When Your Nose, Ya Know?

The two simple words “face” and “mask” bring many things to mind: from the ole’ bank robber and cowboy tropes to skincare routines and beyond. While the face mask as we know it now is not by any means a new concept or a new fashion accessory, it reached an unprecedented amount of popularity in every sector of life due in no small part to the rampant initial spread of Covid-19.

At the beginning of 2020 the use of the face mask went from relative obscurity; in western nations, relegated to illegal activities, steampunk events, raves, and the medical profession to the absolute must-have “it” fashion statement of the year. The Face mask reached peak “that’s a look” status early on in the year when no one could leave home with out it. Literally, it was not legal in many places to be in public without a mask.

It was a quick journey from surgical masks to face shields, gas masks and as far as both creativity and fear combined could drive this trend. Everyone got into it: crafty Etsy girls, Alibaba was suspiciously well-stocked in January, fast fashion brands, designers, nail salons, gas stations, grocery store check out racks, and any other place of business you can imagine now carries anything from N95 - rhinestone-encrusted masks.

Admittedly, there is still much face mask territory to be traversed. I doubt that, even if masks are no longer mandated, many will stop wearing them, rather I think we’ll see more innovations and iterations to come. This could be seen as an exciting new accessorial prospect to look forward to instead of a bleak outlook to fear. The mask, itself, seems to have driven a course straight passed trend to staple.

There is, however, a genuinely terrible new trend that popped up around the same time as the new global mask fixation captivated us all. I know you’ve seen it. More times than you can count. I know it made you feel weird, uncomfortable - like you were witnessing an intimate and private moment that you shouldn’t have seen. You might’ve felt second hand embarrassment, annoyance, shock, disgust or even conviction. As yet, it is unclear to me who first coined the term, “Nose Cleavage” about this gravely offensive way to don one’s mask, but strangely and familiarly it resonates.

You, your father, your mother, your sister, your brother, your friends, your boss, your co-workers, and random people at CVS have all been guilty of showing a little too much. Being such a recent addition along with shirts and shoes on the doors of businesses, an adjustment period is only expected. Additionally, not all masks are one size fits all. Many of us still do not know our face/head size. Frankly, we never needed to know until now.

While, there is certainly a portion of people whose masks dip only as a consequence of an ill fit, there are also those who espouse a more liberal philosophy, “If you got it flaunt it.” Or something like that. Many of us do not like to wear clothes but we do so out of respect for others and ourselves. The use of clothing and the messages it conveys is an entirely separate conversation and one that would take much longer than would reasonable to include here. Suffice to say we all use our attire to communicate a message about the sort of person we are and how we view the world.

Some skate the boundary, wearing as little as possible in defiance. I can see how it might feel empowering, a little dip of the mask, but I assure the reader, in this case; unequivocally, it is not empowering. You might think you look silly with a mask or you might want to show off your recent nose job. I can understand the allure of vanity masquerading as empowerment - we've all fallen for it at least once. Showing a little nose cleavage is not attractive in the same way as a little leg or bust. It’s more akin to the kind of cleavage we envision from the plumber hard at work stereotype.

Mask dip or nose cleavage is the new risqué trend of 2020 that absolutely needs to die. If not just for the legitimate concerns of said cleavage rendering the mask itself virtually useless but for the sheer unadulterated vulgarity of it. It could be argued that a better course of action is to take the whole mask off and save us the unwanted reverse-pervert vibes we catch among other things we might catch. *Nudge, nudge*, *Cough, cough*

Really and truly the fact of that matter is no one wants to see your nose cleavage! Mask critics and mask enthusiast alike can come together on this one: 2021 Is the year we say goodbye to nose cleavage, please and thank you!