Bernie Sanders’ mittens inspire memes and a bobblehead

Sen. Bernie Sanders knows how to dress for cold weather, and the world of social media instantly fell in love.

The focus may have been on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who were officially sworn in on Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol, but Sanders’ mittens might have stolen some of their thunder.

Instead of wearing a formal suit, the Vermont senator went with a more casual look, wearing a buttoned-up Burton coat and knit gloves that, according to Ruby Cramer of Buzzfeed News, were made by a teacher in Biden’s home state of Vermont.

It turns out the coveted mittens are made in Sanders’ home state of Vermont, according to Ruby Cramer of Buzzfeed News.

“Bernie’s mittens are made by Jen Ellis, a teacher from Essex Junction, Vt,” Cramer wrote on Twitter. ”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.”

“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 told Slate in an interview Wednesday.

Cramer also had details about the manila envelope Sanders was holding, which apparently was what his inauguration tickets came in.

Jane O’Meara Sanders, the co-founder of the Sanders Institute, noted that Sanders’ coat was Vermont-made, as well.

Sanders’ look went viral on social media, and from Twitter to Instagram, there was no shortage of hilarious reactions and memes spawned from his moment in the spotlight.

A close up of Senator Bernie Sanders’ mittens are shown as he attends President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony, AP

And there’s already a bobblehead in the works, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.

The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee announced it would create a bobblehead replica of a viral image of Sanders sitting at the inauguration, cold and somewhat unamused.

Read more at usatoday.com