Cycling-specific clothes are exorbitantly overpriced and don't really do a better job than other good options.
I wear layers depending on the conditions - temp, wind, precipitation, etc. That lets me buy less stuff and get more use out of it. It's also a lot more versatile.
Thin merino wool glove liners block enough of the wind, breath well enough not to overheat, give me the dexterity I need, and keep me warm even in the rain. A wool base layer moves the sweat away from my body and keeps me warm in almost any conditions. In the 10 to 30 F range I'll usually wear the base layer, a wool sweater, wind breaker, and a down vest as the outermost layer. (At those temps it's too cold to rain and it almost never snows in the city. Plus it compresses into a stuff sack that fits in my bottle cage when I don't need it.) I have a couple soft shells but none are breathable enough for cycling if I'm riding hard.
Everybody is different and what works for one person is going to be misery for someone else. So you're going to have to take all the answers with a grain of salt and do a lot of experimenting to see what's best for you.