A week in (pre-loved) work outfits with freelance fashion writer and creative producer, Ella Taverner

“Orange is my favourite colour, so naturally I decided to inject a little more life into my outfit today by channelling some kind of spicy capsicum dip.”

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?

This week, freelance fashion writer and creative producer Ella Taverner takes us through a week in pre-loved work outfits. An avid pre-loved fashion lover, Ella has found many of her favourite pieces on eBay.

Home to an abundance of pre-loved designer, eye-catching vintage and secondhand high street pieces, eBay is very much a hidden secret between fashion people (like Ella) for both sourcing new pieces and selling the ones we’re no longer reaching for. Below, she shares the pre-loved outfits she wore across her work week.

Monday

As a freelance writer and producer, my schedule can look pretty different from week to week. Some weeks I might be working from home every day, getting on top of admin and writing projects, whereas others I’ll be racing around town in preparation for a shoot. 

I like to start off my Mondays at home and ease into the week. Today I balanced a few client meetings with some copywriting and pre-production work for an upcoming shoot I have later this week with Fashion Journal and eBay. I opted for these amazingly comfy Issey Miyake pants that I picked up at a garage sale a few years ago which are the perfect working-from-home bottoms. It was unusually warm today, so I threw on my favourite vintage Mary Janes, paired with this Toga Archives ribbed tank I bought in Japan back in 2019. Not pictured is the braided Ganni bag I brought to a client meeting later in the day. 

Tuesday

As a producer, the days leading up to shoots can be pretty busy. Today I spent a lot of time driving around collecting props for the upcoming shoot. I started the day working from one of my favourite local cafes with a coffee and croissant. I find changing up my working setup helps with my productivity, so I try and get down here for a few hours a week to get things done.

I chose to keep it pretty simple today, styling a vintage silver slip dress with my mum’s old merino knit vest top. This is an outfit combo I reach for pretty often given its versatility and neutral colour palette. Shoe-wise, I threw on my very well-loved Steve Madden loafers that I picked up from a consignment store last year. My work bag is from Baggu and was a stellar find from a Warrnambool op shop last December.

Wednesday

I’m on set today with the lovely Fashion Journal and eBay teams, helping produce their Pre-Loved vertical. I knew I’d be on my feet for most of the day, so turned to my secondhand Asics Gel-Kayano 14s (sourced on eBay!) in this gorgey rust colour which seems to go with nearly everything. 

Orange is my favourite colour so naturally, I decided to inject a little more life into my outfit today by channelling some kind of spicy capsicum dip. These pants are a recent pre-loved find from local Melbourne label Kloke, and the jumper was very kindly hand-knitted by my partner’s mum using recycled yarn. The cherry on top was a pair of pre-loved Poppy Lissiman sunnies, gifted to me by one of the FJ girls. They came in very handy today, given much of the day was spent moving from studio to shooting on location outdoors. 

Thursday

Today was the second and final day of the shoot, where we were moving between the studio and various locations, so I needed a cosy layer that I could easily remove for the day. I’m wearing these Silk Laundry pants that I bought from eBay last year. They have an elastic waistband which makes them super comfy to wear for busy working days. I’ve paired them with some old Alias Mae boots, topped off with my housemate’s Camilla and Marc tank and a secondhand cardi.

Friday

Today I had a busy day of meetings and a coffee catch-up with a client. This Issey Miyake top actually belongs to FJ contributor Cait, who kindly let me borrow it. It’s super comfy and surprisingly warm. The By Far bag is also borrowed, this time from my housemate who often lets me borrow from her wardrobe. I threw on these great Acne Studios jeans I purchased from a vintage retailer a few years back and paired them with my Mary Janes again. I definitely feel most confident and myself in a great pair of pants, so finding jeans that are both chic and comfortable to work in is such a win. 

To begin browsing, buying and selling better, head to eBay.