FAQs

Mask Fit || Which fastener feature is right for me? Ear loops? Head-neck loops? Fabric ties?

Considerable thought and care went into our product design and development process built on the research of Jack’s sister Athena who was focused on creating fabric masks with their mom for the community after the California wildfires three years ago. Here are our conclusions on fastener styles:

Ear loops are most popular because it’s easy and quick to put on your mask. It may be the best choice for you if you have to put on/off your mask quickly and frequently throughout the day. What’s the downside? Truth be told, you may feel like you have Dumbo ears depending on your hairstyle, especially if you have a fuller face or a larger head and the elastic tugs on your ears (we have to keep it real).

If you have a petite face or a smaller head, the mask may be too loose. For a quick fix to tighten fit, please tie a knot on the elastic loops at the bottom below the ear. We can also add soft silicone elastic adjusters to any mask at checkout at your request. You may also want to consider the next two options for a more flexible fit.

Head-neck loops accomodate a wider range of head/face sizes and may be ideal for you, if you want to balance comfort, with ease and speed of putting on/off your mask. While head-neck loop masks take longer to put on than ear loop masks do (but less than fabric ties do), fit and comfort aren’t dependent on where your ears are located on your head. We recommend head-neck loops for those wearing hearing aids and children with sensory issues. What’s the downside? If you wear face make-up, you’ll have to take more care as you put on/off your mask.

Fabric ties accommodate the widest range of head/face sizes for a snug custom fit. What’s the downside? It takes time to put on, so if you have to put on/off your mask quickly and frequently through the day, it may not work for you. Our fabric tie masks are finished with high quality straps made with fabric on the bias with some give to them, so that they stay on your head as you move about throughout the day. Most fabric masks with ties are not made this way.

Please try your best to balance safety and comfort so that you are not tempted to fidget with your mask in unsafe situations which defeats the purpose of wearing a mask.

Our Goal: You love your mask and wear it without thinking about it, like you would a great hat.

Stay safe and love your community!

Mask Fit || Which size is right for me? Petite? XL?

The feedback we received through an anonymous survey from our initial customers (first 300 masks sold) was as follows: 86.4% of customers rated mask fit as Excellent (52.3%) or Good (34.1%). To address the needs of the 13.6% of customers that rated fit below Good, we expanded our size offering to include Petites and XL. For adults with petite heads (wear smaller hats), we recommend our standard Adult masks fitted with silicone elastic adjusters (please request at checkout). For adults with petite faces (youth size), we recommend our Petite size which not only has shorter elastic loops, but also less fabric. For adults with a larger head or face, we recommend our XL masks which are shipped with elastic adjuster already added.

Custom Features to Specify at Checkout || Can you make my mask with silk fabric? Nose wires? Filter pockets?

While we prefer and recommend 100% cotton fabric masks for its durability, breathability, and comfort, we offer substituting one side of the mask with 100% silk fabric for most of our masks. Please specify at checkout this preference, but keep in mind that we are in no way qualified to attest to any anti-microbial properties of silk. We don’t offer or recommend silk fabric on both sides of the mask due to concerns of durability and breathability—we have to be honest!

You can also specify at checkout that you wish to add a nose-wire to any mask. Adding the nose-wire will enable a snugger fit across the top of your mask, but will reduce significantly the level of breathability and comfort (again, we need to be honest!)

Please allow up to seven (7) days to make your mask to order, and keep in mind that masks made with silk or with nose wires need to be hand-washed and air-dried to keep their shape.

Because we already use silk and cotton fabrics with a much tighter weave than those used to make most face masks, we do not offer masks with filter pockets at this time. Having said that, we can make any mask-to-order, as we already do for schools and companies that need specific colors or fabric weights such as feather-weight masks with green loops (3 shades) for landscapers and gardeners who are working in the sun all day. Please make a wish to team@3guyswhocare.com.

While we are keeping it real, please note that if you need a mask with filter pockets and nose wires—i.e. you have a compromised immune system or are in a vulnerable age group—you may want to wear a medical grade mask instead, as uncomfortable and unattractive as they may be.

We’ve observed that compared to those wearing our standard fabric masks, those wearing masks with filters and nose wires tend to fidget with their masks more due to issues with breathability, which defeats the purpose of wearing a mask. Masks with filter pockets and nose wires also seem to fail to provide some of the basic benefits of fabric face masks, mainly reusability—the nose wires and constant insertion and removal of filters greatly reduces the life of a fabric mask—and portability, the convenience of sticking your mask in your pocket without worrying about mangling it.

We are focused on creating beautiful masks for those who feel healthy, but want to protect their community in case they are unknowingly an asymptomatic carrier of disease. If you don’t feel healthy, please stay home or see a medical professional.

We are learning and improving every day. Thanks for your support!

Is there a right or wrong way to wear your masks?

While our masks are reversible (two-masks-in-one) and can be worn on either side, the pleats on the sides should point down, not up, to avoid any debris getting caught in the folds.

We made the decision early not to make masks of the popular Dr Olson design with an obvious right side up, even though fabrication would have been dramatically easier and faster, because we found that our design provided not only more comfort in fit and better aesthetics (less Grinch-like with a snout), but also was more inclusive in fit since the Dr Olson mask design was tailored for Caucasian facial features.

Why don’t you offer masks in white?

We never want anyone to confuse one of our masks for a medical grade mask. While we take quality very seriously (e.g. all of our masks are double ply—two layers of 100% cotton or silk where usually one layer is at a minimum 300 thread count which is 2.5x the quilting standard for muslin), we are not qualified to make any medical or healthcare claims.

Why don’t you take fabric or elastic donations?

While we are grateful for your support, we are extremely careful about the source and quality of all of our input materials. We source local and organic whenever possible (e.g. California cotton grown in the San Joaquin Valley) and have avoided the inferior elastic quality prevalent during the current shortage.

While we are on the topic of Gen Z Values, we also avoid single-use plastics—our masks are packaged in reusable, unbleached cotton bags—and deeply appreciate the gifts of Mother Nature. Yes, your mask will arrive wrinkled but beautiful — as 100% cotton fabric should be, naturally.

All of our masks are made with love and pride in America. We’re just kids, but wonder how so many Americans complain about jobs lost in America, but buy goods made in sweatshops in other parts of the World.

B u y A m e r i c a n P l e a s e !

Where do you make your masks?

All our our masks are made with love and pride in America. Stay safe and love your community!