Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders made his fashion statement during today’s inauguration ceremony, showing up in his classic oversized mittens and grey puffer – and looking like he does not care at all about the wool and velvet vibe around him. The senator’s outfit, as well as his pose while he was sitting in a chair, instantly went viral, with some users comparing him to a mailman, cartoon characters and even a homeless person.
Bernie wearing his meme jacket to the inauguration isn’t the biggest part of today, but it is absolutely my favorite. pic.twitter.com/6VmZgupwuT
— Elliott Morgan (@ElliottcMorgan) January 20, 2021
replace every confederate monument with this statue of bernie pic.twitter.com/B6UzpebKo5
— Sal Gentile (@salgentile) January 20, 2021
Bernie really looks like he's on his way to mail something pic.twitter.com/Ig0w66FPzs
— Katherine Miller (@katherinemiller) January 20, 2021
i'm all about the Bernie and Bugs vibe pic.twitter.com/dHHjmyQh7N
— wear a mask, you leper™ (@StevesTweetin) January 20, 2021
Bernie Sanders out here like he just picked up the raffle tickets for church’s Friday fish fry pic.twitter.com/5crv9Bil1v
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) January 20, 2021
I really gotta respect how Bernie Sanders always looks consistently homeless pic.twitter.com/QVwHwejvKP
— Caleb Hull (I'm With the CCP Don't Ban Me) (@CalebJHull) January 20, 2021
Bernie’s giant mittens are BACK pic.twitter.com/hZckOHl0JC
— Barstool News Network (@BarstoolNewsN) January 20, 2021
Others noted that Sanders looked like he had many plans today and the inauguration was only one point on his to-do list.
Bernie, on his way to a Stewart’s for coffee, has parked his Subaru on the capitol lawn to briefly attend the inauguration pic.twitter.com/dQB1xVYRkh
— Tai Leclaire (@tai_leclaire) January 20, 2021
Bernie showed up like he's running a quick errand 😂 https://t.co/dV5cv1Ri7b
— earth is ghetto (@0hbetave) January 20, 2021
Bernie dressed like the inauguration is on his to do list today but ain’t his whole day. pic.twitter.com/wCRyoxU3V2
— Reeezy (@MsReeezy) January 20, 2021
It was soon revealed that Sanders’ mittens have their own history, with the People for Bernie Twitter account even sharing an article about them.
Here's the full story of Bernie Sanders' mittens.
— People for Bernie (@People4Bernie) January 20, 2021
https://t.co/jxHXOOTiur
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
Users were so inspired by the senator’s look that they (of course) flooded the social media platform with memes:
NYC Instagram is so quick pic.twitter.com/Br6TarGXXb
— Rania Said (@rania_tn) January 20, 2021
Bernie Sanders, Steal his look pic.twitter.com/c4Hw48aCUu
— Emilia (@EmiliaDeLarge) January 20, 2021
some album covers with cold Bernie pic.twitter.com/teg6TWBdXV
— Pigeons & Planes (@PigsAndPlans) January 20, 2021
YES, BERNIE SANDERS WITH A STEEL CHAIR pic.twitter.com/kaJmKpOFO2
— OLD ROLA (@rolandoando_) January 20, 2021
Bernie Sanders on the throne #Inauguration pic.twitter.com/VttFn7ky8K
— Mooby (@EmeuteP) January 20, 2021
The best Bernie Sanders Inauguration meme pic.twitter.com/VSn8gtryY4
— UGene🐝 (@EugeneGlukh) January 20, 2021
Bernie Sanders mood. pic.twitter.com/VdcLSsPYHI
— GOOD (@good) January 20, 2021
In the meantime, the senator has responded to the media storm, saying that he was aiming to stay warm rather than be fashionable.
“In Vermont, we dress warm, we know something about the cold,” Sanders told CBS News, “and we're not so concerned about good fashion.”
The 2021 inauguration ceremony was traditionally held in Washington, DC, and took place under increased security following the violent riots at the US Capitol on January 6.
