What’s happening with mask fashion today? What’s going on in the wide world of masks, now somewhere between four months into wearing them and some unnamed point in future where we won’t have to wear them? Yesterday it was Cher with the lip color in Sephora. Today in mask culture, Shia LaBeouf, whose last name means “the beef” in French, wore a “Biden” mask. Is he an earnest fan of presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden? Is he doing a bit? Does it matter? LaBeouf certainly isn’t in love with current president, Donald J. Trump, what with his own art project, “HEWILLNOTDIVIDE.US,” meant to call out the president’s divisive efforts still in the works. But still, wouldn’t put it past LaBeouf to be wearing the Biden mask ironically, or as a kind of statement beyond a straightforward endorsement. He seems like the type to do a whole triathlon as a joke. Who’s to say! Statistically speaking there’s gotta be one person in this country who will be voting for Joe Biden because of the beef!
Chris Pine, meanwhile, wore a mask to a western store which had the unintended effect of making him look like he was robbing the western store. Although he was wearing a white hat, meaning good guy, and shorts. I can’t explain it but it seems strange that one would rob a store in shorts.
Sometimes over the weekend, too, Daniel Radcliffe wore a seersucker mask. I did not take him for a southern man but here we are. I guess seersucker is a more breathable fabric and I’m not sure that is a good thing. But look at him out there being the dad in The Notebook, mainly on the face.
This is all to say that stars’ masks make them look like they’re playing characters out there in the world. In part, it’s because we’re so used to seeing these guys as characters. In another part, it’s because, despite months of all this, it’s still weird to see anyone, let alone our most famous, in masks. And a possible third part is also maybe because they’re guys. Men’s fashion can be so limited, when they’re expressing themselves face first, it demands a double take. Leonardo DiCaprio was a trailblazer in this respect.
More Great Stories From Vanity Fair
— Did Billionaire Tobacco Heiress Doris Duke Get Away With Murder?
— The Porn Industry’s Biggest Scandal—And Mystery
— After a Year in Hiding, Ghislaine Maxwell Finally Faces Justice
— Inside the Other Harry and Meghan Book by Longtime Royal Irritant Lady Colin Campbell
— From Tyga to Charli D’Amelio, TikTok Stars Are Having a Blast (at Home)
— The 21 Best Books for Tolerating 2020 (So Far)
— From the Archive: The Mystery of Doris Duke’s Final Years
Looking for more? Sign up for our daily newsletter and never miss a story.