I personally could never , i wear my lesser cycling kit , usualy spd peds and shoes , winter i have lake cycling boots and layers .work clothes go in a water proof duffle back pack plenty of room for shoes and a folded uniform .
only amatures with no real ablility to think tactically commute in office clothes , you look dumb as hell ! You should have your shirts pressed and stored in your cubical or desk draw like nice neat little files . show up early and change its really easy .

Sorry, mate, you like you're in a race with yourself and would get laughed at over here, unless you're in excellent shape.

I do see people training for a tri most mornings when I'm out running, swimming and changing then cycling away. (Even, this time of year). If you're simply going to work, well, you'd be labelled a MaMiL and most likely laughed at.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamil

Wearing your work clothes is all about the weather and the terrain. The only obstacle to wearing your work clothes is typically getting them all sweaty. If the weather is cool and not inclement, then that's not an issue. The only deterrence after that is not riding through mud puddles. I've don't it many times in the winter and fall but not in the summer, and not in the southeast. During those dog days, I'd sweat through a t-shirt within two blocks.

I agree that it's all about climate.

Notice, how I didn't say that everyone SHOULD wear office clothes or SHOULD wear cycling clothes.

One size isn't going to fit everyone, so your comment is well-stated. The poster one or two up from this talking about tactical amateurity is

One of the gifts of age and maturity is not caring whether someone thinks I'm an "amature" on the days when I'm riding directly to work in dress pants and a button down shirt and tie. Nor whether someone would label me a "mamil" and laugh at me on the days I'm combining a training ride and the commute and wearing a jersey and bibs.

Dang, where's the "Like" button?

Arriving early, changing clothes at both ends, would defeat one of the (well, one of MY) primary purposes of commuting by bicycle - namely, saving time. Cycle-commuting is fastest for me, given how long it can take to find a place to park downtown, let alone walking from one of the not-so-nearby parking ramps to the building. Add to that, this time of year, the time to scrape the ice off my truck windows and to warm it up. I ride because it's faster than either driving or taking the bus. I'm not gonna mess with that equation.

But that's me. There are a bazillion other factors that determine whether to commute in work vs. "ride" kit. What's the distance? What's the weather? Do you have a place to keep work clothes at work (foolish to assume everyone does)? Do you have a place to change (again, don't ASSume)? What's your carrying capacity and what else are you carrying? Even, what's the "culture"? In some cases, one might look foolish cycling in work clothes. In others, one might look foolish entering the building in cycling kit. ('Course, as suggested, it's best not to care.) Just observing co-workers and other people who work in the building, I see a little of everything, and fortunately, most here know better than to judge (lest they be judged, I reckon).

Okay, so, first of all let me say yes, I understand that this is the commuting forum and I'm about to say something unrelated to commuting. Or is it? As I posted above, I commute in work clothes. But the point i'd like to make is, I also ride long distancesdis the clothes not made for cycling.

Case in point: a week or two ago I bought a pair of Italian dress pants (think; cheap suit) on eBay for ten bucks plus shipping (so about $15). They are black dacron, which was what I wanted because I am a slob and I will get chain grease and other nastiness on them. They are very thin material, but rather baggy except for the waist, which fits snuggly.. they are just my size

Today I finally tried them out... Cotton briefs and the dacron trousers, wool socks and roomy boots, platform pedals, two wool jerseys and yellow nylon shell, fleece gloves and bar mitts, balaclava and helmet. A hard plastic saddle (no padding, just plastic) Then we rode 148 miles.

The pants are a success. The pedal/boot interface was good, but the boots had insufficient insulation. The gloves were also inadequate, even with chemical hand warmers. It was a good ride, but effin' cold, and I am totally beat now. But the cheap dress trousers worked fine, better than any cycling pants one ended tried. I never wished for other pants.

I'm not recommending everyone do this, but please note, this works for me. If you have cycling bibs or whatever that you love, please ignore me. But if you have any issues with cycling pants, try something else. Think outside the box.

That's all. Carry on!

Yes, it's horses for courses...

Everyone has a different commute, a different location, and a different job (different dress code). There is no right or wrong way here.

I commute to work in work clothes this time of year, because it's cold and I won't sweat too much. For the ride home, however, where I like to push a little harder, I'll put on athletic clothes (not bike specific). But if I were planning to do some sort of serious ride before or after work, I wouldn't think it was strange to put on cycling clothes.

Anybody who posts here is an amateur regardless of how fancy or expensive their cycling kit is, real pro/elite cyclists don't post here...BTW there are thousands of Europeans who ride to work everyday in regular clothes and nobody thinks they're dumb. It's just another ride to/from work for them. Cyclists in North America need to adjust their mindset

That statement lacks insight. Pros of all levels and professions have admitted to routinely communicating on websites. Listen to their interviews. And yes, there are plenty of just wrong and/or inappropriate ways to dress for cycling.

Yes, I ride in office clothes too, jeans pants, regular shoes, ... weatherproof jacket.

The problem is when I want to go out after work, to the pub with friends, it's not that trendy in ugly weatherproof jacket.
Sometimes I want to go in my more casual or trendy jacket I have, but that one is not rainproof. Mostly, my friends want to go to the pub when it's bad weather and I need to have my weatherproof clothes on.
So that's a bit a minus.

Give some examples of what is a wrong or inappropriate way to dress for a bike commute.

Your wish, my command:

Folks don't remove their outerwear in pubs and the like?

Sweet, way to show the absurdity, or at least the irrelevance, of your statement. Video had nothing to do with commuting. Of the 10 items, only one (business suit) even remotely resembles anything relevant to this thread, and it isn't even on the table.

In pubs mostly yes, unless you're just in for one beer and back out.

And when you're waiting to meet people it's mostly outside somewhere, with outerwear on, and first you walk a while to choose which pub you're going to, or to which restaurant, and maybe you'll end up sitting outside on a terrace when it's not cold enough to get inside, and you're comfortable in your jacket.
And sportswear in a pub is not bad, but it depends on the context, if all the others are there in neat office suits....

It all depends on the situation.
Weatherproof sportswear is fine on the bike to go to work, ... and casual trendy clothes are nice to go out with, but not the other way around. That's my experience.
Maybe you like to end up on an unexpected afterwork party where all your cowokers are dressed in classy blazers and you come in with a fluo North Face jacket.

I mostly don't care that much, but sometimes I think: my appearance could be better here...

I'm going to assume English isn't your first language based on that response. But just so you know better, commuting is a subset of cycling; and I didn't invent the heading.

This thread makes me appreciate our locker rooms, showers and dry cleaning service.

Perhaps I misunderstand what Wolfchild is saying... but I think the point is that whatever your profession is, you're a professional at that; and if you ride a bike to get there, your an amateur cyclist.

Granted, there's an obvious exception if you're a professional cyclist and you wear cycling clothes while riding to a race, your cycling clothes are your work clothes.... but I don't think there's many professional cyclists on this subforum, though.

Philippe Gilbert is welcome to post in this subforum any time.

Right. Not many people drive their cars to work in driving clothes.

Now that you mention it, and just to clarity what I meant, a professional is: 1) someone who is very skilled at a task or duty, or 2) someone who is paid to perform a task of duty (regardless of skill, although it is generally expected, but not required). As for "elite" I would consider that to be a perspective term.

So are you saying that wearing your work clothes while riding into work is somehow "wrong"? Because I think a lot of people in here would disagree.

Right or wrong to indicate a judgement no. However, there may be times when it would be considered inappropriate to the type of work you do. A healthcare practitioner wearing scrubs or TSA agent in uniform might be able to get away with it.

However, an executive wearing a suit and tie, and certainly a female in a skirt or a dress, or someone in food preparation would be going too far off the deep end. These limitations are just too broad to surmount appropriately.