Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders caught the attention of America at the Inauguration on Wednesday with his cozy, relatable sartorial choices.
Sanders appeared at the Inauguration wearing his signature Burton coat and a pair of fuzzy mittens that have their own heartwarming backstory.
The mittens were created by Vermont teacher Jane Ellis. Ellis made the mittens from repurposed wool sweaters and lined them with fleece from recycled plastic bottles.
According to Buzzfeed reporter Ruby Cramer, Ellis gifted Sanders the mittens more than two years ago and “was surprised when he began wearing them on the campaign trail.”
Per Vogue, Sanders even wore the mittens to the Women’s March in Portsmouth, New Hampshire last January.
But it’s not just the mittens that have a sweet backstory. According to Sanders’ wife, Jane O’Meara Sanders, the brown coat he’s wearing has its own unique history.
“Our son @drscll worked with @burtonsnowboard founder Jake Burton on a limited edition jacket with @BernieSanders face on the back,” she wrote on Twitter. “Bernie really liked it, so Dave got him one – without his image – for Christmas. Vermont jacket, Vermont gloves, Vermont common sense!”
The mittens have caused a stir on social media, with one fan going so far to create a @BerniesMittens handle on Twitter.
The account’s bio reads: “Feeling the BERN not the BURN.”