Hilary Barry wore a two-piece suit with her late father's bow tie, her son's shirt and a poppy pinned to her lapel. Photo / Twitter
Hilary Barry wore a two-piece suit with her late father's bow tie, her son's shirt and a poppy pinned to her lapel. Photo / Twitter
Hilary Barry, the woman who singlehandedly kept New Zealanders from slumping on the sofa in their pyjamas in lockdown, has marked the final "Formal Friday" of lockdown with in a stunning tuxedo.
"The #formalfriday movement really has filled my heart during the lockdown," she wrote on Twitter today.
"Thanks forthe giggles and the effort and the absolute nuts of it all. It's one part of this crazy time that I will remember very fondly."
Barry posted a photo of herself wearing a tiara, heels and a perfectly fitted tuxedo. She completed the outfit with a poppy on her lapel to mark Anzac Day.
Posting the same photo to her Instagram account, the TV presenter added a couple of extra details that made her outfit all the more special: the bow tie belonged to her late father and the shirt belongs to her son.
Across social media, New Zealanders thanked Barry for getting them out of their trackpants and applauded her decision to end Formal Friday with a gender non-binary look.
I love this. I’ve always wanted a lady tuxedo. Great work on making #formalfriday happen here and giving everyone something to smile about. 💖
That is one AMAZING suit! Thanks for encouraging us all to get out of our trackpants and glam up for the day - it is a highlight of the week and helps us at least remember what day of the week it is! pic.twitter.com/zMoMSlHLKz
Hilary, thank you so much. Lockdown has been a rough time, but with each notification I received on social media a smile and some giggles was always given, received and welcomed by us all. You have done New Zealand proud Hilary, Thank you. 👍 ❤️ 🇳🇿 ⚪️ 🔐@SevenSharp@TVNZ
Barry launched the "Formal Friday" trend, which went viral during lockdown, when she posted a photo of herself in a gown while working from home at the start of lockdown.
From then on, thousands of other New Zealanders responded every week with photos of their formal outfits on Fridays.
