Decorative surgical masks make a fashion statement in Asia

Lay Lida studies Hamlet while learning English as a second language in Kampong Thom province. Style-conscious teenagers such as Lida, who sometimes opts for pink face masks because of their femininity, have helped spur a new trend Cambodia, a nation of about 15 million people. (Photo: Terry McCoy For the Tribune-Review)

Monday, February 15, 2010
By Terry McCoy
FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW

KAMPONG THOM PROVINCE, Cambodia — Lay Lida stares into the mirror, studying details discernible only to a teenage girl.

The 17-year-old's ensemble must be perfect. She's meeting friends later. There could be boys. But her outfit is missing a key component: The right surgical mask.

Glancing past the blue masks in her parents' shop here, she chooses a pink one. It just feels like a pink sort of day, she says.

"Masks make me more beautiful," she says later. "They make me look good."

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