Face Masks Protect and Express

For the foreseeable future, when spending time away from your home, you’ll need a face mask. You’ll have your face covered when entering retail stores, bakeries, dry-cleaning establishments, places of worship, and more. 

By covering your mouth and nose in public spaces, you’re showing respect for others and sending a powerful message: I care about your well-being, and I thank you for caring for mine.

Step one in getting the most from your face mask is to be sure it fits you correctly. Your mask should cover both your nose and face. 

When it’s doing its job, a mask protects others from droplets that are emitted through coughing or sneezing. A properly-fitting mask covers the area from the bridge of the nose to under the chin and halfway or more toward your ears. A nose wire will close the gap around your nose and pull the mask closer to your face. There shouldn’t be a gap at the sides of your face.

One size does not fit all. Some people have small faces, while others have large ones. You’ll hate wearing a mask if you’re in one that doesn’t fit you. Keep trying different ones until you find one that feels just right. 

It’s good to have a few of them, so you rotate them. Some people choose to wear a different one each day and launder them routinely. You can throw your cotton masks in the washer with your other laundry, but don’t add bleach. Bleach will break down the fibers and make them less effective. 

Let’s talk about the right material for your mask. You want the fabric in your mask to be tightly woven. Here’s a quick way to test how well yours is doing. Hold your mask up to the light and see how much light comes through. The tighter the weave of the fabric used in the mask, the less light you’ll see. Less light equals more protection.

If you’re a quilter, the cotton fabrics you use to make quilts actually rivals the filtration efficiency of surgical masks. Turn that extra fabric you have into quality masks. Pinterest is full of patterns and ideas. 

Masks are doing a vital job right now. But how do you bring fashion into the equation, so you feel more excited about wearing one?

Here are a few ideas for you.

1. Pick out a mask like you would a scarf. If you wear a specific group of colors (warm, cool, bright, muted), stick with that color palette and choose a mask in those colors. It will naturally go with the outfits you already wear.

2. Fashion designers are offering masks in the same prints as the dresses or bathing suits they’ve designed. Without much difficulty, especially if you’re a sewer or know someone who could customize masks, you could have a mask made in the same print as the fabric bag you carry over your shoulder. Make a statement!

3. Just like we have accessories we wear for running errands and then change into spiffier accessories to wear for an evening out, the same logic is true of wearing masks. Wear more casual print masks with tees and jeans and dressier or prettier ones when you’re dressing up.  

4. Look for styles that relate to your personal style. Do you prefer a classic style? You might want a mask in polka dots or fine checks. Are you more Boho in your style expression? A tie-dye or batik print may be your best choice. Do you favor menswear? Your mask choices are easy: find one in plaid, herringbone, or stripes.

Stay safe!