On these kinds of discussions, claims about the need to shower at work after cycling usually come from Americans (especially in their southern regions), so it is rather surprising to hear it from a Finn. I feel like Finns pay more attention to appropriate clothing for the season and activity, so they would choose something to cycle in that is breathable and won’t leave them soaked in sweat, and they would be willing to invest in e.g. a merino-wool base layer – merino wool doesn’t stink even if one’s sweats in it.
Granted, I am chiefly getting this impression from what was sold in the sports sections of clothing shops in downtown Helsinki when I was a student there, and perhaps most of the native Finnish population finds that clothing just as unaffordable as I did as a poor foreigner.
If it's 25C out, it really doesn't matter what you wear - if you exert yourself outside, you're going to get sweaty. The American south is quite warm. Wearing wool is ridiculous.
It is not often 25C in Finland at commuting hours. And even when it is, a merino-wool microweight base layer can easily be worn up to 30C and still keep you cool and dry. That is why Smartwool etc. are so popular in the bicycle-touring world.
The problem with the American South is not just heat but humidity, but again, the challenges that they and people in similar climatic regions face are not universal.
Granted, I am chiefly getting this impression from what was sold in the sports sections of clothing shops in downtown Helsinki when I was a student there, and perhaps most of the native Finnish population finds that clothing just as unaffordable as I did as a poor foreigner.