Bernie Sanders is Showing up in Odd Places after His Inauguration Day Mittens Went Viral

The mittens stole the show.

While Kamala Harris' inaugural outfit for her swearing-in ceremony as Vice President made news for obvious reasons, the wardrobe game was nonetheless won by an oddly surprising candidate - Bernie Sanders.

The socialist Democrat, formerly a potential Presidential candidate himself, turned up to Capitol Hill on Wednesday for the swearing-in ceremony of the 46th President of the United States, Joe Biden, wearing a casual, brown coat and a rather unimpressed look. But the highlight of the outfit was a pair of woolen mittens that Bernie made sure to never take off. Just like the ones grandmother wove when you were little.

The mittens were an instant hit.

American media even came up with a name for Bernie's look - "grumpy chic".

If that wasn't all, a photograph of the Vermont senator sitting bundled up in a lone chair on the stands of chilly Washington and watching the ceremony with the severity of a high school English teacher won hearts on social media.

The photo instantly found its way to the deft fingers of memers and photo editors who did not lose the opportunity to put the "grumpy" Bernie in odd places across the world.

All said and done, Bernie loyalists remained true to their salt.

Observers and fans of Sanders, who himself was in the race for Presidency until his party chose Biden over him, would know that the mittens have a history.

Made out of repurposed sweaters and lined with fleece made of recycled plastic bottles, Bernie first sported them exactly a yesar ago at the Seacoast Women’s March in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. According to journalist Ruby Cramer, they were made by a woman named Jen Ellis.

He even was seen giving away his pair to a healthcare worker whose hands were cold.

A year on, the mittens are back and how.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden signed 15 executive actions shortly after being sworn on Wednesday, undoing policies put in place by his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, and making his first moves on the pandemic and climate change.

Signing several actions in front of reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday afternoon, Biden said there was "no time to waste" in issuing the executive orders, memorandums, and directives.