Given that Vice President Kamala Harris (in Christopher John Rogers), First Lady Jill Biden (in Markarian), Michelle Obama (in Sergio Hudson), and Jennifer Lopez (in Chanel) were all on-stage at the 2021 Presidential Inauguration, you’d think it’d have been impossible to look at anything — or anyone — else during the live broadcast. And yet, at least according to Twitter, all eyes were instead on former Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders, who arrived on Inauguration Day wearing a standard issue disposable face mask and the same coat he wore during the now-viral “I am once again asking you” video. Even more important than his coat-for-all-occasions, though, were the mittens he wore to sit six feet from everyone in attendance on a humble folding chair — arms crossed and brow furrowed.
Specifically, the Senator from Vermont chose a pair of cozy knit mittens that can only be described as the sartorial equivalent of his entire being. “The bigger takeaway from this is that Bernie Sanders came bundled with some bitching gloves,” tweeted a user named Samantha. “No one can look at those gloves and think he shouldn’t Chair the Senate Budget Committee.” Other tweets raved about the relatability of Sanders’ look, called his gloves more “iconic” than J.Lo’s pantsuit, and begged for someone — anyone! — to find out who made his cozy mittens so that they, too, could buy a pair.
Bernie’s mittens are made by Jen Ellis, a teacher from Essex Junction, Vt. She gave them to him 2+ years ago and was surprised when he began wearing them on the campaign trail. They are made from repurposed wool sweaters and lined with fleece made from recycled plastic bottles. pic.twitter.com/ErLr29lY2t
— Ruby Cramer (@rubycramer) January 20, 2021
In response to the growing interest in the Senator’s very Bernie Sanders, very grumpy Vermontcore choice of winter accessory, Buzzfeed political reporter Ruby Cramer got to digging up the name of the local school teacher responsible for crafting Sanders’ mittens. “Bernie’s mittens are made by Jen Ellis, a teacher from Essex Junction, Vt.,” Cramer wrote in a tweet. “She gave them to him 2+ years ago and was surprised when he began wearing them on the campaign trail. They are made from repurposed wool sweaters and lined with fleece made from recycled plastic bottles.” Upcycled, practical, and locally made — it’s no wonder that Sanders’ mittens went viral. They’re exactly how we’d picture Sanders’ approach to cottagecore, but better.
Want Bernie Mittens? I have some new inventory and time for special orders. jsellis21@gmail.com #NYforSanders #peopleforbernie #BernieSanders2020 #berniesmittens #FeelTheBern2020 #NHforBernie #FeelTheBern #peopleforbernie pic.twitter.com/6wmEOvlkSS
— Jen Ellis (@vtawesomeness) February 7, 2020
Unlike Hill House Home’s Nap dresses, though, purchasing a pair of Sanders-approved mittens before they sell out is plausible. In fact, according to a tweet by Ellis herself, if you email her at jsellis21@gmail.com, you could very well be wearing a pair of your own in the time it takes Sanders to once again ask you to [insert your favorite meme here].
Nab your own knit mittens from Ellis by sending her an email at the above address. But, if her stock does run out, below are nine similar pairs to shop on Etsy.
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