how to dress when you ride to work

[Ryan]

I hope I'm in the right area to ask this question. Modern day motorcycling and vintage inspired attire. How does one mix is the question. On those riding days, it's jeans/t-shirt. Those days when I need to work and DON'T ride, I'll wear my dress attire which is shirt/tie and a lid. Some days I'll wear the suit and other days a sport coat. My way to keep those taking the business casual policy way south wondering what's next.
My main issue is when I ride the bike to work. I always wear full gear (overpants, 3/4 riding coat, full face helmet and Chippewa boots). I wear the tight weave nylon stuff. When I ride to work I wear Dockers and a polo. Simple, not too hot and doesnt look bad afterwards. If I wear my dress attire, it can get bulky, hard to carry with me and it doesnt look as pressed after the ride. If it's a warm californa day, it'll be soaked. Sometimes I'll take along a change of clothes and change when I get to work. As you can see this starts to become old.
Any suggestions on what I could wear when I ride to work? Easy to wear, don't have to change and would be a little more classic inspired?

 

[Martinis at 8]

For anything outside of my neighborhood (where the velocity is low like for going to the coffee shop or drugstore), I'm wearing full protective riding gear. This is a synthetic TourMaster jacket and trousers with armor, meshed w/liners, and zipper-to-zipper option. Also gloves, and and full face helmet.

If you are commuting off/on in your cage to work, then leave a set of clothes at work when you drive the cage, and then change when you get there on the days you ride. That would be my advice.

M8

 

[Copper]

Riding to work almost always means wearing full gear and changing when I hit the office; that way there is no compromise - I get all the protection of proper gear and still get to wear what I want at work.

That being said, if it is a khakis and button down kind of day, you can get some riding trousers like the Draggin Jeans chinos which provide protection but don't scream riding gear. 'Classic inspired' might be a stretch though.

If I feel like riding (not at highway speed, but around town) in vintage kit, I have some 1949 pattern Canadian Battledress trousers in a dark khaki serge and a 1947ish Dutch rider's overcoat in massively heavy waterproofed canvas. The trousers, while being a bit itchy are quite classy and have a high waist, button fly, and can be tightened or loosened at the ankles with button tabs. I just need to find myself a nice original WLC, Norton 16H, BSA M20 or perhaps even an Enfield Military to go with it...