The secret to looking good at work after cycling to the office

How can I look chic cycling to work?

I have zero patience for people who think that pedalling to the office is an excuse for wearing crumpled business shirts and trousers retrieved from a backpack that reek of Febreze. Once, on a grey day in Milan during Fashion Week, a woman in her fifties cycled past me wearing a pleated skirt, tights, cardigan and ironed shirt, looking as if she’d coasted off a runway. The only thing missing was a helmet. A slick ponytail may look great but, in my book, reducing the risk of brain injury by up to 88 per cent trumps any good-hair day.

On the streets of Melbourne and Sydney, most riders in the cycle lane are either in the business of delivering tepid burgers and fries, or look as if they’re about to compete in the Tour de France. For those travelling a short distance to an office, only minor adjustments are required. Breathable or crease-free technical fabrics go the distance. Remember the Isadora Duncan rule, though: observe a streamlined silhouette. The famous dancer’s days ended in Nice, in 1927, when her long scarf got caught in a rear-wheel axle. Keep flowing accessories in the basket of your bike, along with formal shoes, to wear on arrival at work.

If your travel time is longer than a podcast, keep a change of clothes at work and make use of the shower facilities. There’s never any excuse to be wearing bike shorts in the boardroom, so give yourself plenty of time to unpeel them before slipping into something more comfortable ahead of your first meeting.

Read more from Damien Woolnough:
Bare knees in the boardroom? Yes, you can wear shorts to work
Dressing for the office: Investment pieces starting at $80
‘Much better dressed’: The brutal verdict on Sydney v Melbourne style

Got a style conundrum? Email damien.woolnough@nine.com.au

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