"We didn't follow the baggy trackie trend and sweater ... it was about the seamless legging," she says. "Our customer is a little 'sexier' in what she wears."

Indeed, the pandemic has unearthed tracksuits in every style and at every price point, from cult Kmart finds to high fashion.

But what is clear both from social media, celebrity photos (at least those who have been snapped venturing out to the supermarket or dog park during COVID-19) and sales data is that the matching set has become something of a pandemic status symbol. It's the difference between throwing on your trackie dacks and actually getting dressed – or what passes for it these days.

Australian activewear retailer Stylerunner says demand for matching tracksuits peaked in April. Since the start of the pandemic, it has sold 10,000 sets, driven by brands including Rozalia x Atoir, P.E Nation, Nike and Camilla and Marc.

Celebrities who have swapped their red carpet best for coordinated sweats include Victoria Beckham, Kendall and Kylie Jenner and their half-sister, Kim Kardashian West. Locally, author and beauty entrepreneur Zoe Foster Blake has posted photos of herself wearing a burnt orange set by cult Italian brand Pangaia and a tie-dye tracksuit by sustainable label Reformation.

Personal stylist Penelope Cadzow says famous models including the Hadid sisters, Gigi and Bella, have been sporting matching leisurewear since 2018. Soon after, people started "wearing it to fashion weeks, after parties", she says.

"Where it’s got to now, we’re in isolation, it’s the comfort, it’s stepping up from the sweats you wear to the gym to the tracksuit you wear out of the house – 'cool casual' I call it."

Although major Australian brands such as Camilla and Marc and P.E Nation have pushed matching sweats into the high-fashion arena, with the price point to match, smaller brands, such as Melbourne-based Sister Studios, have also jumped on the tracksuit train.

Co-founder Emma Coutri says the brand's first foray into the trend goes live this weekend but may be short-lived while textile manufacturing remains paused under stage four.

"It's definitely not anything we thought we would ever go into," Coutri says. "Everyone was asking if we were going to do trackies. We just listened to our customer and went with that."

Launching this weekend with lilac, mustard and blue – "Black or navy you can get from Bonds or somewhere," says Coutri – the sets were made near their Brunswick base and will cost about $150.

While Coutri is sure some customers will prefer contrasting colours, Cadzow remains firm that coordination is where it's at. "Buy from the same brand, buy the same set, the same colour. Avoid black, navy or charcoal – all the lighter colours are coming in, the ivory, taupe, camel, soft pink and powder blue."