Here’s Where You Can Buy a Face Mask Right Now

In a reversal of earlier guidance that Americans don’t need to wear face coverings in public in order to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, the White House is expected to announce in the coming days that wearing a mask, or covering the face with a bandana or scarf, is in fact advisable, according to memos created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and shared with the White House this week.

In a copy of the guidance obtained by The Washington Post, the CDC recommends that “the community use of cloth masks as an additional public health measure people can take to prevent the spread of virus to those around them.” President Donald Trump added in a press briefing on Thursday that “I don’t think it will be mandatory,” and a White House official told the Post that the guidance would be “narrowly targeted to areas with high community transmission.” That largely tracks with what medical professionals told GQ earlier this week: that wearing a cloth mask isn’t a perfect solution, but it’s better than not doing anything.

The memos and guidance that the CDC shared with the White House clarify that N95 respirators and surgical face masks, both of which are in critically short supply, should be reserved for health-care workers. So if you’re going to wear a mask—and you should; just listen to these experts—what are your options? Here is a running list of designers and manufacturers who are creating non-medical-grade masks—we'll update as more information becomes available.

Ball and Buck

For the masked sportsman. Ball and Buck’s camo mask will keep you safe(r) on a trip to the grocery store, and also well camouflaged in the deer blind.

Maison Modulare

Can a face mask be...sexy? Check out Maison Modulare’s French lace version and tell us we’re wrong.

Alabama Chanin

Natalie Chanin is a longtime practicioner of "slow design," making hand-sewn and machine-made womenswear garments in her factory in Florence, Alabama. All her pieces are made from 100% organic cotton sourced from the Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative in Lubbock Texas. Her non-medical grade masks are made from tight-weave cotton that is less permeable than standard cottons, and are washable and reusable.

Daniel Patrick

Because if you've gotta wear a mask, you might as well get one in a colorway no one else has. If you order at least two of them, the company will send you another one for free.

Naomi Nomi

Recently, Naomi Mishkin explained the troubles she was facing in shifting her Naomi Nomi line to mask production. The first handful of obstacles have been overcome—civilian masks are being made, and every purchase means one is donated to a healthcare worker. They’re sold out for now, but join the waitlist and check back over the weekend for increased stock.

American Blanket Company

Denser than a standard cotton or paper mask, these are made from polyester fleece. It’s like wearing a blanket on your face, but more breathable. (The world’s coziest mask?) American Blanket Company will donate a mask with every purchase.

Citizens of Humanity

The denimheads of Citizens of Humanity have turned their jeans expertise to mask-making. $25 gets you a pack of five in assorted washes—just right if you want to match to your favorite jeans.

Collina Strada

New York upstart Collina Strada was one of the breakouts at New York Fashion Week back in February, some 37 years ago. Now, designer Hillary Taymour is sending along a free mask with every purchase. If you’ve been jonesing for a T-shirt with nipple piercings, now’s the time.

Buck Mason

You might know Buck Mason as a direct-to-consumer brand well-liked for its T-shirts. Now, they’re turning that tasty cotton into masks.

Los Angeles Apparel

Los Angeles Apparel, the company founded by American Apparel founder Dov Charney, is selling three-packs of masks in several different colors. It says mask purchases will fund its ability to donate masks, and to cover costs at its factories.

Everybody.world

Everybody.world is also selling Los Angeles Apparel's black face masks. In this case, though, proceeds go directly to the Everybody.world's employee-relief Rainy Day Fund, which it says it set up to offer more paid time off for factory workers during the pandemic.

Classic Sofa

New York-based furniture company Classic Sofa has a ton of face masks available in three different sizes and several different colors.

Take Care

Canada-based company Take Care Supply was founded specifically to make masks in response to the coronavirus epidemic. The company says its masks will ship in two to seven business days.

Peri

Peri is using deadstock fabric to make its face masks, which it still has available in three different colors. Good luck finding a croc-print mask anywhere else!

Swimspot

A 10-pack of Swimspot's basic black masks will ship in 5 to 7 days.

Reformation

Reformation's 5-pack of face masks are out of stock, but they company says they might ship in a week or two. You can join the waitlist now.

Goodfight

Goodfight promises its mask will ship by April 15th. It also says they for each purchase, they'll donate one to an L.A. institution in need of personal protection equipment.

Ellie Funday

EllieFunDay's face masks won't ship for another two to three weeks. But if you buy one the company will donate another to a local hospital.

CustomInk

CustomInk's masks are set to ship April 15th.

Christine Shirley

Christine Shirley's owner Paige Sullivan is making masks out of the fabric she has lying around in her Pennsylvania studio. If you have colors you prefer, you can say as much in the order notes, but there aren't any guarantees. You should be able to get your mask in 10-14 days.

The Oula Company

Oula says its masks will ship in one to two weeks. They feature a random fabric—likely one that's super colorful.

Whimsey + Row

Whimsey and Row's face masks are currently out of stock, but you can join the waitlist to be notified when they come back in stock. For each one you buy, the company will donate one to an institution in LA, like Union Rescue Mission.

Source: GQ

FASHIONADO

Ralph Lauren Will Contribute $10 Million to Coronavirus Relief Efforts

The fashion industry has felt the impact of the coronavirus pandemic at every level of its business, with charitable and legislative plans to support brands, retailers, designers, and employees that have been affected by the crisis emerging slowly but surely over the past two weeks.

Thursday, Ralph Lauren announced a major donation that provides serious support to his employees as well as global relief efforts. His Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation set out a plan to give $10 million to four charitable organizations. Conglomerates like Kering and LVMH have donated millions of euros in cash in addition to producing masks and other equipment for European health authorities. Lauren’s, meanwhile, is the largest amount given in a single donation of any fashion company so far, and the kind of meaningful, major statement that many in the American fashion community have been waiting for.

“At the heart of our company, there has always been a spirit of togetherness that inspires our creativity, our confidence, and most importantly our support for one another,” Lauren, who serves as executive chairman and chief creative officer, said in a press release. “In the past weeks and months, that spirit has never wavered.”

In the release, Lauren outlined a plan to split the money between four major organizations, with the goal of providing relief to his own employees, support for global efforts to fight the spread of coronavirus, and financial assistance to American designers. The first organization is the Emergency Assistance Foundation, an American nonprofit that creates employee relief funds, and which will provide grants to help employees of Lauren’s corporation to assist with medical care or the care of family members. Sums will also go to the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, and Ralph Lauren’s Pink Pony Fun for cancer research.

Lastly, $1 million dollars of the donation will go to A Common Thread, the initiative launched earlier this week by the Council of Fashion Designers of America and Vogue to support designers and those behind-the-scenes who have been impacted by the coronavirus.

The company’s release added that it is also exploring the production of medical-grade masks, gowns, and other personal protective equipment. As GQ reported yesterday, fashion designers’ production of much-needed masks has been riddled with roadblocks and red tape. Leadership from an organization of Lauren’s size could make the manufacturing of those supplies far more effective.

Source: GQ

FASHIONADO

The Best Street Style from Pitti Uomo Fall/Winter 2020

Menswear fashion season is in full swing and is not slowing down! Right now all eyes are on the stylish Pitti Uomo and GQ Magazine captured some of the best streetstylers on the block. What we love personally about Pitti style is that the dapper dudes making headlines are real men in their 30s, 40s, 50s+ showing off their badass, trendsetting sense of style… take note boys.

The fashion marathon marches on. The menswear world has migrated from avant-garde-heavy London to the traditionalist-packed Fortezza de Basso in Florence, Italy. For a few days, the fort plays home to Pitti Uomo, the industry's most significant trade show. It also plays home to the planet's gnarliest devotees of tailoring. That means the famous Pitti peacocks, of course, but it also means guys who are invested in finding new and different ways to wear soft-shouldered blazers, colorful suits, and shoes that aren't sneakers. It's basically the Olympics of street style—and these are our favorite looks so far.

Source: GQ

FASHIONADO

Saks Fifth Avenue Just Got into the Insanely-Hyped Shoe Game

Saks Fifth Avenue’s flagship store in New York (as in, the one on Fifth Avenue), as part of its “Grand Renovation,” just cut the ribbon on a new 8,000 square foot space dedicated exclusively to things for your feet. Specifically, all the very, very stylish, rare, and expensive men’s shoes you have ever pined after, stood in line for, or whimsically added to your virtual cart without any intention of purchasing. We’re talking the dirty Guccis, the glitter Zanottis, those sold out FOG jams.

There are over 2,000 SKUs, 160 exclusives, shoe repair stations, a “lace personalization” bar, multilingual advisors—literally everything you could ever want in a brick-and-mortar shoe shopping ,experience short of alcoholic beverages (although, who knows, that might be there too) all under one roof, all on one floor. If a trip to New York isn't in the cards for you, there’s a silver lining: the internet. Because along with its major retail upgrade, the men’s shoe selection on Saks.com also recently got stacked with new styles and will continue to enjoy footwear greatness as a result of this flagship upgrade.

Source: GC

FASHIONADO

Obra Makes Socially Conscious Sneakers (and They're Running-Shoe Comfy, Too)

Sure, the staple Canvas Low from Obra, a new sneaker line from two industry vets, is a handsome shoe. Custom cream-colored foxing—the rubber strip joining the upper and midsole—makes it stand out. So does the big blue pull-on strap on the back. But the real juice is inside, founders Arnaud Delecolle and Dave Cory explain.

With Obra’s signature shoe, they had one goal: “Improve on the fit and wearability of a vulcanized product, which are historically appealing but not the most comfortable when you wear them all the time,” Delecolle explains over the phone. “Your knees get tired after a while, it's not the best.”

The fix? A drop-in, tech-y liner—“essentially the equivalent to a running shoe's midsole,” he says, “but in the form of a footbed. It’s a dual-density, thermo-formed EVA insole lined with high-tech microfiber.” And it works. “I've been wearing my test shoes like eight months straight, day in and day out,” Delecolle says. “I've actually used the insoles in my running shoes to test them out. So we've accomplished a product that looks traditional, in a sense, and utilitarian, but that's sort of tech on the inside.” As Cory puts it, “It's thick and cushy under your foot.”

In a never-more-saturated sneaker market—and one in which even the humble canvas vulcanized shoe is getting regular fashion upgrades—innovation is hard to come by. But the Obra fellas were well-positioned to find it. Delecolle founded Lower East Side streetwear emporium Alife back in 1999, and had moved onto other projects. Cory had been at Converse, helping shepherd that brand’s One Star back to the top of the sneaker heap. Delecolle was missing the sneaker world, and wanted to find a way to update his old business model with an emphasis on ethical, sustainable manufacturing and a community focus. Cory was feeling hemmed in at Converse, making a lifestyle product for a performance company. So they linked up, and Obra—Portuguese for construction, but also for a work of art—was born.

Source: GQ

FASHIONADO

The Best Blazer for Layering Is the One You Already Own

The best transitional layering piece you already own.

With the constant temperature change, spring is the time for fashion opportunity. Although winds suggest the need for tweed, in between seasons, a classic wool tweed blazer can double as outerwear and office wear. Just turn up your collar and you are ready to walk out the door.

The trick to pulling this look off is by wearing tweed with a relaxed-fit, worn-in denim and a cozy cashmere crewneck. Don't get stuck between seasons, use these times as an opportunity to mix and match. Find the look and where to buy at www.gq.com.

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