There once was a time when masks could not be manufactured quickly enough to be purchased. As production ramped up, some are now looking for a change from disposable surgical masks. How about Injecting a little sense of fun on your days off with something offbeat. In Japan, a designer created a mask with a bowl of ramen on top. Not exactly practical, but guaranteed to be a conversation starter!
This new fashion accessory is here to stay, whether we like it or not.
Friends who conduct training sessions online joke that they would never be able to recognise participants in person, since many of us would be masked up.
So if your country has also mandated that masks be worn, what are the options?
Scientists, governments and companies are also working hard to create better masks all the time.
According to this article and accompanying infographic, some types of masks are much less effective than others:
while blocking out 80 per cent of UV rays and 99 per cent of particles such as bacteria and pollen.
You can get them, if they’re not already sold out, from Uniqlo outlets and at their online store.
We know of some who tried to make plant holders, with varying degree of success, out of used masks.
There are also those who prefer to have their mask match their outfit, and a quick search on tech sites, fashion sites, Taobao and Amazon
reveals many colours and prints even for surgical masks.
The rest of the internet and pop-up stores offer a plethora of options, with washable masks in cutesy, whimsical fabrics,
handmade by artisans or special interest groups, with fabrics sourced locally or promoting a traditional artform like batik. We ordered masks from
a fashion designer and they were gorgeous. A year ago it would have been hard to believe regular face masks could be ‘gorgeous’
Ultimately, the best advice is to stay away from large crowds, get plenty of rest and Vitamin C, and keep positive through it all!