Coronavirus: Hilary Barry's 'Formal Friday' hashtag inspires people to dress up during lockdown

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Hilary Barry's hashtag “formal friday” has gone viral after encouraging people to dress smartly while working from home during the coronavirus lockdown.

The New Zealand TV personality took to Instagram to share an image of herself in a formal gold ball dress while working from home using the hashtag #formalfriday.

“Working from home? How about making a bloody effort on today’s video call instead of sitting there in your pj’s,” she wrote in a caption accompanying the post.

Ms Barry, 50, continued the trend by uploading a second post in which she donned a sparkly gown complete with a tiara, New Zealand Herald reported.

“In case you missed it it’s #formalfriday – tiaras optional,” Ms Barry captioned the second post shared with her 83,000 Instagram followers.

Sharing the post on Twitter, Ms Barry asked her fans: “Too much?”

But it appears that her fans can’t get enough. “Not enough!” fellow TVNZ host Matty McLean replied.

Another fan wrote: “Only a true legend can pull off sequins, a crown and cleavage all in one ensemble.”

The presenter later went live on Facebook in her glitzy attire to share tips on baking scones with her followers.

Earlier this week New Zealand Prime Minister Jucinda Ardern thanked the nation for adjusting to the “new normal” of Covid-19.

As of Friday afternoon, the number of people infected with the illness in New Zealand stood at 368, with no deaths recorded.

Announcing New Zealand’s lockdown, Ms Ardern said: “We will not hesitate to use our enforcement powers if needed.”