Winter commute clothing advice - help and advice please!?

[Leaningtoweroflisa]

Hi S&B ladies,

I have recently started a job with a long commute by train and tube. Have to dress smartly - suits, dresses with jackets or jackets and smart tops / trousers. I am arriving at work as a v v v sweaty person. Lashing on some deodorant helps a bit, as does talcing under my mahoosive norks post morning shower but it is still something that I'd like to find strategies to cope with better!

Has anyone any hard-won, sage advice for me please?

E.g. base layers to wear under smart clothes, advice on which fabrics or even outfit styles served them best in similar circumstances?

There is a basic shower at work, but as I've a long commute (min 2hrs) with a heavy backpack (aka the sweat-maker) containing essentials I already need for work, I'd prefer not to have to shlep in more stuff to carry there and back (like a towel, change of clothes, shower gel and shampoo / conditioner / hairstyling products / brush etc etc etc).

Thank you

[FragileTitanium]

May not be relevant but I used to walk to work so wore exercise clothes and changed into Issey Miyake Pleats PLease clothes at work - they are amazing and can be scrunched up into the smallest size in your bag and are super lightweight so didn't add any weight to my backpack at all.

Super expensive but really worth it.

[Mumelie]

Have you tried Hot Squash clothing? They do a hot or cool range. As someone who is always cold I've tried some of their hot range (but shape not me). You can purchase via Debenhams website where you might get a good discount.

[bookishandblondish]

Get a rucksack on wheels instead of carrying it. Has revolutionised my life ( wasn't allowed to carry anything and schlep across London with laptop/ papers etc).

Can you keep stuff at work? I can't but wish I could have a drawer with some babywipes/ deodorant/ cosmetics etc.

The other big one is to take your coat off on the tube - sounds really small but does make a difference.

Fabrics - I wear a lot of DVF dresses so jersey silk or alternatively fine wool suits ( mine are piazza sempione, Hugo boss and Tara Jarmon - all expensive and therefore all bought in sales but are very fine wool)

[FreshBloodandGutsLeticia]

Yes, second natural fibres and don't wear pencil or bodycon type skirts and tights. Recipe for smelliness.
Wear looser dresses/trousers and try to get away without tights if possible (e.g. cotton leggings and boots instead of tights and shoes)
My office is way too hot and I often come in from visiting rural clients, so I am in tidy outdoor gear, which is way too much for the office.
The other option is a fan on your desk!

[Hopefully]

Natural fibres all the way, and nothing too skintight, and be prepared to take off layers on trains tubes, as Bookish says. Is there anything in your rucksack you can leave at work? Seems an awful lot of stuff to be toting in and out every day. Failing that I think the wheelie case is a good idea - it's got to be hard to look professional and smart with a rucksack!

[Leaningtoweroflisa]

Thank you all very much!

ATM I do have to tote a lot of stuff, this is a temporary post, have interviews coming up (for jobs closer to home, fingers crossed) so have interview prep work to do on the train. All paper as cannot take electronic stuff to work for security reasons (grrr). Went for backpack over rolly case as thought would be easier on stairs but will have another look, thanks.

Wardrobe will be slowly converting to natural fibres. Had been buying work tops in supermarkets ( ) due to budget and time constraints after comin back from maternity leave. I never sweated or smelled this bad per-pregnancy!!!

Will be going for some of the the hot squash stuff, thanks for recommendation, mumelie! I'm still too far off losing the baby weight (and too short) for the proper stylish miyake clothes...

Need to be more pro-active looking for nice quality sale stuff!

One more cheeky question - any recommendations for coats that take you from chilly wet platforms to humid tube sardine and back? Have read the coat threads on here and went for a sea salt coat, which is fab except for the tube.

I would take it off but sometimes I actually can't move - gotta love rush hour.