Masking Up for the New School Year

By JENNIKA INGRAM | Reporter

Now that face coverings are an essential item to take along when heading out the door throughout the state of California, parents are having to figure out what masks their children should use and are willing to wear.

With ample options available, masks can also be used as a way for children and teenagers to express themselves—whether it’s a sequined face covering, a nod to a favorite video game or one of many, many other choices.

Palisadian parents are seeking out face coverings for their family that are both functional and comfortable.

City Threads is a local children’s clothing company that switched gears to mask making at the start of the pandemic. Options come in different sizes that are 100% cotton, with a variety of 20 different colors. There’s even an option to buy organic cotton in white.

“We’ve always focused on being comfortable,” Shayna Samuels, who co-owns City Threads with her husband, Joe Willis, shared with the Post.

As a mother of three children ages 3 to 14, Samuels is well aware that kids can be picky about how their clothing fits, and if it’s itchy, scratchy or uncomfortable, they are not going to wear it.

City Threads masks are designed to be both breathable and form fitting, so they don’t have the tendency to fall below the nose.

“Ours are snug fitting because you don’t want it too loose around the side,” Samuels explained. “With some of the surgical ones, the air goes out unfiltered and particulates can go into the air, so you want it form fitting around the face.”

City Threads offers a variety of color options, so kids can pick their favorite and wear it.

“With my children, they will wear these masks,” Samuels said, adding that sometimes masks need to be worn for hours. “At the end of the day, everybody is going to be trying different masks but most people are going to go back to the ones that are comfortable, that stay on the nose and that fit properly.”

If you’re looking to rep some Palisades Charter High School pride, the Quarterback Club is offering a selection of Pali-themed masks on its website, phsqcmaskstore.itemorder.com/sale.

“Here is your opportunity to stay safe and show your support of the Pali HS Quarterback Club with a custom branded mask,” the club’s website reads. “They are reusable, breathable and we have received an incredibly positive response on their quality with many re-orders.”

Masks are available to purchase through August 19 at 11:59 p.m.

Other local shops that are offering a wide array of styles and designs of masks for kids and adults are Denise Carolyn and BOCA at their retail spaces in the heart of the Village. BOCA is also offering mask sales online via the store’s website.

Some parents are taking mask making into their own hands: “The only thing for me is—I made masks—because I wanted to make sure they are the right size for their face,” parent Kari Weaver, a local business owner and mother of three children ages 11 to 15, shared with the Post.

Face coverings quickly have become part of our daily lives—whether it is (eventually) going back to school campuses or spending time outdoors, masks are a mandatory part of statewide orders, so they might as well be as comfortable and functional as possible for everyone, while showing off individual style.