Just help me out here guys. Can't wrap my head around it.

http://i.imgur.com/NbqJl.png

In that image there are two armors that look alike. (By the way, thank you, Luke Skyrimmer, for posting the image link on another thread.)

I'd like to know if these two are either:

• The same armor with a slight pre-set variation. As if to say... They don't differ in stats and have the same name but just look different.
  
  
• This variation is brought about by the customizing they said we would be able to do (via smithing I suppose.) Sort of like... I have Metal Helmet... But I'd like some friggin' horns jutting out of it or I have Dovahkiin's Armor but I'd like to be Bare Chested and have an extra pauldron!
  
  
• Two different armors altogether (probably from the same faction?) As if to say... They slightly differ in stats and have different names.
  
  
• The one on the left is an Enhanced version of the one on the right (brought about by smithing I assume), due to there being an extra pauldron on top of the one that's strapped down, the fact that the Dovahkiin is no longer bare chested and there is leather on top of the furry lower part of the armor.

I suppose that's it. Thanks in advance to anyone who replies.

I'd go with what behind curtin number 4

God... I'm leaning towards the same but I'd so like it if Beth had gone for curtain #2!

Number 3 and 4 seem the most likely. Either assume that the sets are different (think the Netch Leather and Boiled Netch leather from Morrowind) or that one is simply an enhancement, brought upon by use of the Smithing skill, in which case the previous example still kind of works.

Bethesda did say that merging cuirasses and greaves allowed them to include more different types of armor, perhaps that includes different versions of the same armor or similar ones. Morrowind did something like that too, as seen with bonemold armor. At least some parts of the bonemold set came in different varieties each of which seemed to be favored by a different house. They were similar in design and noticably made of the same material, and I think their stats were the same, but they were still visibly different, or perhaps it is customization through smithing. We know you can upgrade weapons or armor with smithing, but we don't know if this changes they're appearance or just stats, so we'll just have to wait and see.

Could it possibly be that it is just a Pauldron and you can finally see the straps? Or that we can wear clothing under armor now?

Not quite. The Gah-Julan Helmet had a low armour rating, but the Pauldrons and Cuirass were higher than normal. Adding to that, the Native Chuzei Helmet had a lower armour rating. The more you know, etc. That being said, it does give me something of an idea. Perhaps the armour we see in the pictures are not only different sets, but different regional sets? Is it too far fetched to assume that different regions/cities/counties in Skyrim might have different kinds of basic armour?

They're separate armor sets. We've seen roughly a dozen distinct sets so far.

So... That would mean the armor itself is just the straps holding the pauldron down... and the clothing underneath is a cloth set that doesn't have a shirt... Or wasn't clothing simplified the same way armor was?

Out of that dozen I haven't seen two armor sets that look this much alike to one another... That's why I ask.

I sure hope not, I want to be able to mix and match pants.

Here is the second set.

http://cms.elderscrolls.com/sites/default/files/tes/screenshots/TheCompanions01_wLegal.jpg
http://cms.elderscrolls.com/sites/default/files/tes/screenshots/SpiderHero_0.jpg

Third set.

http://cms.elderscrolls.com/sites/default/files/tes/screenshots/Riverwood.jpg
http://cms.elderscrolls.com/sites/default/files/tes/screenshots/DragonApproach_wLegal.jpg