Bernie "once again asking" meme Burton jacket and mittens win Biden inauguration
A variety of fashion statements were on display at the Biden Harris 2021 Presidential Inauguration, but none were so perfectly meme-ready as Bernie Sanders. While Lady Gaga delivered a Hunger Games look that, TBH, was relatively understated and on-point for the occasion, Bernie delivered with a jacket and mittens of note. Both are perfectly functional and comfy pieces of clothing – and both have a backstory.
The Jacket
The Jacket was made by snowboarding equipment company Burton. The original iteration was made as a collaboration between Burton founder Jake Burton and Dave Driscoll, Executive Director of the Sanders Institute. Driscoll is also Bernie Sanders' stepson, and worked at Burton from 2003-2008, then 2014-2017, when he left Burton to found the Sanders Institute with his mother Jane O'Meara Sanders (whose husband is Bernie).
Our son Dave @drscll worked with @burtonsnowboard founder Jake Burton on a limited edition jacket with @BernieSanders face on the back. Bernie really liked it, so Dave got him one – without his image – for Christmas. Vermont jacket, Vermont gloves, Vermont common sense! https://t.co/P9NLMVPMgh
— Jane O'Meara Sanders (@janeosanders) January 20, 2021
The original jacket and a white t-shirt were released in October of 2018 as a Bernie Burton Capsule Collection. The shirt was available online and the jacket was available at two Burton stores in Berlington, Vermont.
According to Jane O'Meara Sanders, Bernie liked the jacket, so Driscoll gave his stepdad an iteration of the jacket sans-Sanders (without the the Bernie photo print on the back). Bernie wore this jacket during this presidential run, too.
Above you'll see the "I am once again asking for your financial support" video made by Bernie back in 2019. There you'll see Bernie wearing the same jacket. The original jacket and the shirt are no longer available for sale directly from Burton – third-party sources might exist, but don't hold your breath.
The mittens
The mittens are also awesome. They were made by Jen Ellis, AKA @VTAwesomeness on Twitter. She made a bunch, and he's certainly made use of them more than a couple times over the last few years.
I made Bernie's mittens as a gift a couple years ago. They are made from repurposed wool sweaters and lined with fleece (made from recycled plastic bottles). #BerniesMittens pic.twitter.com/lTXFJvVy9V
— Jen Ellis (@vtawesomeness) January 21, 2020
Ellis is a teacher from Vermont who turns wool sweaters and fleece made from recycled plastic bottles into middens aplenty. At the moment this article is set to be published, she's likely inundated with requests for more mittens – so good luck to you if you're aiming to pick a pair up for yourself!