Winter Cycling Wardobe Updates...

Illustration by Shelia McInnes 

Ok - so it's not that cold just yet but October is actually remembering it's October, and after that random heatwave (which took my wardrobe by surprise) it's finally showing signs of the change of season.

I love wrapping up warm when it gets cold in London, and the time is fast approaching to get a Winter Cycling Wardrobe in order. Having yesterday off work, I took the opportunity to have a look around Westfield Stratford City and discovered two things about it - 1) it's much nicer to go in there on a weekday instead of a Saturday (nightmarish busy madness) & 2) there are some decent shops in there to pick up quick fashion-fixes for my Cycling Wardrobe...

With an idea of what I was after, I'd decided to just visit two of my staple shops: Topshop and M&S. Both of which would be good for what I was looking for - Winter Boots and Cable Knit clothing.

First stop - Topshop. This was the 1st time I'd checked out the Westfield Stratford City one - much bigger than the Canary Wharf branch & lots more variety of stock. Although none of the boots they had on display really called out to me, my attention was caught by items that were not on the agenda...

Red Patent Tassel Slippers: £22

Ring: £10

Breton Stripe Sweatshirt: £26

The Sweatshirt isn't a heavy top, which means that layering it with a jacket, scarves, etc. is possible. It's not super-cold at the moment, but this should still keep me warm on the Pashley and not make me break out into a cycling-sweat! Throw the top together with a pair of Jeans (Skinny or Boyfriend cut) or some straight-leg trousers and those Shoes, and you have a brilliant Beatnik inspired look.

Next stop: M&S.Cycling with cold hands isn't the nicest feeling (especially when my Raynaud's kicks in - ask The Boy, he'll tell you how freakishly cold and colourless my hands can get), but you know me - I've got to have gloves with a bit of style to them...

Fingerless Wool Cable Knit Gloves: £12

Fingerless Gloves are a must for me every winter, especially as I'm either taking pictures, tweeting on my iPhone or doing something that involves needing bare fingers out, without freezing my hands off! Last year's winners were my Purple N.Peal Cashmere ones - but this time M&S did it. They're a simple Cable-knit affair & the Pom-Poms are a cute addition to the design. Impressed with the Gloves, I had a long wander around the store on the look-out for a Jumper in the same style, but had no luck! As I didn't want to spend the entire afternoon in Westfield, I gave up looking and headed out towards the DLR - Passing Forever 21 on the way. I must admit - F21 never appealed to me when it opened, but I thought I'd give it a quick look to see if there was any chance of finding a Jumper: this is the last thing I expected to find...

Sweater: £14.75

... that's right - a lovely Mustard Sweater for a bargain price! This will work really well teamed with a pair of my tailored shorts, coloured tights and brogues (or last years Winter Boots)... another cycling outfit sorted! I was very surprised to find something like this in F21 and felt a bit bad for never really giving the place any thought on my shopping radar. I'll certainly pop in there again to see if there are any more pieces I can mix into my wardrobe & not break the bank at the same time.

I'll still be on the hunt for more winter warmers to add to my wardrobe - it's not about being freezing cold on the Pashley when the bitter cold creeps in :)