Commuting - A fashionable Commuter outfit ?

What makes a fashionable commuter outfit (a look good outfit, that is) ?
Is there such a thing out there or one you can make it up? (usually meaning the outer layer, what's perceived by people out on the roads)

I now some of you don't really care, neither do I, but I can't help think about this sometimes as I get dressed to ride my bike to work. I'm not talking full team racer kits here, or the road racer pro look, etc, please.

Keep in mind that I'm not biased about this. If you are commuting to work, you already have my respect and admiration, kudos to you!

I personally try to dress comfortable and according to the weather, so to me that means usually: hiking pants, find these very versatile and comfortable for both cold and mild weather and a hi-vis neon jacket for safety.

How about you ? What's your take on this?

Corsaire :)

Nothing looks as good as an HHCMF shirt :D.

Street clothes are my commuter clothes. Case clothed.

Nothing looks as good as an HHCMF shirt :D.
+1
Available in hi-viz colors to attract the ladiezzz... ;)

If you must know, in winter I usually go with a yellow and black motocross suite that I originally bought for downhilling. People tend to pull out in front of me less, presumably thinking I'm motorized and thus moving faster. The deception works best with a bright (enough for daytime) headlight and full-face helmet.

I wear the PI Barrier stuff because it works so well. It looks a lot more together and coordinated compared to the typical 'whatever's clean' layers that I typically was throwing together for commutes.

Where I ride, the more together that I look the more respect and cooperation that I get from the other drivers, cyclists and peds. The first time that I road in the Barrier stuff over tights and/or baggies I couldn't believe the difference. It was like the parting of the frikkin Red Sea for me compared to my normal commute. It's weird but it works. I don't know if it makes me look faster, so drivers don't make as many mistakes when sharing the road, or if it just makes it look more like I mean business so they do a better job of working with me at stop signs and intersections. But it works. Whenever I go back to baggies and a t-shirt, I find that I start to disappear from their collective consciousness again.

I notice too that at night when people think I'm a motorcycle they give me a lot more room too. I've had a couple of people roll down their window at lights and tell me as much, or to say that they couldn't believe that somebody was going that fast on a bike.

Most of my getups are not fashionable by any stretch. In winter I ride with tights, a soft shell jacket with hood, booties over my shoes and a road workers yellow reflective saftey jacket.
During the summer I'm probably a little better dressed with a solid yellow or lime jersey and biking shorts.
If I am just running to the store I'll use a yellow elastic strap to keep my pant legs out of the chain.
But hey I'm visible, comfortable and having fun, that all I care about.
Craig

Street clothes are my commuter clothes. Case clothed.

Same here, which means NOT fashionable :o

One of my older cycling jerseys, hi-vis vest over top and cut-off BDUs that are ~10 years old and are so ratty that I won't even use them as a car rag once I'm done with them. If the style you're looking for is paramilitary eclectic, I'm your poster child!

I wear the PI Barrier stuff because it works so well.

Rule, can you post a link to this gear? I'm not familiar with it.

As for me, I wear a hi-viz top and black tights and/or shorts depending on weather (yellow and black spandex, just like Wolverine! ;) ). In rain, a high-viz red soft shell jacket.

Nothing looks as good as an HHCMF shirt :D.

I've heard that others have already received theirs (original order). When will the rest of us be getting ours?

Same here, which means NOT fashionable :o
You mean the stuff in the clearance bin at the Old Navy Discount outlet isn't fashionable?

Same here, which means NOT fashionable :o
What's so fashionable about PI Canyon shorts, knee warmers, Canari hi-viz jersey, PI windbreaker, and mtn bike shoes? That's what I wore this morning. The ride home will be the same minus the knee warmers and windbreaker. Very fashionable!

You mean the stuff in the clearance bin at the Old Navy Discount outlet isn't fashionable?

The only item of Old Navy clothing I own was purchased at a thrift store. Can't beat $1.50 for a pair of jeans :p

When its raining, i wear a cycling specific rainjacket, no way im not looking like a cyclist on or off the bike in that. The long back, bright orange material, and reflective strips mark me as a cyclist.

When its not raining, and still winter, i wear an Ibek neve softshell, if I'm off the bike I dont look like a cyclist. Its very fashionable :) I wear it out to dinner even. But if they look down and see my bootie covered shimano clipless sandals on my feet, well all illusion of fashion is gone :P

I prefer natural fibers: worsted wool slacks, cotton button-down shirt, silk tie. I change shoes at my desk and put on a blazer if I need to meet a client.

(Of course, I have a pretty short and flat commute, and I can only do this until May when it gets way too hot for office clothes. So YMMV.)

If you got a pretty good sense of fashion(meaning you wear what works for your body frame and size, and quite flattering, and doesnt need to be designer stuff, trendy, or flashy but those always help acquire fashionable points) with your street clothes, and wear whatever is appropriate, and comfortable, then you're set to go.

Old Navy CAN be fashionable(sadly, not always), so long as you mix and match and looks good on you.

I'm a seamstress, so I recently made myself a body-hugging semi-stylish fleece jacket in fluorescent orange alpine fleece. The main goal was to be more visible in daylight (and I'm going to add reflective tape for night wear); an unexpected bonus was that I think it looks kinda cool. Materials were $10, the re-useable pattern was $8, and it took about two hours from start to finish. I haven't worn it yet (too warm) but I can't wait.

Pattern link:

https://www.gmidesign.com/stretch/191.htm

If any of you know how to sew, this pattern is super-easy, and alpine fleece is very forgiving to work with.


When not wearing said jacket: I hate wearing long pants, so unless it gets down to below 45 degrees (and it never does where I live), I usually wear loose shorts and a long-sleeve cotton top. And red acrylic gloves, to prevent the corpse-hands when it's windy. It's a silly looking get-up, but who cares?

However, when other bikers catch my eye and make me say "Wow, they look good!" it's usually (sadly) because they're wearing regular stylish clothes (which means they aren't biking far or fast enough to work up a good sweat) and no helmet (which means they're totally boned if they get hit). I figure my nerdy look is a compromose that lets me speed through long distances and protects my noggin. I'll save the fashion show for when I move to the beach and buy a fat-tire whitewall cruiser. Ahhhhhh.

I still like my, "Welcome to NY, now duck m**********r!" shirt...

I have a couple of mountain biking shorts I like to commute in, weather permitting. Then when I arrive at work I change cloths.

I wear the PI Barrier stuff because it works so well. It looks a lot more together and coordinated compared to the typical 'whatever's clean' layers that I typically was throwing together for commutes.

Where I ride, the more together that I look the more respect and cooperation that I get from the other drivers, cyclists and peds. The first time that I road in the Barrier stuff over tights and/or baggies I couldn't believe the difference. It was like the parting of the frikkin Red Sea for me compared to my normal commute. It's weird but it works. I don't know if it makes me look faster, so drivers don't make as many mistakes when sharing the road, or if it just makes it look more like I mean business so they do a better job of working with me at stop signs and intersections. But it works. Whenever I go back to baggies and a t-shirt, I find that I start to disappear from their collective consciousness again.

I notice too that at night when people think I'm a motorcycle they give me a lot more room too. I've had a couple of people roll down their window at lights and tell me as much, or to say that they couldn't believe that somebody was going that fast on a bike.

Absolutely. If I wear fancy Sunday Go To Bike Club Ride stuff or Hop On The Bike For A Quick Local Errand Stuff motorists seem to act a little more dangerously around me. If I dress and act more like a serious commuter with things like reflective vests or very good lights I can go through some scary traffic with no honked horns and yelling.

I'm a seamstress, so I recently made myself a body-hugging semi-stylish fleece jacket in fluorescent orange alpine fleece. The main goal was to be more visible in daylight (and I'm going to add reflective tape for night wear); an unexpected bonus was that I think it looks kinda cool. Materials were $10, the re-useable pattern was $8, and it took about two hours from start to finish. I haven't worn it yet (too warm) but I can't wait.
What if I just send you $15 and you send me a not-so-body-hugging alpine fleece jacket? Similar to a smartwool or rapha cycling type thingie.

Doubled leg-roll pants, a wicking shirt, topped off with a merino sweater. This has been my cool weather riding gear so far. It's been pretty mild in Houston, we only got down to around 30 degrees (F). All I had to do was pack some leg and arm warmes, a hat and a windproof top. My brooks saddle keeps me chamois free, and my clips/straps let me wear my regular shoes. Oh yeah, I can't forget the reflective leg straps.

PI Barrier Jacket and royal blue shants!

I am teh hawtness!!!! :D

I wear my work pants and a basic white cotton t-shirt. I change shirts at work.

I wear the ever eye-catching orange mesh with yellow reflective tape vest at night.

I always have to have my geek strap. I love that thing. Actually, that is what makes commuting fashionable...

I wear just ordinary clothes when I am riding. In super cold weather, I don't look at all cute, because I am wearing two pair of tights, a pair of pants, wool socks up to my knees, a turtleneck, a sweater, and a jacket. When the weather is nicer, I wear whatever, and if I have a good outfit that day, I look pretty good on the road, but if I am scuzzing out, as I must today, then I look like a bum.

I'll tidy up for tomorrow, since I have to meet my new boss then, but today, I have a messy project to work on, so I don't want to yuck up my good clothes. Tomorrow, I am planning to work the Marlene Dietrich angle, with a tailored white blouse, high-waist tweed trousers, and a black suit jacket with narrow lapels. Today, it's an old pair of black trousers (badly faded) and an even older black-and-grey striped tee-shirt. I have lights and reflecty stuff I use when I'm on the bike, so I am not too fussed about visibility.

I think I look kind of cute when I am riding in a dress or skirt, because the skirt flaps around a bit, which creates a nice shadow on the ground. It's a kind of old-fashioned image--it makes me think of a French girl in the 1950s, or something.

Other thank 2 months a year, it's pretty cold in Colorado in the early morning. I normally have a sweatshirt, with a neon biking jacket over it. On the legs, bike shorts, or long bike tights, or loose lined nylon pants if it's colder. Shoes are tennis shoes in summer, and hiking boots in winter. Balaclava in the winter with sweatshirt hood pulled over that, and helmet over that. I layer more in colder weather.

I wear my normal cycling gear so that I can put in extra miles when I have the opportunity without having to worry about whether I've got the right gear.

Seersucker and MUSA shorts from Rivbike

I wear my normal cycling gear so that I can put in extra miles when I have the opportunity without having to worry about whether I've got the right gear.

+1

Fashion doesn't play much into it for me... visibility is my goal. So I wear bright orange and red and that hi-vis yellow... all in some combination.

I might just wear T shirts or a jersey that has all those colors, but the point is comfort and visiblity.

I go too far and up and down too many hills to wear "regular clothes," so cycling shorts and shoes are what work for me.

Also the roads I commute on are 45MPH + roads all the way (with a short stretch on a freeway) so visibility is very important to me.

I've heard that others have already received theirs (original order). When will the rest of us be getting ours?

Heh, you must be one of the folks whose spam filter eats my email.

I should be receiving them sometime next week, so figure the week after that they should be getting to you.

HHCMF tshirts, or a white tshirt (usually one of my many charity ride tshirts),
Camo BDU Shants, helmet, gloves, and my timbuk2. When its cool outside I'll be sporting my primalwear tattoo print arm warmers.

Edit: Leather Motorcycle Jackets are great except for the waist belt thing. I have one from my high school/grunge days. It sure did keep me warm.

Yo...Pearl Izumi Barrier links.

http://www.pearlizumi.com/product.php?mode=view&product_id=100734&type_id=1&sport_id=2&category_id=6&color_code=489

http://www.pearlizumi.com/product.php?mode=view&product_id=100739&type_id=1&sport_id=2&category_id=6&color_code=489

Bon appetite!

What if I just send you $15 and you send me a not-so-body-hugging alpine fleece jacket? Similar to a smartwool or rapha cycling type thingie.

That is a home-business possibility, but I doubt it would be worth it for most folks, when you add in labor costs of $25-35/hr (standard for alterations/custom sewing). However, if you know someone who has a sewing machine and is willing to teach, it would be an easy project for learning how to sew.

By the way, I wore the orange jacket today and got comments at work ranging from "Good god, that thing is ugly and bright" to "Hey, that doesn't look so bad!"

Knitting is "in" lately with the crafty hipster set. I wonder if they make yarn in hi-vis colors ... a handmade day-glo scarf would be a great biking accessory.

My wife sews and she's been hinting (outright telling me) she'd like a sewing machine. Might be a good investment if she'll sew me some clothes. :D

I think I look kind of cute when I am riding in a dress or skirt, because the skirt flaps around a bit, which creates a nice shadow on the ground. It's a kind of old-fashioned image--it makes me think of a French girl in the 1950s, or something.

okay my gf tells me she can't ride in a skirt. she has a tiny 15" cannondale mtb frame which is about the same height of the top tube on a woman's road frame. what can i do to keep her commuting with me on skirt days? i think she'd have that same look too.

I think I look kind of cute when I am riding in a dress or skirt, because the skirt flaps around a bit, which creates a nice shadow on the ground. It's a kind of old-fashioned image--it makes me think of a French girl in the 1950s, or something.
That paints a pretty picture.

My wife sews and she's been hinting (outright telling me) she'd like a sewing machine. Might be a good investment if she'll sew me some clothes.

You should hit up the thrift stores near you. They sometimes have those machines up for sale for a really good bargain.

I really love it when I see girls in skirts on a bike. That old timey image that somebody mentioned is exactly why it is so appealing.