With face masks becoming a new requirement for everyday wear, many have begun to implement fashion while also taking important steps to protect others. 

     Just like clothing, masks are being used to make a statement. A stylish mask can be used to showcase your flair, or it can be used to match your favorite outfit. 

     “My favorite mask is my pink one,” Said SA Junior Kaitlin Wade. “Pink is my favorite color and it matches a lot of my outfits.”

     Masks have been used for fashion since even before the pandemic. Many designers have been pairing face masks with outfits for a long time. Before the pandemic, Billie Eilish wore a Gucci face mask. Popular designers like Fendi, Palm Angels, and Marine Serre have all made masks for fashion; making the switch to wearing a mask that much easier.

     Businesses quickly jumped on the trend and began selling fashionable masks. Stores like Dollar General, Francescas, Walmart, and Kroger have begun selling fabric masks with interesting designs to appeal to the general public. With some of their favorite stores selling cute masks, people may become more inclined to buy and wear a mask that looks good. 

      “I think that adding fashion to masks has pushed more people to wear them,” SA Sophomore Sophia Brown said. “If it is a part of my outfit, I might not even want to take it off.”

     While pairing masks with fashion may encourage more people to wear them, many of the masks being marketed have not been approved by the CDC, and may not be as effective.  According to Business Insider, many masks that we are using today are not effective at all. One type of mask has become popular because of its duality and fashion, the scarf mask. Although this may seem to be a cute option to prevent the spread of coronavirus; it has been proven by Emory Healthcare that if these masks are made out of polyester spandex, they may be worse than no mask at all. 

     While fashionable masks might be more pleasurable to wear, many sellers are sacrificing safety for fashion taking the term fashion with far too much liberty. 

     Stores like Amazon and Etsy are allowing the sale of unreliable masks that are being branded as virus protection masks. These masks are made out of mesh, which provides no actual protection. Lana Del Rey, at her recent book signing, fell for the trick. She sported a mesh face mask used for a previous shoot. Because she was not taking the proper precautions to protect herself or her fans, Lana received viral backlash.

     In the end, it is much more important to protect yourself and others than to sacrifice your health for a fashion statement. A good tip is to do your research before buying a mask.