The little black dress is still the epitome of fashion in sophisticated circles. Is that why black masks have become  popular during this pandemic?  Mike Pence  and Joe Biden both wear them.  Black seems to be the “in” color for politicians’ masks in Washington DC.  But I think they’re making a mistake.  Black masks actually look scary and unclean.

Scary?  You bet.  There’s something ominous and frightening about black masks.  They remind me of Muslim Women who are forced to wear hijabs and cover their faces.  The most common monastic color is black. It symbolizes repentance and simplicity.  By wearing black, monks and nuns are trying to suppress the calls of the flesh. Sounds a little dreary and sexless, to me.

Black has also been a sign of mourning ever since the middle ages. Over the centuries, its been associated with death, evil, and violence.   Maybe that’s why it’s the popular color for masks during the covid-19 crisis.  But it’s also sinister and pessimistic.  Why not a brightly colored or flowered mask, to suggest optimism, and perhaps a light at the end of the tunnel?

On the other hand  color psychologist say  that a preference for the color black indicates prestige and power; someone who wears black takes themselves seriously. I suppose they think black masks are simply more dignified.

There’s a reason why hospital employees and health care workers wear light colored scrubs and masks.  It’s because they look clean.    If  a black cloth mask is  soiled,   you can’t tell by looking. If  doesn’t really matter if a mask is dirty, because it still keeps the wearer’s infectious coughs and sneezes from spreading through the air. On the other hand,  it could infect the owner, or anyone in his household.  A child who picks up a dirty mask to play with could be at risk for catching a disease.

Maybe men prefer black because they think it looks more masculine.  But  to me, black masks look scary and unsanitary.