Don’t hesitate to mask

Thanks to the talents of two local designers we can protect both our health and our sense of style

The further into this pandemic we go, the more obvious it becomes that life, as we knew it, will never be the same. There is all this talk about getting used to the “new normal”. Whether it be work, school, shops, bars, restaurants, hairdressers, beauticians... new procedures will be in place everywhere we go.

We will also have to instill our own personal procedures in our own homes. Even leaving the house will be like a military operation. Our mental checklist will no longer be keys, money, phone, lippy. It will be keys, money, phone, mask, gloves, handwash, handwipes... lippy no longer required as your lips will no longer be visible.

It is a depressing and scary thought, but it is in fact going to be our new normal. So there’s only one thing to do – embrace it. The human race has a talent for making the best of a bad situation. To adapt to our surroundings and make it as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. A good place to start is those masks as it appears Boris Johnson is now going to make it mandatory to wear one when in enclosed spaces. If we are gong to have to wear them, we may as well like them.

Approach them the same way you would approach buying a handbag. It has to look good, feel good, be comfortable, functional and of good quality. Thankfully two of Northern Ireland’s top designers – Ruedi Maguire and Shauna Fay – have embraced this new normal and have each launched a luxury face mask range.

So there is nothing depressing or scary about investing in this new wardrobe essential. The only really difficult part is deciding which one to actually buy...

Sabrina face mask £22

Emma face mask £16

Chloe face mask £16

Lucy face mask £14

Black face mask £12

White face mask £12

Lucia face mask £16

Isla face mask £18

Megan face mask £16