Mask Fashion: Winter Edition

Welcome to week three of the new year! I figured it was about time to share another “episode” in my Mask Fashion miniseries, showcasing how to stay safe and stylish throughout this pandemic. I knew I wanted another facemask before heading back to school, so I ­­rummaged through the drawers of my sewing desk and got to work making this zebra print mask. I’m so happy with how it turned out!

If you missed my first two Mask Fashion blog posts, you can check them out below:

Mask Fashion: Summer Edition

Mask Fashion: Fall Edition

In the past, I styled three different outfits with three different masks for these posts, but this time I wanted my handmade zebra facemask to be the star of the show. I was so excited about this outfit and loved the way it felt on, but looking at these photos? I’m not sure I love it quite as much. I think it needs something extra to really make the outfit pop. I thought a zebra print belt, if I owned one, would have been the perfect finishing touch! In fact, my dad was very perturbed that I wasn’t wearing a belt with this outfit. But what can I say… My closet is severely lacking in the belt department (insert ‘shrug’ emoji here).

What do you think about this look?

I knew I wanted this outfit to be black, white, and blue to match the mask, so my favorite white mules and this black ribbed sweater seemed like the obvious choice. I haven’t worn this sweater in so long because it disappeared to the bottom of my dirty clothes hamper (I have to wash it separately due to the cool “piercing” details on the collarbone), but it’s one of my favorite pieces!

And now, let’s talk about mom jeans. I finally decided to take the plunge and purchase myself a pair of high-waisted, cropped flared denim from Express. One of my favorite bloggers Styled by McKenz wears these jeans all the time, and I was finally influenced to get a pair myself! These pants are a first for me in many ways—my first Express purchase, my first cropped jeans, my first high-waisted pants, the lightest wash of jeans I’ve ever tried… I thought I would either love or hate them right away, but I’m still kind of on the fence!

Let’s go over some pros and cons. I absolutely love the high waist—I have several cropped tops and sweaters that I don’t wear a ton because I don’t love showing my midriff. These pants solve that. I also really like the slight fraying at the hems, which seems very trendy and cool. But now onto the cons. Do they make me look shorter/wider than I want?! I can’t decide if these pants are the most flattering on my thighs. I also have a hard time deciding what shoes to wear with these jeans. My regular booties are too short to work with the cropped cut, so I’ve been wearing my black knee boots underneath the jeans to create the illusion of mid-calf boots. These white mules also look chic with the pants, but that means I only have two shoe options to wear with them in the winter.

Another pro is that these jeans are super soft/comfy! They’re a far cry from a true denim material, which I don’t mind, but I know some people are pretty picky about their denim. You can shop these exact jeans here or in the widget at the end of this post. Be sure to let me know in the comments what you think of these pants and this outfit altogether!! I’m super curious to hear your opinions, but one thing’s for sure: I feel really cool when I slip into these mom jeans.

Thanks so much for stopping by today’s post! What would you style with this zebra print mask? And what’s your favorite facemask or the coolest one you’ve seen? I saw a mother-daughter duo rocking extremely glittery, full sequin facemasks, and I gotta say, that’s how you do a pandemic in style.

Have a great Monday, and stay safe!

Miles of smiles,

Grace

Black Ribbed Sweater: Scout and Molly’s Boutique, $89, last worn here | Cropped Flared Jeans: Express, $40, buy exact HERE | White Mules: Rebecca Minkoff via Saks Off Fifth, $70, last worn here | Black Fringe Purse: Gift, $50, last worn here