Matthew Kaner and Leilani Shimoda want people to sip and zip the next time they eat and drink in public. Their new zippered mask is easily the most 2020 holiday wine gift idea out there.
Kaner, the co-owner of Bar Covell in Los Angeles, and Shimoda, a fashion designer, are the creative forces behind the Sip Shield. Their innovative mask idea, courtesy of a hidden zipper, adds convenience and safety to wining and dining in public.
When not drinking or eating, the Sip Shield’s zipper remains closed. When you are ready for a pinot noir and a crab puff, simply grab the Sip Shield’s small metal clasp to unzip, sip and nibble. With Gov. Kate Brown allowing some Oregon venues to begin serving customers again, the Sip Shield makes for a timely, conversation-provoking gift.
The zipper idea came to Kaner as he watched people struggle with their masks while eating and drinking at his wine bar. When servers approached them or when other patrons walked by their table, they would scramble to find their masks and put them back on.
“Many of them looked awkward and uncomfortable,” Kaner said in a telephone interview.
Kaner contacted a friend, Shimoda, to help him make his mask with a zipper idea a reality.
The Sip Shield is available in two sizes, small-medium and medium-large, and three colors. The blue and gray Sip Shields are made with a cotton plain-weave fabric known as chambray. The more formal looking black-colored Sip Shield is made of linen.
The zippered masks are made by hand from “deadstock” fabrics that fashion houses no longer find useful. Recycling deadstock is both economical and environmentally beneficial. Recycling keeps these unwanted fabrics out of landfills. It also lowers the fashion industry’s carbon footprint by eliminating the need to produce textiles for a new product.
The Sip Shield has a nose bridge and easily adjusts for a snug fit. The chambray and linen material is thicker and sturdier than the cotton face masks I’ve been using. I also appreciate that when closed, the zipper is nearly undetectable. The only downside is looking like Ms. Pac-Man when you’re unzipped.
In addition to being able to zip and unzip quickly, the Sip Shield never has to be taken off, placed on a surface, in a purse, or pulled down over the neck when it’s time to eat and drink. That’s helpful when trying to minimize contact with the coronavirus.
I’ve also discovered the Sip Shield is useful on walks and hikes. As long as other people aren’t nearby, I breathe fresh air through my unzipped mask. The minute someone wants to pass me at close quarters, I zip up. The Sip Shield’s material may, however, be too thick for a runner to use comfortably. Kaner says he’s working with Shimoda to develop a lighter-weight version of the Sip Shield for more strenuous workouts.
The Sip Shield debuted on Nov. 23. Kaner says the response has been strong so far, with a few exceptions.
“A couple of haters on social media called it a stupid idea that won’t work, but I’m not really sure they understand that the mask zips up and doesn’t always have that big gap,” Kaner said.
The Sip Shield sells individually for $26. Three-color value packs are available for $60.
The Sip Shield, thesipshield.com or hello@thesipshield.com.
-- Michael Alberty writes about wine for The Oregonian/OregonLive. He can be reached at malberty0@gmail.com. To read more of his coverage, go to oregonlive.com/wine.
December 02, 2020 at 01:00AM
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Tell the wine lover in your life to ‘zip it’ this holiday season - OregonLive
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