Face mask chains are the practical new accessory you're about to start seeing all over Instagram
One of the most irritating things about wearing a face mask - not that I’m complaining, of course - is how frequently you end up taking it on and off. A Coronafarce, if you will. Put it on in the supermarket but take it off when you’re walking down a packed street in Soho. Pop it back on when you’re in the Pret queue but, by all means, take it back off when you sit down to sip your flat white. Ugh. Even if I’m just taking it off for a sip of water or a breath of fresh air at my own discretion, I find myself struggling to know what to do with it.
I can’t really put it down on a dirty surface, ‘cos that kind of defeats the object… and I can’t strew it to the bottom of my handbag for fear of contaminating everything else inside.
Luckily, there’s a new accessory trend that’s making waves on Instagram which solves all our face mask woes, and that’s face mask chains.
I first started noticing influencers donning face mask necklaces a couple of weeks back, so thought I’d treat myself. I made a beeline for this chunky gold face mask chain on Etsy and my god. It was love at first use, I tell you. This face mask necklace totally changed my pandemic life in an instant, and to be honest, I’m kind of bitter that I wasn't aware of its existence sooner.
This nifty little contraption not only gives my fabric face mask (my go-to right now is Luneia's face mask and scrunchie co-ord) the glow up I never knew it needed, but it looks great, doubles up as a necklace and sunglasses chain, and allows my face mask to hang around my neck. No fiddling. No faffing.
What’s more, there are a wide range of options to shop which comes with little loops to the end, so you can attach it to the straps of your mask and let it hang free. Etsy reigns supreme in the arena. There are daisy face mask chains, faux pearl face mask chains (
très chic), acrylic tortoiseshell face mask chains and on-trend rainbow beaded face mask chains (tying in nicely with the nostalgic trend of Roxanne Assoulin-inspired beaded jewellery that we’re still totally on board with). Oh, and if you don’t fancy a face mask-specific chain and own a face covering with tie-up ear loops (like this one by Florence Bridge), you could pick up a sunglasses chain from the likes of ASOS or Matches Fashion. I’ve got my eyes on this chunky Frame Chain number. It’ll work just as well.
Scroll down to find our edit of the best face mask chains, to give the face masks we all need to continue to wear a stylish twist. You’re welcome.
