illustration by Gracen Hoyle

Nowadays, nobody leaves the house without wearing a mask. Whether you’re making a quick trip to the store or meeting up with a friend, everybody has a mask on hand–making the mask the ultimate accessory of the year 2020.

A mask is an accessory that goes with every outfit, so here’s some fashion do’s and dont’s to help you look your best while staying healthy.

DO Get the Right Fit:

The most important part of any outfit is how well it fits you. The cutest sweater in the world can look tacky if it doesn’t fit right, and a sharp suit looses all of it’s impact if it’s too loose and baggy. The same is true of masks.

Wearing a mask is a great way to create a fashionable, flirty look. Covering the bottom part of your face creates the illusion of symmetrical features and draws attention to your eyes. However, a poorly fitted mask loses all of its allure. If your mask is too loose it can detract from the mysterious vibe the accessory creates, and not only is it annoying to have to constantly fix your mask, it can make you seem fidgety and nervous–not a sexy look!

Your mask should fit snugly on you face and cover your nose and your mouth. You don’t want unseemly gaps on either side of your face, so be sure that you can feel the fabric of the mask against your cheeks! However, be careful that your mask isn’t too tight. Having red marks on your face after wearing your mask all day isn’t hot.

DO Go Big or Go Home:

While a solid colored mask is always a safe bet, don’t be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone and experiment with patterns. You can easily upgrade a simple outfit by adding a mask with an extra bit of flair to it!

Tie-dye made a comeback in 2020. Even Tom Ford, who’s known for his distinguished style, sent a model down the cat walk in a tie-dye caftan. Jump aboard the tie-dye train to make your outfit pop!

Or channel the cottage core aesthetic and try out a floral printed mask! Florals in large amounts can sometimes be more reminiscent of grandma’s couch than high fashion, but fashion trends for Fall 2020 are filled with florals: big florals, vintage florals, delicate florals. So don’t be afraid to look like a walking garden!

DO Find Your Match:

Maybe you’re not a born fashionista…That’s ok, not all of us can be! If you’re scared of committing a major fashion faux pas, there’s a super easy way to make sure your mask never clashes with your outfit without limiting yourself to a boring black mask.

Matching mask sets! These mask sets are so easy to find and so easy to style. A lot of online retailers, like Etsy, sell masks with a matching item. The item can be another accessory–like a scrunchie, a hat, a tie, or scarf–but it can also be an article of clothing–like a matching shirt, dress, or even swimsuit.

Rocking a matching mask set is an easy way to create a coordinated outfit that shows how stylish you can be.

DON’T Stick Your Nose Where It Doesn’t Belong:

The easiest way to take your outfit from HOT to NOT is by wearing your mask with your nose sticking out. Not only does it look totally goofy, but by covering only your mouth it entirely defeats the purpose of wearing a mask while still muffling your voice.

Having your nose out, typically means there’s an issue with the fit of your mask. Circle back to our first DO, to find out how to get the right fit, so you don’t look like you’re wearing an ill-fitting muzzle (no offense LeeRoy).

DON’T Go Overboard:

There are some masks that are occasion specific. This may seem totally obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many clueless and stylishly challenged people don’t know this. It’s been a recent trend for people to wear plague doctor masks…Um, spoiler alert! Those didn’t work out so well for the plague doctors, do you really think it’s going to work for you?

While masks like balaclavas and Venetian masks are far more fun and interesting than the face masks we see day to day, they aren’t exactly the latest in street fashion. So save the balaclavas for ski trips and heists and the Colombina for your next masquerade ball because Captain America’s cowl style mask may look hot on Chris Evans, but if you try to walk down the street in one it will be a major fashion fail–trust me.