Then coronavirus hit,and it seemed all at once,the nation wanted to slide into trackies and hide under the proverbial doona. Instead of being first to market,the range was held up in transit and only launched in late July.
But with Melbourne now in harsh stage four restrictions and other states on a knife edge,Bartel says the delay may have been a blessing as people grew tired with their initial iso-purchases. Most of the styles,which cost between $79 and $250,sold out in the first 24 hours.
"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.