Bernie Sanders' Mittens Were a Massive Hit

'There was Bernie, wearing my mittens,' says Vermont schoolteacher
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 21, 2021 7:51 AM CST
Bernie Sanders' Mittens Were a Massive Hit
"In Vermont, we know something about the cold, and we're not so concerned about good fashion," Sanders said.   (Jonathan Ernst/Pool Photo via AP)

Lady Gaga wore a stunning outfit at President Biden's inauguration Wednesday, but the most talked-about item of clothing by far was Sen. Bernie Sanders' comfy mittens. Sanders wore the mittens—made by Vermont second-grade teacher Jen Ellis from repurposed wool sweaters and lined with fleece made from recycled plastic—with a gray parka, and Twitter users praised him for "keeping it real" and "crushing Vermont dadcore," People reports. "In Vermont, we know something about the cold, and we're not so concerned about good fashion," Sanders told CBS. Ellis, who made and sold mittens with a partner before they both became too busy from parenting, says she sent Sanders the mittens after his failed 2016 White House bid.

"I was thinking to myself, 'Is this crazy? I don’t even know this guy.’ But I wanted to make them for him, so I did," Ellis tells the Washington Post. Sanders has been seen wearing the mittens many times since, including on the campaign trail in late 2019, when he loaned them to a supporter with cold hands. "I'm really honored he wore them today. The fact that he’s still wearing them is delightful and flattering," Ellis says. "There were people at the inauguration wearing clothing from world-famous designers. Then there was Bernie, wearing my mittens." CNET reports that Twitter users created numerous memes using an image of Sanders socially distanced in a chair at the inauguration, including a Game of Thrones one of "Bernie Sanders, Wearer of Mittens." (More Bernie Sanders stories.)

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