On Inauguration Day, January 20, 2021, politicians, family members, and celebrities alike gathered in Washington, D.C. for a transition of power like the United States had never seen. Although it was different from years past, one thing remained the same, the internet was ready to turn anyone who gave them the content into a meme.
This year’s lucky guy was non-other than former Democratic Presidential Candidate and United States Senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders. You see, Bernie showed up to the inauguration wearing black shoes, black slacks, a green winter coat to help keep him warm in the 30-degree weather, and knitted mittens that everybody now wants. But why?
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But perhaps the best part of his moment in the spotlight during the inauguration was when the camera caught him sitting in his designated seat with his legs and arms crossed and what seemed like little to no emotion, thanks in part to the mask that was covering the lower half of his face. Nonetheless, his demeanor, mixed with his stance, cause an internet frenzy.
Check out some of the inauguration memes for yourself:
When asked about how he was feeling during the inauguration by late-night television host Seth Meyers, Sanders said, “I was just sitting there, trying to keep warm, trying to pay attention to what was going on.” But perhaps the best part of this story isn’t the memes or that he was just trying to keep warm, but when and how Sanders became the owner of those fabulously knitted gloves.
According to Slate, Sanders was gifted those gloves three years ago by a teacher from Vermont, Jen Ellis, who made them specifically for the Senator. As it turns out, this isn’t the first time Sanders had been seen wearing these gloves.
And when asked about it, the second-grade teacher said her gmail crashed because of the sheer amount of emails she received congratulating her for her mittens becoming one of the highlights of the inauguration. “I was totally delighted,” she told Slate. “People had sent me pictures of Bernie Sanders sitting there in his chair, looking a little grumpy. Then the camera zoomed right in on him and I was like, there he is, he’s wearing my mittens. I was completely surprised and delighted and flattered and good for him.”
According to Ellis, the mittens were sewn from repurposed sweaters and she gifted them to the Senator in 2016 after he lost the presidential bid to Hillary Clinton. “People had sent me pictures of Bernie Sanders sitting there in his chair, looking a little grumpy. Then the camera zoomed right in on him and I was like, there he is, he’s wearing my mittens. I was completely surprised and delighted and flattered and good for him.”
Ellis gave an extra pair of mittens to the daughter-in-law to give to Sanders. And while she once had about 30 or 40 other pairs for sale, she is no longer selling them. Bummer!
However, while you may not be able to get the exact mittens Sanders was wearing on Inauguration Day, we found some that are similar to them on Amazon, if you’re interested in looking and feeling like “The Bern.”
Winter Warm Cable Knitted Mitten
$11.99 at the time of publication
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And if you’re looking to mimic some of the other fashion choices of those who attended the inauguration, we found some affordable pieces that closely match the outfits that Vice President Kamala Harris, Dr. Jill Biden, Michelle Obama, Jennifer Lopez, and more wore! Check it out!
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