By PAGE Editor

The humble facemask is the most recognizable symbol of the COVID-19 pandemic, and one of the most obvious changes in the way we dress that has happened over the last two years. Facemasks have been a vital part of the response to the coronavirus outbreak, preventing spread and infection and helping many people get back to something resembling everyday life.

But facemasks have not just been a purely practical item. People’s natural desire to accessorize, to decorate, and to stand out from the crowd even while covering their faces has led to facemasks becoming increasingly fashionable, with everyone from big names to tiny independent stores designing and selling their own masks.

When the pandemic hit, fashion brands took a hit. This was felt particularly strongly by smaller stores and independent labels who didn’t have a safety net to fall back on. As the world shut its doors and stayed inside, the idea of ‘buying new clothes’ let alone spending money on designer fashion seemed absurd. Sweatpants, comfortable t-shirts, and soft slippers and socks were the order of the day.

Fashionable facemasks were a lifeline. A way to channel creativity, joy, and freedom of expression into what seemed like a stubbornly practical item of clothing.

But are fashionable masks just a passing trend? Something that will be discarded as soon as the pandemic is over, or even sooner, when we are vaccinated? Or will they remain as a relevant accessory, something to be tossed into our luggage as we pack light for a cruise?

Obviously, masks arrived due to necessity. They were a preventative tool, something that kept us safe and healthy, and not something most of us would choose to wear without need. And once that urgent need no longer exists, will they disappear or remain as part of a new normal?

Looking to places like Japan and China, facemasks have been culturally relevant for a long time, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Coronavirus is unlikely to disappear completely anytime soon, and we all now have a far stronger understanding of the way masks protect us and others...from merely annoying diseases as well as deadly viruses! Just like sunglasses and baseball caps before them, it is perfectly plausible that facemasks will take the step from practical item to fashion accessory even after the pandemic. 

Given the state of the world post-COVID, it is far from clear that our desire for facemasks will evaporate. Similarly, with labels and brands keen to continue to monetize this simple and easy way to make a buck, it is highly likely that fashionable facemasks will remain relevant for a while yet.

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