A week in work outfits with FJ’s Branded Content and Features Editor, Maggie Zhou

“My personal style borrows heavily from 19th-century British schoolboys. I love a little vest and a little collared shirt.”

Working in a creative role, it can be difficult to know how to dress for the day. Instead of having a set uniform of crisp white shirts and tailored black pants (as much as I love both), an ever-changing schedule means every morning requires a set of questions. Am I running around, or just sitting at my desk? Do I need to dress specifically for a project? And most importantly, will I be in the background of someone’s TikTok?

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For Fashion Journal’s Branded Content and Features Editor Maggie Zhou, getting dressed to go to the office is “still somewhat of a novelty”. Her work wardrobe is comprised of op shop finds, core essentials and colourful pieces from local labels. In fashion media, it’s important to have versatility in your outfits – which is why Maggie often opts for elevated “19th-century British schoolboy”. Below, she shares a week of work outfits.

Monday

My personal style borrows heavily from 19th-century British schoolboys. I love a little vest and a little collared shirt. Here, I’m wearing a trench coat I scored for $3 at a local market (to this day, one of my best finds), a thrifted vest (which I’m wearing backwards), a thrifted short-sleeve button-up, pants from Nique and loafers from Radical Yes.

We’re in the swing of autumn now so layering is a must. What I like about this outfit is it’s quite put-together (dare I say corporate-passing) while being extremely comfortable. Soft fabrics only, and nothing is tight or restricting.

Tuesday

Working in media, you’re often jetting off to events or catch-ups after work. Putting together an outfit that’s equally appropriate for an early morning commute, a day spent at the office desk and an evening event can prove to be tough (woe is me, etc).

Today I had a fancy opening night for an exhibition after work. Instead of rocking up to the office in a floor-length gown, I donned this satin-like skirt from Find Me Now the Label with this three-quarter-sleeved blue top I got from a local market. What I did wear, from day to night, was this pair of leather boots and this leather jacket (both secondhand). Logistically, I knew I could shove my top and skirt into my work bag without any creases or them taking up too much space.

Wednesday

Getting dressed to go into the office is still somewhat of a novelty for me. It’s a nice excuse to experiment with pieces, old and new. I recently picked out this blue skirt from the op shop and today was its first outing. I paired it with one of my favourite winter staples, this Jillian Boustred mock neck top. Then, I grabbed this Christy Dawn bomber jacket. I’ve had a bit of trouble styling the piece but found it works nicely with an A-line skirt like this or a pair of denim jeans. A fresh, sunny autumn day – my absolute favourite!

Thursday

Vests are truly a core piece in my wardrobe; I can’t get enough of them. Speaking of brown essentials, a new addition to my closet is this incredible E Nolan cotton vest. I’ve been a fan of Emily’s label for yonks now, and when I finally got to visit her Fitzroy showroom, I might’ve shed a literal tear.

Her pieces are so incredibly crafted and thoughtfully designed. I wore the vest with more secondhand pieces; this white T-shirt has been well-loved throughout the years and these pinstripe trousers are a recent purchase from Camberwell Sunday Market.

Friday

This is what you’ll find me in on my working-from-home days. Why wear anything else when you could be wearing a cosy hoodie? As part of its Hoodies4Homelessness campaign, I received one of HoMie’s new hoodies and frankly, I’ve been wearing it non-stop. These bike shorts are from the Swedish brand, Swedish Stockings, and my shoes are from Reebok. My mug is from the office – hot tip, if you’ve forgotten a reusable coffee cup, a mug will do just fine.