Wednesday, January 20, 2021

Bernie Sander’s Viral Inauguration Mittens Are Cozy & Casual Vermontcore At Its Etsy Finest

Former presidential candidate, Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) sits in the bleachers on Capitol Hill before Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th US President on January 20, 2021, at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

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.

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. 

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.

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

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Dr. Jill Biden’s Sparkly Inauguration Day Look Is A Tribute To American Designers

Amid the sea of bipartisan purples and all-American maroons, navys, and whites on Inauguration Day, Dr. Jill Biden’s custom sky-blue coat and dress stood out thanks to their unique color and additional bit of sparkle. The ensemble was made by New York-based up-and-coming designer Markarian. It was crafted out of wool tweed in a dreamy shade of blue — most likely a nod to the Democratic party regaining power. Dr. Biden wore a silk mask of the same color to complete the look. Her coat, which featured a velvet collar and cuffs in a darker shade of blue, was adorned with Swarovski crystals — a statement of sartorial optimism from the new First Lady. The tapered chiffon dress she wore underneath was also adorned with dainty floral designs made out of Swarovski pearls and crystals. 

And, with a wave of her matching blue leather glove, the former Second Lady became the First. 

According to a press release from the brand, Markarian designer Alexandra O’Neill designed Dr. Biden’s look alongside a small team in New York City’s Garment Center. The pieces are intended to “signify trust, confidence, and stability.” O’Neill finished both the dress and the coat by hand in her West Village studio.

Dr. Biden’s choice to support Markarian, which was founded by O’Neill in 2017 and includes both ready-to-wear pieces and bridal looks, only adds fuel to the rumors that, like Michelle Obama, the new First Lady plans to use her position to uplift American fashion designers. Obama famously wore Jason Wu at the Inaugural Ball in 2009, thus launching his namesake brand into the limelight. Throughout President Obama’s two terms in office, she continued wearing items from rising American brands, quickly making them household names. Dr. Biden followed suit during her husband’s campaign, recycling a fall ‘17 dress by 2020 CFDA American Womenswear Designer of the Year winner Gabriela Hearst, a New York-based designer known for her dedication to sustainability. On the eve of the Inauguration, Dr. Biden wore the purple “Unity” coat and dress from New York-based designer Jonathan Cohen’s fall ‘21 collection to a COVID-19 memorial. 

All that’s to say, New York designers should prepare themselves. The First Lady appears to be on a mission to bring American fashion to the White House — and with brands suffering during the pandemic, having a visual reminder that blue skies are ahead is very much needed right now. 

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Ella Emhoff Brought Brooklyn To Inauguration Day & It Was Perfect

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 20: Cole Emhoff (L) and Ella Emhoff, the stepchildren of Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris arrive for the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2021 in Washington, DC. During today’s inauguration ceremony Joe Biden becomes the 46th president of the United States. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

While all eyes were understandably trained on the looks of Jill Biden, Kamala Harris, and Michelle Obama, Second Daughter Ella Emhoff was taking her place as one of the White House’s new style icons. Vice President Kamala Harris’ step daughter wore a black face mask, wide-collar blouse, and gorgeous, embellished Miu Miu knit coat on Inauguration Day. Emhoff also sported the Loeffler Randall Bobbie Headband over her curly-haired center part. And in rocking this particularly stand out outfit, she brought a little Brooklyn energy to this day.

This may be the first time some of us are hearing about her, but a cursory look on Twitter and TikTok will show that a growing number of young people are taking style notes from Ella Emhoff, who is in her last year of school at Parsons.

Emhoff is every bit the New York fashion studentL She lives in Bushwick, loves eclectic knitwear (that she makes herself!), and prefers more environmentally friendly slow fashion. Even before the inauguration, she was poised to shake up the often traditional Washington D.C. style with her unabashedly artsy taste. And it’s about time! Someone had to inject the Capitol with some color and individuality. 

During the momentous ceremony, Twitter lit up with fans of Emhoff’s style. In the least-divided vote we’ve seen this entire election, it seems like the internet unanimously decided that the Second Daughter is officially the coolest person to enter the White House.

With her burgeoning taste-maker status growing, many speculated about what she would wear today. Even Emhoff floated some pretty unexpected options for the usually staid fashion event. In a November interview with Garage, Emhoff said she was considering wearing a handmade knit suit on the big day. “I want to, but like I was saying before, my style and my practice are so different, but I think I might have to just make an exception for such a momentous occasion, I think it does require a pretty momentous outfit,” she said. 

In the weeks leading up to the inauguration, Emhoff has reportedly kept her mind on her senior thesis and growing her own knitwear brand. Oh, and learning how to tattoo, revealing that she’s already given herself a few stick and poke pieces. Recently, she hosted a raffle for a pair of her Rainbow Brite-inspired knit pants. All of the proceeds went to a mutual aid fund For The Gworls, which raises money for rent and gender affirmation surgery for Black trans people. 

With any luck, this will just be the first of many iconic looks from Emhoff that we will be looking to recreate over the next four years.

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Kamala Harris Wore Purple & Pearls Today — Here’s Why That Matters

Leading up to today’s inauguration, there has been a lot of speculation about what Vice President Kamala Harris would wear to the ceremony. As the first woman, Black, and South Asian American to be vice president, Harris was expected to use her wardrobe to uplift Black talent and emerging American designers — and she did not disappoint.

For the historic occasion, the Vice President chose an amethyst-hued look from 2020 CFDA American Emerging Designer of the Year, Christopher John Rogers. From the start of his career, Rogers, who is Black, has championed diversity on the runway. Staging runway shows more akin to celebrations, the designer has become known for his use of electric colors and rich jewel tones and unabashedly optimistic collections. 

“Thank you, Madam Vice President. We are so honored and humbled to have played a small part in this historic moment,” the brand’s Instagram post wrote next to a photo of Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff.

In addition to choosing CJR as the designer behind the look, the rich shade of purple is also significant. A combination of red and blue (the traditional colors of the Republican and Democratic parties, respectively), purple is a symbol of American unity and bipartisanship. The color was also prominent during the women’s suffrage movement when it symbolized loyalty. On Tuesday night, Jill Biden wore purple while attending the COVID Memorial at the National Mall in Washington that honored more than 400,000 Americans who have died since the pandemic took hold. Former First Lady Michelle Obama and former Presidential candidate Lady Hillary Clinton also wore outfits — by Sergio Hudson and Ralph Lauren, respectively — in variations of the shade to the inauguration on Wednesday. 

Harris accessorized the look with her signature pearls — this style is from Wilfredo Rosado — a nod to her Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. According to Elle, her heels are by Sergio Hudson, a Black designer from South Carolina.

This look comes a day after Harris wore a coat by Pyer Moss to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Not only is the founder behind the brand, Kerby Jean-Raymond, the son of Haitian immigrants, but Pyer Moss was also one of the first brands to convert its studio into a PPE donation center. It also provided financial relief to women- and minority-owned small businesses affected by the fallout from the pandemic. 

If we are to judge the looks from the Vice President so far, Harris is setting a powerful aesthetic tone for the next four years, one that will prominently feature American designers, who not only produce beautiful designs but also possess the strong values to back them up.

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