It Looks Like This Will Be the Breakout Trend of the Summer 

Masks are on everyone’s minds (and bodies) and as a result it’s become an accidental trend. Unlike most fashion statements, it’s born out of necessity and care for people around you. But it doesn’t change the fact that for the most part, we all now have to wear masks when we venture outside, and it’s not really surprising that fashion has noticed the opportunity. More than half of the states in the U.S. require face coverings in public, and naturally it hasn’t taken long for fashion brands to begin innovating on this new way of life. Many labels have begun creating masks and infusing them with a little fashion personality. Some have also added charitable components to their designs, choosing to donate a portion of their mask proceeds to various causes. Brands like Collina Strada, for instance, have made masks from headstock materials and added tie-dye patterns overtop; with each purchase, the brand also provides 5 masks to health care workers in New York City. Other brands such as Reformation have even begun styling their campaign images with masks too, showcasing floral masks to match their sundresses.

That kind of coordination just got the supermodel seal of approval: Cindy Crawford just posted a new Instagram yesterday where she matched her outfit to her mask. In the photo, Crawford wears a mask and blouse from Le Superbe, both designed in a groovy, multicolor tie-dye print. “Social distancing but make it fashion,” she wrote. Her message seems to be that, since you have to wear one, you might as well wear one that fits into your personal style.

These twinsets, as worn by Crawford, are on the rise: labels such as Camp Collection have also designed masks to match with their ’70s-style ringer tees, among others. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has also been wearing color-coordinated face masks while on the job recently, matching them to her many power suits. (Hers, however, are likely custom.)

In some ways, this trend feels inevitable. Fashion is built on creatively revising necessities. The fashionable mask takes a public good and turns it into an individual statement. But it doesn’t mean that everyone’s totally comfortable with it. The New York Times wrote a piece last month that cited tweets that called out the tension between a public health crisis and the fashion industry. At first, it was just wearing a mask. But now that we’re a bit more used to it, it’s something that should be folded into your wardrobe.

It also seems unlikely that we’ll see the same kind of summer trends we’ve seen in years before. But there’s one piece of fabric that most people will need to wear, and that’s a mask. Why not make it a total look?