A new fashion phenomenon has arrived from overseas that has people wondering what exactly it is.
The face mask, dubbed a facekini, has migrated from the beaches of China and into the eyes of fashion world.
It looks similar to the kinds of full-face masks someone would find on a lucha libre wrestler or maybe a burglar.
Its use is to protect the face and neck from harmful rays from the sun. This could be the U.S.'s answer to growing skin cancer cases, and the probability that people could see these on the beach next summer is enhanced by its appearance in CR Fashion Book, a biannual fashion magazine created by former Vogue Paris editor-in-chief Carine Roitfeld.
The face masks were shown in a photo shoot called "Masking the Sun" alongside designers such as Michael Kors.
"Our latest summer story represents an opposing to ideal of beauty altogether, with masked poolside models set out to soak up as little sun as possible," read the article.
In two days, the shoot and article has sparked 12 million posts on China's version of Twitter, Weibo.
Some people compared the masks to those of bank robbers. Others have been amused by the "old woman style" that has hit global fashion.
In China, pale skin is considered beautiful, a stark difference from the U.S.'s love of sun-kissed skin. In China, tanned skin means hours of hard labor in the harsh sunlight.
Devices to keep skin pale and light are abundant in China such as a UV blocking sun umbrella that one can attach to bike handles or whitening creams for the skin.
However, in some more Westernized areas of China, tanning salons are popping up and becoming more popular.
As an old Chinese saying goes, "One touch of white disguises 100 kinds of ugliness."
The mask was created by Chinese resident Zhang Shifan who said she created the look to protect herself from jellyfish and the sun.
"I'm so surprised that this mask is so popular," Zhang said.
The masks do seem like a good alternative to people who don't want to have to deal with the hassle of reapplying sunscreen every couple hours.
Maybe, they'll make a superhero version of them, possibly Batman or Spiderman.
