"I Can't Wear Spandex At The Office!"
You don't have to. Most commuters don't. There are other alternatives which work for thousands of people every day.
The first clothing question to face commuters is whether to wear work clothes on the ride or wear biking clothes to ride and change at the office. The answer depends on the kind of job you have and the work clothing you wear. And let's face it - the core issue is stinky sweat. You don't want to offend your co-workers or look (or smell) unprofessional to your boss.
Riding in Work Clothes
If you work in a warehouse or on a construction site or almost any other job which requires significant physical activity, you'll be working up a bit of a sweat and your co-workers will expect that, so a sweaty smell won't be offensive. You'll also be working in a relatively open area and moving around, so your body odor will be dissipated. You can certainly get away with riding in your casual/work clothing.
If you work in a closed office with others nearby, or deal with customers or clients, a sweaty scent will be noticeable and not appreciated - you'll need to take steps to prevent or reduce that odor. Fortunately, there are a number of remedial steps you can take.
Shower Before You Ride
Sweat is naturally odorless. Body odor occurs when the sweat picks up the smelly waste products of the bacteria which live on your skin, then carries that odor with it as it evaporates and passes through the air. If you're clean before your ride, you won't stink right away afterwards. It takes time for the bacteria to do their nasty work. If you shower before your ride, use anti-bacterial soap, then use an antiperspirant with deodorant, you can head off BO during the day.
Ride Slower
Commuting is not a race. While we'd all certainly like to get there sooner rather than later, riding slower will reduce the amount you sweat. Give yourself more time for your commute and sweat less.
Clean Up After Your Ride
A quick cleanup in the office bathroom will usually be adequate. Bacteria congregates where hair grows, so rinsing your hair in the sink and washing under your arms will address the biggest problem areas. Keep a hair dryer and towels at work for this. A hot air hand dryer in the lavatory also works. You can also use baby wipes rather than soap and water. Judicial use of deodorant should take care of the last bits of unwanted scent. You know where your own body is likely to sweat most.
Change Key Clothing
The clothing next to your body absorbs sweat as you ride and becomes a problem during the day, staying damp and releasing odor. You can vastly reduce this problem by keeping fresh underwear and socks at work and changing into those when you get there. Keep a garbage bag at the office to stow used clothing until the ride home.
Cool Off After You Ride
Leave a little time before you have to start work at your desk. Hold your wrists under cool water for a few minutes. Keep a small desk fan to move the air around your desk.
Riding in Biking Gear
If you wear business suits at the office you'll probably want to avoid wrinkling or soiling your good clothes; you can do this by riding in biking gear and changing at the office.
Store Clothes at Work
Store several sets of clothing at work, including underwear and socks. You can make one trip each week to the office with a car to bring new clothes and carry back the old ones for washing. Make sure you have plastic bags to store the riding clothes during the day to avoid odor. You might bring your own clothes rack in to hang your clothes without monopolizing the office rack. If storage at the office is a problem, do what many others have done: leave your car at the office for use as a locker.
Pack Clothes Well
If you can't make the trip with a car (or prefer not to), pack your clothes well in your panniers.
One way to avoid wrinkles is to lay your clothing out on a plastic sheet, then roll them up together. Rolling actually wrinkles less than folding. Make sure they're in a plastic bag inside the pannier so they won't get wet if it rains. Packing the night before helps to reduce time pressure and stress in the morning.
You can also get a backpack style garment bag made for cyclists, although backpacks are not the most comfortable luggage to carry.
Treat Your Clothes Before Wearing
When you unroll your clothes, spray them with Downy Wrinkle Releaser (or a similar product), then shake them out. This will also help eliminate wrinkles.
Clean Up After You Ride
All the cleanup tips above (ride slower, shower before riding, change underwear, cool off) apply to this mode of riding as well. Keep washing materials and a "beauty kit" at work with your clothes. Wait for the sweat to dry before changing into your work clothes. If you're lucky enough to have a fitness center or gym near your office, take advantage of it by showering there and walking back to work in your work clothes.
What To Wear On The Ride
You don't necessarily need to wear Spandex tights and racing colors on your ride.
Certainly, you can if you like. But if you're not riding for speed you'll probably be just as happy and comfortable riding in street clothes. I'd still recommend bike shorts (under long pants if necessary), a helmet and bright shirt/jacket. Biking gloves will be a valuable asset, as well, if you should take a fall. You'll find more specific recommendations on apparel for various weather conditions on the Recreational Clothing and Tour Clothing pages. Experienced commuters and tourists have tried every kind of clothing under the sun, and they still have widely different views on which is most functional. After a couple of months of riding, though, you'll know what works best for you.
Footgear
Although there are arguments for and against them, you should consider clipless pedals for your commute. On the one hand, clipless footgear keeps your feet in the pedals at all times, maximizing your efficiency in powering the bike. On the other hand, they are tricky to get in and out of and hard to get used to. It may make you nervous having your feet locked to your pedals in stop-and-go city traffic. If you can get past the first season, you'll probably like them a lot.
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