September 18, 2020

Face Masks: Made for Fashion and Function

Emily Ewen

Are masks a form of fashion now? Students on campus have taken the opportunity of the new mandatory mask rule to incorporate some extra flair into their wardrobe.

Fiona Frost, a junior, has a handful of masks that have the Mystery Inc. crew from “Scooby Doo” on them. She bought a mask that has each member on it, because for every mask bought, one is sent to a “hero” (i.e., someone in the medical field). Another student on campus, Enrique Salazar, has masks that can easily catch the attention of others. He has multiple masks with bold designs and colors on them, specifically a holographic one, that he claims as his favorite.

Many students said that they sometimes try to match their outfits to their masks; however, they find it difficult to match every outfit to their masks. “I chose the masks I did, exclusively to match outfits,” Salazar said, “because if I’m going to be wearing a mask every day, I’m going to need them for every fit and occasion.” Students like Brett Kron and Dylan Leininger desired more neutral masks, containing colors such as black, white and grey.

Normally when fashion is involved, people are willing to suffer some lack of comfort to look stylish; however, that does not seem to be the case with these masks. Although people are normally trying to match them with outfits, or buying eye-appealing ones, every student said that they went for thinner material that wasn’t going to be heavy on their faces.

Concerning the comfort, most of the students enjoy the masks that have elastic going behind their ears. They find that it fits better to their face and is easier to manage. However, they also said that the “buff ” mask, the one that wraps like a scarf, is preferred when performing physical activity. Brett Kron, a baseball player, likes these types of masks because they are, as he put it, “breathable and more comfortable to wear.”

Some students even took to making their own masks. Hannah Brubaker, a sophomore, made all of the masks that she owns. She said that she knew how to sew, got to pick all the patterns/colors she wanted, and it was cheap/efficient. Making masks was the most advantageous situation for her, because she gets to wear her favorite colors: purple and black.

Sydney Young also had the opportunity to make masks for herself, with her favorite being a mask that has adorable pit bulls all over it. She has the largest amount of masks out of the students interviewed, with an astounding number of 17!

Although some students made their own, most students have acquired their masks from parents, grandparents and friends who made them. Hayley Musser received many masks from her roommate’s mom, whom made most of the masks she owns. She has very bright colored and unique patterned masks because she was allowed to pick the materials she wanted.

Lexi Collins said that her favorite mask was one that was made for her. She liked it because of its comfort and because she found it thoughtful that someone would take the time to make her one.

Vianey Lucio, a first-year on campus, said that her dad made some of her masks and her favorite by him is a “Star Wars” mask. Along with this mask, she has a multitude of brightly colored cloth masks made for her.

We are in for some fun views on our Manchester campus as new masks seem to be popping up every day. Fashionable masks might be the upcoming thing for the time being.