Originally Posted by
Grim
Money wise it doesn't have to be expensive at all. I just got back from the thrift store up the street (looking for bikes) looked through their more formal isles and there were several NICE tweed jackets and vests for $5-10 each. The pants are the hard find. I didnt see a matched suit or loose wool pants that I could cut into a proper knicker but that's not to say it wont show up in the next week either. I think it can be done for under $50 if you hit the thrifts.
I did some shopping at Goodwill and got a pretty decent jacket and pants for cheap, and made the pants into knickers. Got some high socks at Academy ("Team Socks", what they use for soccer, etc.) and found a good cap at Burlington Coat Factory. But there were also people that bought or made their outfits that obviously put a lot more care into them, too. A ride like that is for fun, and people approach it in different ways.
I also noticed that while the preponderance of people there tended to be youngish, there were a reasonable number of people around my age, so I didn't feel out of place or anything.