How to choose a face mask: aesthetics and personal style

Part 2: AESTHETICS AND PERSONAL STYLE

Like selecting any other accessory, if you have a choice of face masks, it’s nice if you can find one to suit you, especially as it will become approximately 70% of your public ‘face’. There are several factors you can consider:

  • Colour

  • Character

  • Print space and scale

If you know what colour suits you, that makes your choice slightly easier! You can go searching based on that. If you’d like to know what colours suit you, well you know I can help with that!

Even once you know what colours work for you and your wardrobe, you have another colour decision to make; do you want your mask to become a key feature of your outfit or would you prefer to have it blend with your natural colouring?

Many people say they want black masks as they think they will be neutral. But if you’re caucasian, they’re actually anything but! Check out this shot of me in my black mask - it’s extreme!

Next thing to consider is the character of your mask. A plain fabric is really versatile and, depending on colour, will go with most things. But there are all kinds of lovely printed fabrics out there to choose from too.

If you know your style personality, or what I call your style character, that will help. 

  • If you’re big and bold, go for colourful abstract prints with high contrast

  • After a manly, masculine style? Checks, plaids, tartans and stripes. Think structure

  • For a more soft and feminine type, look for low contrast, meandering floral designs

  • Love a retro or vintage style? There are designers producing masks in vintage and retro fabrics

  • If you’re keen to support local artists, choose prints that have been designed by local artists or textile designers

  • Vegan? Passionate about the environment? Select a mask from a vegan designer with fabrics that are dyed with earth friendly vegetable dyes

You get the picture; choose a mask that reflects your style. If you’re wanting to explore your personal style or you’re not sure where you sit on the whole style character thing, again, I can help.

Lastly, a point on scale. Although masks cover a large part of your face, they are are quite small in themselves. You might love a particular big and bold print, but depending on which part of the fabric your mask is made from, you may not get to see much of it. This is particularly true if the print has a lot of space around it.

While a dainty little floral or repeating Japanese print will be really visible on a small mask, a print scattered randomly with lots of space between the graphic elements may see your mask comprised mainly of the background rather than the print motifs you love. It all depends how tightly or loosely arranged the print is.

A good rule of thumb is to choose a print scale that mirrors your own. Fine-boned? Small scale prints will sit well on you but large scale prints are likely to overwhelm. Tall, bigger build or larger boned people have more choice, but again, a print scale that works with that of your body always looks right.

We may as well have fun with this as it looks like face masks will be with us for a while yet. Happy choosing people!

Accessories, Personal StyleDonna CameronfacemasksComment