STORY BY BENJAMIN LERNER
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY THE VERMONT TEDDY BEAR COMPANY
The Perfect Pair
The Vermont Teddy Bear Company and Vermont Mitten Company
When Bernie Sanders was photographed at the Presidential Inauguration in January 2021 in a pair of cozy handmade mittens , it took the internet by storm . In the months that followed , “ Bernie Memes ” proliferated and spread to every corner of the social media universe . The Vermont-based schoolteacher who sewed the famous “ Bernie Mittens ,” Jen Ellis , was subsequently inundated with requests for her trademark mittens . After Ellis realized that there was no way that she could meet the sudden demand , she reached out to The Vermont Teddy Bear Company and asked them if they could help her make the mittens . According to The Vermont Teddy Bear Company ’ s Creative Brand and Design Manager , Cassandra Clayton , this sparked the beginning of a wonderful partnership . “ She showed us all of her secrets , and we founded the Vermont Mitten Company with her . It ’ s been a lot of fun working with her . She definitely goes out of her way to make sure that all of the mittens that we make are up to the ‘ Bernie Mittens ’ standard .”
Incorporated under The Vermont Teddy Bear Company umbrella as the Vermont Mitten Company , Jen Ellis ’ iconic mittens are now hand-crafted in the same factory where The Vermont Teddy Bear Company ’ s bears and stuffed animals are made .
“ Jen Ellis made the original mittens ( that she gifted to Bernie Sanders ) by hand ,” notes Clayton . “ It was very important to her that all of her mittens remained handmade . Her attention to detail and passion for quality was very much in line with The Vermont Teddy Bear Company ’ s values . We also share Jen Ellis ’ passion for sustainable practices . We use recycled materials to make the stuffing for many of our bears and stuffed animals , and she makes all of her mittens from ‘ upcycled ’ wool from used sweaters .”
10 VERMONT MAGAZINE