Mask Fashion: Summer Edition

I’ve had this post idea for a while, and after a few requests and seeing several other fashion bloggers do the same sort of thing, I’m finally delivering my take on mask fashion! To be honest, I basically never leave the house as it is—going to the dentist has been one of the highlights of my summer thus far. However, when I do venture out, I don’t bother to match my mask to my outfit, just as long as I’m wearing one. But as a fashion blogger? This seems unacceptable. Masks aren’t going away any time soon, so we might as well make them fashionable and consider them as “the hottest new accessory”, especially when so many stores are releasing cute styles (like Dress Barn, Francesca’s, and Nordstrom Rack). I was so excited to create these three outfits around my three masks!

This first mask is the newest addition to my collection and from Etsy (you can shop it here). I love the pretty navy color with light blue butterflies and dots of baby pink! I started the outfit creation process by selecting this navy romper, and from there the look took an unexpectedly edgy turn, despite the femininity of the mask. I decided on this dusty red purse for an interesting color combo and to avoid looking too matchy-matchy with the light pink in the mask. Spiced it up with some dainty gold jewelry and black stud sandals, and voila! An interesting and fashionable mask outfit for a night out (is going out still a thing?).

One thing I learned about “mask fashion” while putting these outfits together is that you don’t need to (or even want to) try to match your entire outfit to your mask. Just like how matching your shoes/belt/bag is no longer fashionable, you should think of wearing your masks in the same way. What’s currently “in” in fashion is the perfectly mismatched look, so as long as your items just go together (sort of like a slant rhyme), then you’ll be looking fashionable and on-trend.

The mask above was handmade for me by a family friend. I love the bright and bold pattern and immediately thought to pair it with my favorite lavender top, thinking it would be the perfect slant rhyme of colors. However, after taking these photos, I wish I would have picked bolder hues for my outfit! While the mask sure stands out, I feel like it made the rest of my outfit look washed out (although I still love the bright orange purse and seafoam green sandals). What do you think?

I think this last outfit is my favorite, as I love the super summery vibes it gives. And believe it or not, I think the mask is really what makes this outfit! I was stumped on how to style this mask, since my closet is severely lacking in the lime green department. But I decided this palm print top is close enough in the coloring, and the yellow pineapple bag was the perfect accessory to tie the color scheme together.

I tried to keep all three of these outfits pretty casual and wearable, since most of us don’t have any events to attend. But whether or not I’m just sitting on the couch all day, I still like my outfits to be put-together and cute! Also – can we just talk about mask breath for a sec? Have you seen that Icebreakers commercial about mask breath and breath mints? First off, that is ingenious marketing by the Icebreakers team, and second, mask breath really does exists. Now if only the skincare companies were jumping on the marketing bandwagon… ‘Cause my chin has been breaking out like crazy! You would think skincare companies would start marketing their products towards mask-related chin breakouts, but I haven’t seen anything like that yet. Anyway, below are a few of my posts about skincare if you’ve been suffering more frequent breakouts as well. The best thing I can recommend is to wash your mask after every use! (Which you should ideally be doing anyway.)

3 Simple Steps to Clearer Skin

A Beginner’s Guide to Skincare

Which look is your favorite? And more importantly, do you try to match your outfits to your masks?? I had a hard time taking these photos because they made me realize how important the face/mouth region is in capturing a pic (and my personality). I quickly learned that I still had to smile under the mask so that my eyes would be smiling too! If I just kept a straight face, my eyes would take on an eerie, shark-like, lifeless glare to them. Not a good look. My dad joked that if I just threw on a pair of sunglasses, photos would be super easy to take—my eyes could be closed, there could be food in my teeth, and nobody would know the difference. What a time!

Which masks have you been loving? And what styles/fabrics have been the most comfortable for you? Let me know in the comments! I plan on doing another one of these posts in the fall, and I’m interested to see what sort of fall looks I can come up with for these masks (considering all of my masks are spring/summer patterns). Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I hope you have a wonderful Thursday! Stay safe.

Miles of smiles,

Grace

Navy Romper: Francesca’s, $15 // Red Purse: Francesca’s, $20 // Navy Mask: Etsy, buy HERE // Black Sandals: Dillard’s, $30

Lavender Top: Francesca’s, $15 // White Jeans: JCPenney, $25 // Orange Purse: Boutique in McCarran International Airport, $30 // Colorful Mask: Handmade // Mint Sandals: Younker’s, $20

Palm Print Top: H&M, $15 // Jean Shorts: H&M, $25 // Pineapple Purse: Charming Charlie, $10 // Brown Sandals: DSW, $45 // Green Polka Dot Mask: Etsy