Abstract: A personal protective respirator comprising a facepiece housing configured to cover the nose and mouth and conform to a face of an intended wearer along a perimeter of the facepiece housing and at least two straps, wherein the facepiece housing and the straps consist of a knitted material and the facepiece housing conforms to the face of the intended wearer such that sufficient fit is achieved to attain a fit factor of at least 100 on the intended wearer according to OSHA fit testing procedures. Also, a personal protective respirator comprising a face portion configured to cover a nose and mouth of an intended wearer and to conform to a face of the intended wearer and at least four straps, wherein the mask meets NIOSH requirements for N95 respirator performance and maintains this level of performance after being washed. Finally, a method for making the noted personal protective respirators.