With the pandemic affecting the world for almost six months now, masks have appeared on numerous faces. Far from just putting up with this accessory traditionally used by medical staff, dressmakers and designers have focused on making them trendy.
Made of African wax fabric or jeans, colorful or plain, cloth masks have become more and more accessible and trendy. After an initial shortage, they are now available in pharmacies, in some supermarkets, from seamstresses and even in major Caribbean fashion shops. Fashionistas now own a great collection of these “jewelry masks” in their closets. Some have designed them themselves. Others have found designers’ creations from the Caribbean and elsewhere.
Large French companies have also been producing them. Luxury brand Louis Vuitton in particular transformed some workshops to supply healthcare professionals. In the Antilles-Guiana, Sebastiano shops were among the first to offer cloth masks to the general public. Caribbean designers also offer original, colorful pieces in the Zayan Concept Store online. Finally, you can get them from many amateur or professional seamstresses.
However, watch out: although all cloth masks contribute to improving the protection of people, you need to be careful. Standards have quickly come to guide their design, at least in European countries. In France, they were issued by the French Association for Standardization (AFNOR). AFNOR even lists suppliers meeting standards at https://masques-barrieres.afnor.org/home/demande. AFNOR identifies category 1 masks for people at work exposed to the public. They filter more than 90% of emitted particles larger than or equal to 3 microns. Category 2 masks are preferred by the general public. They filter 70% of the 3-micron particles.
Whatever your choice, masks should be adjusted for a perfect fit from above your nose to below your chin and hygienic measures taken when putting them on and taking them off. It is also important to comply with the manufacturer’s instructions on washing and/or discarding. Finally, as long as the pandemic goes on, safety measures and social distancing remain essential, for each and everyone.
