Bernie Sanders' Mittens Won the Inauguration Fit Battle

winds in nearly 40 years. The President cut a dignified figure in his matching Ralph Lauren suit and topcoat, but there was another politician seated on the East Portico who seemed far better equipped for the frigid conditions: Mr. Practicality himself, Senator Bernie Sanders.

Like the dyed-in-the-wool Vermonter he is, Sanders bucked the day’s formal dress code in favor of a heavy, hardy parka and a truly spectacular pair of big woolly mittens. It’s the mittens that got the most attention and applause on Twitter, and rightfully so: not only were they a righteous swerve for a history-making moment, but as Buzzfeed’s Ruby Kramer pointed out, the story behind the mitts themselves couldn’t possibly be more Bernie-ish.

The Senator received the mittens a couple of years ago from a small-town Vermont teacher named Jen Ellis, who fashioned them herself using repurposed wool sweaters and fleece made from recycled plastic bottles. It’s tough to think of an item of clothing better representative of Bernie Sanders than a recycled pair of grandpa knit mittens given to him out of the goodness of a schoolteacher’s heart.

If you’re looking to introduce some of that Bernie magic to your winter wardrobe—and you should, because great mittens are both an underrated flex and far warmer than gloves (it’s science!)—you can reach out to Ellis via email to purchase your own handmade pair. Or, in the event that Ellis is overwhelmed with orders today and you’re in a hurry for some handwarmers, we’ve dug up a few more top-notch mitt options for you below.