The Story of the Face Mask

Never in a million years did any of us think that face masks would become an accessory category of its own. From animal print, rainbow, bedazzled, silk, N95, or your favorite designer, masks can be customized to any shape or size.

Every night for weeks in 2020, I would put my girls to bed and make masks non-stop for hours. I personally made hundreds and quickly understood how important my sewing skills became for my community. Mask supplies have increased and I’ve been able to stop my late night sewing sessions. My personal experience with mask making led me to researching the history of cloth face masks. I hope you can take a breather from your own mask wearing to read about The Story of the Face Mask, and the pandemic we survived over 100 years ago.

Cloth face masks were regularly used by healthcare workers in the 1900’s until the 1960s, when healthcare workers began using surgical masks. The use of Cotton Face Masks surged during the COVID-19 pandemic because it provided greater access to the general public and could effectively protect against it’s spread. Masks are now easily accessible and can be purchased in many shapes and sizes.

In 17th Century European doctors believed that a bird-like mask could purify poisonous air with special herbs and protect from disease while treating patients during the bubonic plague. This mask was later discovered as ineffective as antibiotics were the key in fighting against the disease.

Mask wearing became commonplace after World War I and the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918. Shortly after this era, scientists tested various fabrics and efficacy against bacteria and viruses. This has evolved into our current day mask wearing.
Mask wearing might have seemed strange pre-COVID and unreal. This is a time that sewing skills have become essential to survival. Not only does the history of the cotton face mask seem incredibly important to survival of today’s Pandemic. The story of the Cotton Face Mask is an extremely important one because it is a mere collision of fashion design and science that landed on the same path.