The grammar of dressing

In the famous meeting where Trump and Zelensky were held a few months ago, the anecdote wasn't just political. It was also about the manner. Trump, according to various sources, specifically requested that the Ukrainian president arrive wearing a jacket and tie. He didn't get it. His counterpart showed up in his signature campaign attire: a military sweater and dark pants. Trump was visibly upset: he made a derogatory comment, and the meeting got off to a rocky start. This week, at the second summit, something changed. Zelensky appeared in a suit specially designed for the occasion with a more diplomatic aesthetic. Trump, this time, praised him.

It may seem anecdotal, but it isn't. Anyone who has worked in management or negotiated in complex situations knows that dress codes matter. They're not a matter of superficiality, but of context, appropriateness, and message. When I started working in the 1990s, it was unthinkable for someone with a certain level of responsibility not to wear a suit and tie. I remember once, one summer, meeting a former executive from the company where I worked on a plane. He saw me without a tie and asked with a half-smile, "Are you okay? I just see you're shirtless." This executive had been tying his tie every morning for forty years in the profession. The era of wearing suits without a tie was just beginning. After the tie was eliminated, untucked shirts arrived. Later, chinos. The term "casual" became popular. And finally, sneakers. Today, in some sectors, even the highest-ranking officials attend meetings with an informality that was unthinkable just 20 years ago.

I'm not writing this column to demand the return of the suit and tie. This isn't about nostalgia or maintaining an outdated aesthetic. It's about remembering that, just as there are rules of courtesy at a dinner table, or certain codes in verbal and body language, there's also a grammar of dress. And that this grammar, even as it evolves, continues to have a very clear symbolic value. Just like Ussía with his Treatise on Good Manners , there are books on the art of good dressing and the rules of etiquette and protocol that many professionals should know. Of course, tech CEOs impose codes that are the antithesis of etiquette, and since their companies are super-valuable, we all have to imitate their bad taste, to see if some of their profits rub off on us.

Dress conveys respect, preparation, and readiness. In a negotiation, a key meeting, or a public appearance, dress isn't neutral. It's a way of recognizing the context in which one is acting. Therefore, maintaining certain standards, albeit tailored to the time and sector, is important. Dressing appropriately isn't an aesthetic imposition. It's a way of reading the context well, which generally allows for better management.