The pre-loved outfits the FJ team wore to the office this week

Perfectly pre-loved.

When you work in the fashion industry, the desire to add to your wardrobe can feel all-consuming. At FJ, not a day goes by where we’re not sartorially tempted, whether that’s through publishing a profile on a new label, updating our Sales section or watching envy-inducing outfit videos on TikTok.

But being a publication that promotes a more considered approach to fashion consumption, we try our best to be thoughtful about our purchases. Some of us even implement a ‘one in, one out’ rule, where we have to list pieces we no longer wear online before we can usher something new into the fold.

For more pre-loved fashion style, advice and stories, head to our Pre-Loved section.

When we have a piece we want to list – or if we’re fixated on a particular item from a label we love – our first port of call has become eBay. With millions of users across Australia, we know our items are much more likely to sell, which means we can put the proceeds towards that new designer bag we’ve been hankering after. It’s circular fashion in action, and it means our wardrobes never become overstuffed with pieces we don’t wear.

Despite our differing styles and approaches to curating our wardrobes, we’re each drawn to pre-loved fashion, whether we find our pieces from scouring eBay, borrowing from a friend or rummaging around in an op shop. Below, our team shares their favourite pre-loved outfits they wore to the office this week.

Giulia Brugliera, Fashion Journal’s Managing Editor

It wasn’t until earlier this year that I really began to embrace pre-loved fashion and look to resale platforms before buying brand new. My hours spent scrolling eBay have now marked a positive shift in my shopping habits and I’m proud. Unlike most of my industry peers, I’ve never loved op shopping, so pre-loved fashion was never really front of mind for me. I found it overwhelming at first, with so much to browse, but I soon learnt to search specifically for the designers and styles I love most.

It’s how I found this Isabella knit from Frisson Knits, a piece I’d long been eyeing from the New Zealand label. I’ve paired it with my pre-loved Country Road riding boots and a vintage Sussan slip dress, cut on the bias, that was Mum’s from the ’90s. With the exception of Mum’s dress, all pieces are new to me, bought with money I made last year from selling pieces in my wardrobe that I just wasn’t wearing enough. I love this circular approach to shopping, it’s meant much of my wardrobe now is effectively free!

Izzy Wight, Fashion Journal contributor

This skirt was one of those serendipitous online finds. I was looking for something exactly like it for winter and it appeared on page four of my eBay scroll, in my size and perfect condition. That satisfaction is one of the reasons I love the pre-loved fashion hunt. Here I’ve styled it with a hand-me-down silk shirt from my mum, a secondhand black sweater and Tabi Mary Jane shoes.

Molly Griffin, Fashion Journal’s Advertising and Partnerships Manager

‘A basic outfit that’s all one colour is an elevated outfit’ I whispered to myself as I struggled to find inspiration when I got dressed this morning. Cosy and comfortable was the brief for one of the coldest mornings I’ve experienced for a while. My Uniqlo jumper is an eBay find that remains soft and lovely no matter how many times I wash it and my pants were my friends that I borrowed once and she politely never asked for them back.

Cait Emma Burke, Fashion Journal’s Editor

I’ve been an avid op shopper for the majority of my life and spent a lot of my twenties working in vintage and consignment stores, which means the vast majority of my wardrobe is pre-loved. Whether it’s bought from eBay, sourced from an op shop or vintage store, or borrowed from a friend, the thrill of giving a second life to a piece never gets old. When it comes to my wardrobe, I have a fairly strict ‘one in, one out’ rule, so if I want something new, I need to pay for it by selling something I currently own that’s not getting enough wear.

I’ve been fixated on owning one of Sydney designer Alix Higgins’ lycra long sleeves for several years now, so when I found this one on eBay I knew it was meant to be (I’d also recently made a nice chunk of change from selling some designer bags that were collecting dust in my wardrobe, so it was a no-brainer). I’ve paired it with an op shop skirt (it’s actually a maternity skirt, which means it’s super stretchy and comfy, which we love), pants I bought off a friend and pre-loved Nicole Saldana Mary Janes.

Georgina Woolcock, Fashion Journal’s Partnerships and Campaign Executive

When we were first given the assignment to wear entirely pre-loved this week, I thought I’d struggle. I’ve never been as big of a fan of thrifting as some other FJ team members, so I was surprised when I took inventory of my wardrobe and discovered just how many pre-loved pieces I’ve collected over the years. Today I went for a jumper I picked up on a whim at Value Village, Canada’s version of Savers, on a random weeknight with my best friend when we were teenagers in desperate need of a study break to cure our boredom.

Underneath I’m wearing a black minidress I purchased pre-loved online and multiple long-sleeve thermals from my mum’s wardrobe to compensate for having bare legs in the middle of winter. I’m also wearing this faux leather jacket that I’ve had for years (a heads up, you’ll see it in all of this week’s outfits). Regardless of how cold it is, I love pairing minis with my most prized pre-loved possession – my vintage Texan cowboy boots.

Izzy Wight, Fashion Journal contributor

I realised during this pre-loved challenge that so much of my wardrobe is made up of thrifted gems, hand-me-downs and secondhand pieces found while trawling eBay. Of all the pleated skirts in my collection (there are many, see above), this kilt might be my favourite. Despite a conscious effort to introduce more colour into my wardrobe, I seem to always lean towards black. When I fall back on my safe ‘base outfit’ of a black turtleneck, tights and boots, this skirt is an easy pop of colour. As my grandma always says, plaid and cheetah print are neutrals.

Molly Griffin, Fashion Journal’s Advertising and Partnerships Manager

Despite being an inner north Melbourne girl, I have never been a good thrifter. I don’t have the patience to sift through racks to find my perfect item, so I thank god for eBay where I can scroll and scroll to my heart’s content without being stared down by competitive op shoppers.

I have been looking for an oversized leather jacket for years, something that I can throw on over jeans to make an outfit look a bit cooler and more elevated. I found this vintage leather jacket for an absolute steal. I’ve paired it with a very comfy, long-sleeve black dress that my sister got a lot of wear out of, then handed down to me!

Cait Emma Burke, Fashion Journal’s Editor

Layering is everything to me; I love how it so easily elevates a low-key casual outfit like this. The Levi’s jacket is the star of the show here – I believe it’s from the late ’90s or early 2000s, and the stitching, wash and fit are honestly just chef’s kiss. I picked it up from a consignment store I worked at many moons ago, which is also where I got this ’70s-style, navy fitted turtleneck.

The coat is an eBay find – it’s a Jil Sander design – and the faded black pants and lemon yellow sneakers are from an op shop in South Korea. These pieces, particularly this year, have been ones I reach for time and time again and I like how many special memories are attached to them.

Giulia Brugliera, Fashion Journal’s Managing Editor

Today was a particularly freezing day in Melbourne, so I think no one in the office was surprised when I once again arrived to work in this pre-loved houndstooth coat from Zimmermann. It’s worn in high rotation every winter as it’s basically a blanket with sleeves. I’m not sure what year it was released, but I remember first seeing it on a Fashion Journal intern almost 10 years ago who worked for the retailer. I then searched eBay at a chaotic frequency until I found it online secondhand for a steal and bought it. I’ve since sold other coats online to make space (and money) for new pieces in my wardrobe, but don’t think I could ever part with this one.

I’m not afraid of outfit repeating, and I figured no one would notice so I layered my pre-loved Frisson Knit, pre-loved Country Road boots and yes, Mum’s slip dress underneath.

Georgina Woolcock, Fashion Journal’s Partnerships and Campaign Executive

If you know anything about the FJ team, you’d know we’re all big fans of an outfit repeat. Having a ‘uniform’ of sorts to wear to the office not only helps to solidify your personal style but also makes it so much easier to get dressed in the morning. By the time it gets to the end of the week, I’m usually feeling a bit uninspired in my wardrobe and gravitate towards outfits I’ve worn and loved over and over.

Today I borrowed an old cardigan of my mum’s, because borrowing is promoting pre-loved too, and the same leather jacket. The jeans I’ve had for so long I can’t remember where they’re from.

eBay is not endorsed by or affiliated with any of the brands referenced in this article.

To make space in your wardrobe and start searching for your next pre-loved find, head to eBay.