Analyzing the Influence of Face Masks on Fashion Product Selection Criteria -An Exploratory Study Focusing on Korean Women in Their Twenties and Thirties

ABSTRACT

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused a recession in the fashion industry. Therefore, this study aims to assess the influence of face masks on the selection of fashion products by Korean women in their twenties and thirties. This is highly relevant as the mandatory donning of face masks becomes a social norm. To this end, an in-depth interview and a survey were conducted. The results indicate that wearing a face mask affects consumers' fashion selection criteria in regard to styles, materials, colors, and types. Face masks have gradually contributed to the unification and simplification of fashion styles due to the atmosphere and wearing of the mask itself, which has led to a decline in the overall interest in fashion. Most consumers in this study felt a dis-connect between face masks and fashion products, since the former have not been established within most fashion styles. Consequently, consumers had difficulty naturally aligning face masks with various fashion styles, which eventually led to a decreased interest in fashion. This study is significant in that it provides objective data that can be utilized to establish strategies in the fashion industry regarding the integration of face masks © 2022. The Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles. All rights reserved.