
<p class="has-drop-cap">From Michelle Obama in Sergio Hudson raspberry to Jennifer Lopez head-to-toe in white Chanel, it was hard to pinpoint <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyaklich/2021/01/20/biden-harris-inauguration-day-fashion-alexandra-oneill-christopher-john-rogers-amanda-gorman-lady-gaga/?sh=940d63b6db7c">which style icon shined brightest on Inauguration Day 2021</a>. That is, until the snapshot of Bernie Sanders and his woven mittens took the world by storm. </p>



<p>A photo of Sanders at the inaugural ceremony became <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2021/01/20/bernie-sanders-and-his-cozy-coat-become-inaugurations-instant-meme-stars/?sh=5631c06d7773">an instant meme sensation</a>. In the snapshot, the seated, socially distanced and utterly matter-of-fact Vermont senator is sporting a gray winter coat by Burton, brown mittens handmade by Vermont second-grade teacher Jen Ellis and a blue disposable mask. </p>



<p>While the politician forwent&nbsp;designer labels for the historic day, Sanders’ style and mood dominated Twitter and Instagram in the days following Wednesday’s inauguration.</p>



<p>By the weekend, the Sanders meme was still going strong. His now-iconic image has been transposed onto an array of other iconic images; the most popular scenes in which he was placed included <em>Forrest Gump </em>and <em>Ghost</em>, as well as the canvas of a Bob Ross painting. Bernie even made his way into a UFC octagon. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Aight the winner 😂 <a href="https://t.co/IWZezOawsX">pic.twitter.com/IWZezOawsX</a></p>&mdash; Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) <a href="https://twitter.com/bullyb170/status/1352742765147398147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>Now Sanders is taking the comedic relief we all desperately needed and turning it into a force for good.</p>



<p>He and his team have launched the “Chairman Sanders Collection,” a line of meme-inspired T-shirts and crew neck sweatshirts available on the&nbsp;<a href="https://store.berniesanders.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bernie Campaign Store</a>&nbsp;of his official site.</p>



<p>When he announced the fashion drop on his Instagram account Sunday evening, hundreds of comments were already inquiring about when his team will restock the crew neck sweaters, or whether they have plans to expand the line with a meme hoodie. “Bro, just drop the crew neck again,” wrote one Instagram follower. “We can’t wear tees out here [right now]. Trying to stay cozy like you.”</p>



<p>“Every day, I wish the sweatshirt would go back in stock,” wrote another.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="618" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Screenshot-2021-01-26-at-10.16.05-1-1024x618.png" alt="" class="wp-image-49760" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Screenshot-2021-01-26-at-10.16.05-1-1024x618.png 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Screenshot-2021-01-26-at-10.16.05-1-300x181.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Screenshot-2021-01-26-at-10.16.05-1-768x463.png 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Screenshot-2021-01-26-at-10.16.05-1-1536x927.png 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Screenshot-2021-01-26-at-10.16.05-1-400x240.png 400w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Screenshot-2021-01-26-at-10.16.05-1-600x362.png 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Screenshot-2021-01-26-at-10.16.05-1.png 1866w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>Bernie turns inauguration meme into a sweatshirt for charity. <br><small>@BERNIESANDERS / INSTAGRAM</small></figcaption></figure>



<p>Prices range from $27 to $45. As of publication, the unisex sweatshirts are sold out. The men’s and women’s tees are still available, but the website informs shoppers that due to high demand, it can take up to six weeks before they receive their purchase. The tops are 100% organic spun cotton and made in the U.S.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In an interview with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkhnJQ54Eio" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CNN</a>, Sanders said he expects the merchandise to raise a couple million dollars for charities in Vermont, including Meals on Wheels,Feeding Chittenden, Chill Foundation and Vermont community action centers.</p>



<p>While Sanders’ original apparel and other campaign merchandise usually come in classic blues, whites and other brighter hues, his meme tees and sweats are available in all black. Unlike the other vibrant designer ensembles that graced the stage on Inauguration Day, you can more effortlessly incorporate Sanders’ Inauguration Day look into your daily wardrobe. The cozy and practical cotton tops can be easily matched with loungewear or jeans, or worn under a structured blazer or over a flowy silk midi slip.</p>



<p>Both the staid hues and classic cuts of Bernie’s meme-inspired line also give the sought-after tops the opportunity to be more a fashion staple than a fashion statement piece, as they can easily be paired with neutrals, bolds, and patterns alike—and hopefully lead to less clashing this season and beyond. </p>



<p><em>By Tanya Klich, Forbes Staff</em></p>


TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-INAUGURATION

Why The Bernie Sanders Meme Sweatshirt Is This Season’s Best Fashion Statement And Staple


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong> As top Congressional leaders race to finalize a $900 billion federal aid bill before the holidays, progressive lawmakers are already voicing their discontent with a package they say is insufficient to meet the needs of the country during the pandemic. </p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h4>



<p>Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) expressed his disappointment on MSNBC Wednesday that the bill under discussion includes very little newly appropriated money (with the rest repurposed from the CARES Act that passed Congress in March) and added that more aid will be needed under President-elect Joe Biden.</p>



<p>Speaking on the Senate floor hours later, Sanders decried what he said was just $348 billion in new spending as a mere 10% of the $3.4 trillion Heroes Act, which the House passed in May as a follow-up to the CARES Act and the Senate ignored.</p>



<p>Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) also told reporters Wednesday that the plan is “not enough,”&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/JulieNBCNews/status/1339258075690250242" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to</a>&nbsp;NBC’s Julie Tsirkin, adding that she intends to “keep pushing for more.”&nbsp;</p>



<p>Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus including Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) released a&nbsp;<a href="https://khanna.house.gov/sites/khanna.house.gov/files/2020.12.12_Jayapal_Khanna_Porter_COVIDpackage.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">letter</a>&nbsp;Tuesday calling for the next aid bill to include direct payments of $2,000 for individuals (the deal under discussion will reportedly include payments of roughly $600 per person) and extended unemployment benefits for a minimum of six months.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) also weighed in on Twitter Wednesday afternoon, describing the bill under discussion as a “Faustian bargain” because of the way Republicans linked two contentious proposals—state and local aid, a major Democratic priority, and protecting businesses from coronavirus lawsuits, a major Republican concern—which were both ultimately excluded.  </p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Republicans managed to pair corporate liability protection with state and local government support. An invidious pairing. And sadly we’re about to buy into that and sacrifice all the life saving services local government provides our constituents. This is a Faustian bargain.</p>&mdash; Rep. Gerry Connolly (@GerryConnolly) <a href="https://twitter.com/GerryConnolly/status/1339275165037973506?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2020</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<h4 class="wp-block-heading">CHIEF CRITIC</h4>



<p>“If you’re asking me if I think this bill was well negotiated, I don’t,” Sanders told MSNBC Wednesday. “There should have been a lot more money than there currently is.” The independent from Vermont added that while he was glad to see direct payments of roughly $600 per person included in the package (albeit at a lower level than the second round of $1,200 payments he’s been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2020/12/10/sanders-hawley-mount-rare-bipartisan-push-for-1200-stimulus-checks/?sh=6c377463250e">pushing for</a>), “we have got to do more.”</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">BIG NUMBER</h4>



<p>7.8 million. That’s how many Americans have fallen into poverty since June as critical CARES Act benefits expired, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://harris.uchicago.edu/files/monthly_poverty_rates_updated_thru_november_2020_final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">new research</a>&nbsp;from the University of Chicago and the University of Notre Dame. That translates to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2020/12/16/largest-increase-in-us-poverty-recorded-in-2020/?sh=3b405c4d32bd">largest single-year increase</a>&nbsp;in the poverty rate since the government began tracking poverty data 80 years ago.&nbsp;</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h4>



<p>In May, the Democratic-led House of Representatives passed the $3.4 trillion Heroes Act as a sweeping follow-up to the historic CARES Act signed in March. The Senate never took up the bill because the Republicans who control the chamber questioned not only the size of the package, but whether any new spending would be needed. Months later, the House passed a $2.2 trillion version of the Heroes Act (with a shortened timeline to bring down costs), but that bill never made it past the Senate’s GOP gatekeepers either. Until this month, Democratic leaders had not been willing to support any package worth less than about $2 trillion.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h4>



<p>During his remarks on Wednesday, President-elect Biden said he was “encouraged” by the progress towards a bill on Capitol Hill but emphasized his view of the deal on the table as a “down payment” ahead of more relief legislation after he takes office next year.&nbsp;</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h4>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahhansen/2020/12/16/report-relief-deal-will-include-stimulus-checks-exclude-state-aid-and-liability-protections/">Report: Relief Deal Will Include Stimulus Checks, Exclude State Aid And Liability Protections</a>&nbsp;<em>(Forbes)</em></p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahhansen/2020/12/15/senate-leader-mcconnell-vows-were-not-leaving-without-covid-19-relief-as-rank-and-file-stews-over-lack-of-stimulus-checks/">Senate Leader McConnell Vows ‘We’re Not Leaving’ Without Covid-19 Relief As Rank And File Stews Over Lack Of Stimulus Checks</a>&nbsp;<em>(Forbes)</em></p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahhansen/2020/12/15/pelosi-mcconnell-schumer-and-mccarthy-set-for-pivotal-stimulus-meeting-ahead-of-friday-shutdown-deadline/">Pelosi, McConnell, Schumer, And McCarthy Set For Pivotal Stimulus Meeting Ahead Of Friday Shutdown Deadline</a>&nbsp;<em>(Forbes)</em></p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahhansen/2020/12/15/warren-buffett-on-stimulus-gridlock-just-renew-the-ppp-and-get-us-to-the-end-of-the-tunnel/">Warren Buffett On Stimulus Gridlock: ‘Just Renew The PPP And Get Us To The End Of The Tunnel’</a> <em>(Forbes)</em></p>



<p><em>-By Sarah Hansen, Forbes Staff</em></p>


Tag: Bernie Sanders

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

Why The Bernie Sanders Meme Sweatshirt Is This Season’s Best Fashion Statement And Staple

A $900 Billion Covid-19 Aid Compromise Is Coming Together And Some Progressives Aren’t Happy