This past Saturday Drink up Grinches its Christmas shirt. Aurora James, the founder of sustainable accessories brand Brother Vellies, was sitting on her porch and talking to a friend on the phone about the George Floyd protests sweeping through U.S. cities. The conversation quickly turned to more pragmatic ways in which the fashion industry could be of service, beyond the Black Lives Matter statements that were beginning to hit Instagram feeds.

Drink up Grinches its Christmas shirt, hoodie, sweater, longsleeve and ladies t-shirt

(Guys Tees)

(Ladies Tees)

(Longsleeve Tees)

(Sweatshirt)

(Hoodie)

Liana Satenstein: I like the idea of small labels and individuals but when masks are priced so high by a large clothing company? And who knows where they are made. Chioma Nnad Drink up Grinches its Christmas shirt. Same, I’m glad that young designers got a head start on this. And I’m only buying from small, local mask makers. Emily Farra, senior fashion news writer: I think a lot of the hesitation definitely stems from the inconsistent narrative around masks. Less than two months ago, the CDC literally told us not to wear one at all—not because it wouldn’t help, but because they knew the hospitals were going to run out. And the fact that so many people don’t have access to masks at all makes me feel uneasy about “fashion masks.” Hospitals in NYC seem to be better equipped now, but other front line workers—at grocery stores, pharmacies, taxi drivers, etc—do not have access to masks. and i’ve heard there are major shortages at nursing homes. Steff Yotka, fashion news and emerging platforms editor: To go back to Sarah’s point about unease about fashion mask-making: I think it’s important to be able to make an aesthetic choice about what your mask looks like, especially now that it seems like we will be wearing them for a long time. But masks becoming a status symbol is tricky territory to me—we’re wearing them for our health. Not to flex.

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