Bernie Sanders's Inauguration Mittens

The Jan. 20 inauguration of President Joe Biden was a cathartic day and filled with surprisingly joyous fashion moments. There are almost too many to name (Lady Gaga's massive Schiaparelli peace dove; Amanda Gorman's red Prada headband and braids; Maisy Biden wearing Nikes; the rainbow parade of great coats from Vice President Kamala Harris, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, and more; Michelle Obama inventing the colour plum), but there was one iconic moment that rose above the rest: Bernie Sanders's mittens. The nation fell for Bernie bundled up in a Burton coat and cosy mittens, sitting alone in a folding chair with a quietly disinterested expression. It was the first great meme of 2021, and the Sanders team capitalized on the gleeful popularity of the image by creating merch: a sweatshirt printed with the Vermont senator that ended up raising over $1.8 million for charities.

As if that weren't enough sweetness for one story about a pair of mittens, Bernie's pair have an adorable, must-read origin story.