Sweatpants manufacturers must be losing their minds during the pandemic. If most consumers are anything like me, remote work-from-home lifestyles have all but ended the need for business casual wear or anything nicer. Forget a suit and tie. While this change in attire is undoubtedly easy to get used to, old basketball shorts and holey jumpers don't exactly scream high fashion. Indeed, there are still some days when I feel nostalgic over dressing up, say, for a Saturday night out.

I’m clearly not alone. During the pandemic, several brands continue adding to their catalogues. In many cases in Japan, these additions are inspired by pop-culture animation icons, sometimes with an unexpected twist thrown in. Horror master Junji Ito saw his distinctive horror art style hit the shelves as R4G adopted it to a fashion line. Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon's X-girl brand also released a line of Ghost in the Shell shirts, and Endo Luggage gave Mickey Mouse a kabuki-theater-inspired makeover. More recently, however, San Francisco based Original Stitch introduced a line of Pokemon masks to match their cstomizable Pokemon shirt selection illustrated by artist Inori Kito.

Pokemon Masks

Original Inc. recently announced that it is taking a cue from Jill Biden.

It will begin offering masks with Pokemon patterns to customers, accentingh their line of custom designed and professionally tailored Pokemon shirts. With 151 patterns available, the masks feature characters from the Red and Green games of the Pokemon franchise. According to a press release, the move not only aims to please die-hard fans but also to make good use of unused fabric in the fight to stop coronavirus transmission.

As you can see, these personalized masks are pretty stylish and can be worn by any family member.

The masks are designed to be comfortable as well. While the surface design is one of 151 available patterns, the mask's inner side is made from light and breathable material. It is also customizable, available in four different colors.

The masks began retailing late in October. They are priced at 1800 JPY ($17) and can be ordered in small and medium sizes.

Of course, Original Inc. has even a wider variety of shirt designs available for fans. The company's Pokemon shirt line includes original shirts made to order and cut from 251 designs. Shirt patterns included characters from the Red and Green series and the Gold and Silver game version as well. Anyone interested can order or find more information on the company’s website here.