill passed away in 2021. Their first album was certified Diamond, far beyond Gold and Platinum, with sales exceeding 10 million units. They have a total of 15 studio albums and sold an estimated 50 million records. British-American rock band Foreigner to perform this year at The Big E The Elevation Tour begins in March with two shows in Alabama before heading to Florida. The band performs several shows across the country and then heads overseas to Australia and New Zealand. The 109th Big E Fair will run from September 12 through September 28. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
