What in your opinion is the best looking armour you can get in the base game (including DLC)? Personally the stats and levels of weapons and armour mean nothing to me, and most of the time neither does the difference between light and heavy armour, so long as it looks good for my character. I use the Restoration Loop just enough so that whatever gear I fancy the look of can be used at higher levels. Basically I level all my prettiest stuff (like iron swords and armour for example) to Ebony stats so I'm not overpowered. But I spend a lot of time wondering what looks best with what.

For example, my Dunmer with pale white skin and hair wears Ancient Falmer gear with a Dragonbone sword (and on occasion, Auriel's Shield and bow) She was an all-black thief but through the Dawnguard she has changed her ways and uses her archery and light armour skills for good, so Autirl's Bow is a must for her. However I was struggling to think of what to wear on her head, as I don't recall a huge selection of white/ light grey headgear in the game. At the moment she wears a silver sapphire circlet, which looks good but in battle she wants something to protect her face. Turns out a circlet of silver does little to stop an Orc with a mace

Perhaps my most pleasing armour set ishttps://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/f1/b3/55/f1b355edea3deea9598d19a78470ee9d.jpg. There aren't a lot of black heavy armour pieces in the game and it's nice to see

I also like the leather armour for my ranger characters, it goes pretty well with the Thieves Guild Hood and Gloves (I'm very very picky about bracers).

I do however really struggle to find decent looking gear for a mage. Enchantments of lack thereof are not an issue, so I ask you, what do your vanilla mages wear? One character of mine, ahem, acquired some Temple Robes from Solstheim, and they look really good for a Dunmeri Mage, but I don't think it looks that good on female characters, not mine anyway.

EDIT: I should clarify, while the thread title only mentions armour, clothing and whatever else is also fair game

Fur armor, no helmet.

I like Forsworn Armor. The female Forsowrn Helm is the only TES helm I've ever liked. However none of my characters have ever worn it. They tell me they don't want to be seen in public in such scanty outfits.

I'm also very fond of the female Hide Armor. I've actually talked a couple of characters into wearing that. In fact one character wore it for an entire game.

In general, I have always liked Bethesda's Light Armor better than their Heavy Armor.

nordic carved and iron banded. Not a fan of combinations, So i usually always use the full sets.

What is a proficient archer doing letting Orcs get in her face? They should be dead before they get anywhere near her!

(If she misses, she can run away faster without heavy armor.)

nvde for the win! Looks good on just about any female.

Someone so fashion-conscious that she's desperate to find a nice headpiece to match her clothes often lacks the awareness in battle that's expected of her

My lady wears....

Scaled...but without the matching stupid phallic hat. If a helm is really needed with this outfit we go leather hat.

Glass.....but with an Elven helm since the glass helm looks like a green ice cube

Full Dragonscale if maximun protection is essential (AR 1549 with shield).


If hats are not needed, she likes an enchanted gold circlet.

Right now I'm using Stalhrim Heavy w. the Light chest piece & Stalhrim Warhammer. Also have a Dragonplate set w. Steel Horned Helmet (have Zahkriisos but don't care for it) and and Orcish set & Iron helm. Haven't played a caster enough yet to get much into their gear, and never cared for thief or rogue/sneak-type classes.

Vanilla? Well, I kind of like scaled boots & bracers with either Saviour's Hide, Novice College robes or light chitin armor.

If your pale dunmer is looking for a circlet with armour rating, try the Diadem of the Savant. Although it's not really a white colour

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Rogue / assassin: Nightingale armour and hood + vampire gauntlets and boots
Viking: Nordic armour + Helm of Yngol or non-Viking with Zahkriisos helm

Seasoned hunter: Stormcloak officer's helm and guantlets + fur cuirass (covering chest) and scaled boots + bonehawk amulet and ring + ancient nordic pickaxe and woodcutter's axe + Auriel's, ebony or orcish bow

Mage outfit: Fine boots + Archmage's robes + Mythic Dawn or Thalmor gloves + gold ruby or gold emerald circlet or Aetherium Crown

Scrapper: Ragged trousers + Shrouded hand wraps

Using male nord character

I like the DG light and heavy armors the most.

When my "pure" mages get their enchanting high enough, the Males wear "Morning cloths", the female's Noble cloths of one kind or the other.

Vanilla...anyway... which I only do in DiD competition anymore...

I have a battlemage in enchanted dragonscale with an enchanted green cowl. That looks quite cool.

I tend not to mix and match armour sets, I'll wear them in full with my characters.


The only 'mixing' I have done is the Saviours Hide with fur bracers and boots. I did this once for my Nord hunter, who was a werewolf. Quite a cool character, was a very torn soul.

My Nord 2h warrior wears dragonplate armor with a dragon priest mask

Mixing for the win.


Light Armor: Ebony Mail with Nightingale Hood and Vampire Boots & Gloves (see avatar).


Heavy Armor: Blade Armor with Ancient Iron Helmet (see link in signature).


EDIT: Pauldronless Steel Armor with a Mage Hood is nice too.

Where do you get a green cowl?

Hmm, Blades armour with Ancient Iron Helmet looks pretty good

I usually wear Forsworn armour as a female character because it gives a sort of messy feel although sometimes I do occasionally like the hide armour for a female character with a fur helmet mainly for looks. For clothes, I prefer the Tavern Clothes for a female and male with a nice green circlet for the female and nothing for a male.