Originally Posted by Velo Dog

Over the years, I've probably read 200 posts on where to get the cheapest bike clothes: "Anybody tried these $25 jerseys? Are these 9-buck gloves any good?" and on and on.
I've been riding since college almost 40 years ago, done as many as 8,000 miles a year, and I've run the gamut from high-end to basic budget frames, components and clothing. Since I retired two years ago, I've been trying to simplify and get rid of a bunch of crap I've accumulated, to reduce my life and possessions to just what works and what I need.
One of the things I've found is that the only bike-specific clothing I really need is shorts. The rest--jerseys especially, but also tights, jackets, rain gear (I ride year-round unless there's ice on the pavement) and even shoes, turns out to be optional. I'm no faster or more comfortable wearing an $80 jersey than a six-buck cotton T-shirt, even on long rides in hot weather, and any old shell over any old sweater keeps out cold as well as my expensive bike stuff. I've kept a couple of pairs of shoes, but as an experiment I put platform pedals with toe clips back on one of my bikes and rode in running shoes. My speed and perceived effort were unchanged, and I could stop for coffee without walking like a duck.
I'm not saying not to buy that stuff if you can afford it. But don't let the lack of it bother you. You're not going to be any faster in a jersey than you are in a wifebeater.