Get the lockdown look: face masks the next big thing in fashion

From a medical necessity to an accessory as important as jewellery or a handbag, masks are now the fastest evolving category in fashion, and recent scientists’ approval is heavily driving sales. They’re also an easy product to make, and demand is set to remain strong for the foreseeable future.

In fact, a survey from Hanes uncovered that 93% of Americans who own a mask plan to keep wearing one for the next five months and 27% choose which one to purchase based on its look and fabric.

‘Interest is unlike anything I’ve seen during my time in business,’ adds Sarti. ‘But it makes sense. Everybody’s got to wear a mask, regardless of age, regardless of, you know, how wealthy you are, regardless of how fashionable you are. So if you’re going to have to wear a mask, you may as well have it look good.’

It’s also extremely good news in terms of sustainability, as leading environmentalist campaigners warn that single-use masks are now a bigger polluter than single-use plastic.

‘If every person in the UK wore a single-use face mask every day for a year, it would create an extra 57,000 tonnes of hard-to-recycle plastic and an extra 66,000 tonnes of contaminated PPE waste,’ says co-founder of The Beach Guardian Project, Emily Stevenson. ‘The fact that fashion has decided to get on board with producing reusable masks is certainly promising, and I hope people will be more inclined to spend a little extra if it means saving the planet.’

So, if the mask you’ve been using in recent weeks is looking a little worse-for-wear, why not check out this list for more info on where to get a new (super fashionable and sustainable) one. I’ll definitely be securing a couple to mix-and-match with my summer outfits.