Office Styles That *Work* Perfectly With A Face Mask

A facemask is one of the easiest ways to stay in good health during this pandemic. Like our phones and purses, it is now an accessory that we see everywhere. Because it’s so visible and in-your-face (literally), it has to be considered when making style choices.

This past summer, most offices implemented a work-from-home model, but we’ve seen many workspaces resume their regular in-office hours for fall. As stylists, we take each fashion curveball as a new style opportunity to be creative. Office looks can be challenging enough to pull off without the masks. But we’ve done our stylist research and found the best office looks that go perfectly with that face-covering! 

Ballet Bun

Ballet buns are go-to office looks because they're so chic, but stay out of the way. Stylish and distraction-free. With a face-covering, it's crucial to make sure that the bun is set at the top of the head. If you place your bun at the lower-crown, middle, or base of your neck, it will become invisible. Because the mask takes up most of your face, an invisible bun will render your mask as the entirety of the look. To avoid this, keep that bun visible. Before twisting your tresses into the knot, start by slipping your hair into a sleek ponytail. Use styling gel to slick flyaways. We suggest utilizing pins to secure the bun into place.

Preppy Ponytail

High-ponytails always sit at the intersection of professional and stylish, which is why we adore them. Add some trendy equestrian vibes to this ponytail by giving your main a bit of texture with a thin-barreled curler. You can also take a small section from that length and wrap it around the elastic, disguising the band within your locks. We love the added texture because it creates movement around the face, flattering the mask without clashing as the hair is far away from the mask.

Outward Waves

When done correctly, waves go swimmingly with face-coverings because the tendrils frame the face, giving back the dimension (which the covering tries to steal). But because the mask is so busy on the face, the wrong kind of waves can feel heavy or blundering. To hit the mark, make sure to curl your waves outward, similar to the way Farrah Fawcett used to style her locks. Not only will this keep your hair from bugging you or getting in the way, but it will also complement the mask instead of appearing noisy around the face. Make sure to use a curler with a wide-barrel (to achieve waves rather than bouncy curls) and spritz hairspray lightly to lock the look into place.

Low Pony With Middle Part

If you want to wear your face-covering with a hidden hairstyle, always make sure you have a part. By 'hidden,' we mean a look where your length is invisible when viewed head-on. Imagine a slicked-back bun. It's fabulous on its own but gets lost with the mask. The same goes for the stylish low ponytail. To wear it, pair the pony with a middle-part to maintain simplicity and symmetry while wearing the mask. You can even pull some tendrils from the elastic to add a more complex composition. We suggest using a styler to straighten your strands before tucking them into the elastic.

Accessorized

Turn your mask into a statement piece by matching it to a hair accessory (like a headband or a hat). Typically, a mask looks like an afterthought. But matching it to an accessory by color or fabric will help you seamlessly assimilate your covering into your office outfit. Our favorite combination for this fall is a beige felt fedora paired with a pearly silk mask. When wearing a hat, especially to the office, choose one that is a size too large. This will help you avoid hat-hair should you want to remove it for any reason!