To quickly answer your question about that armor, it looks like it's meant to be worn under a garment. It would look a little funny under most garments. Honestly I'd recommend an actual jacket designed for motorcycle use.
...And here...we...go. *deep breath*
Glad to hear you are concerned about gear. Don't listen to the fucking squids that try and put you down for it, either. I had someone tell me when I wear gear I look like I'm afraid I'll fall over. Had it not been for the gear I had on my accident could have been much, much worse (though as you read on you'll see I could have done better).
You do not need to replicate the gear I have per se. Spidi is not what I'd call "cheap". Keep in mind that relatively inexpensive (I say "relatively" because most of it is not cheap at all) leather gear is not going to ALWAYS be better than more expensive stuff.
I do recommend a leather jacket. I wore textile for a while, and honestly it's pretty hard to get a textile jacket that really fits the body well because of how ripply it can be and how loose it is in certain areas. With leather you don't have to worry about this quite as much because it tends to be more of a shell shape or second skin. Most tests confirm leather to hold up to abrasions much better than textiles. Some companies such as Dainese, a huge motorcycle clothing company that produces leather gear (including sponsoring Valentino Rossi, the best motorcycle racer of all time currently), tout a fabric called D-Stone. I've never come into contact with this stuff before (mainly because there are no Dainese dealers near me), but I've heard interesting things about it. It's supposed to be more abrasion-resistant than leather (not sure if that only means cow leather or all leather). However, keep in mind a well-fitting leather garment will not have ripples and will be smooth, allowing maximum protection. I'm not so sure D-Stone (which is apparently nylon-like) fits to form like leather does. Perhaps that is why racers do not bother with it (for less wind resistance/distraction, plus Dainese's top end suits are kangaroo). If a garment is rippled its ability to grind and take the abrasion from a rough surface is very much reduced. For the most part textile jackets I see being used are not going to be up to snuff with a leather garment. However, if you think a D-Stone jacket might be worth a look, check it out.
Whatever jacket you have, you should make sure it has CE rated armor, and it should have a CE-approved spine guard (or a pocket to add a CE-rated spine guard, which you should do if it lacks that piece of armor, as your spine matters). Gloves I also recommend to be leather and to be gauntlet-style (over the cuff/wrist of your jacket) with armor for your knuckles, wrist, etc. To get great hand/wrist protection it may mean moving to a more race-oriented glove. Where you will find a lot of difference between the less-expensive brands vs pricier is dexterity. With all that armor and relatively thick leather, things can get bulky. So that is something you should take into consideration comfort-wise (it can get easy to honk the horn instead of hitting your turn signal if the gloves don't let you move freely).
Now, for your pants, there are a couple ways to go. Usually I don't mind flapping quite AS much on the pants so I wear Bohn armor under jeans at the moment. Bohn armor is not CE rated, but the padding is good quality and I've heard good reports from its performance. You might also consider textile, armored riding pants, or leather pants (also armored). I made the stupid mistake of only wearing jeans for a while. Well, the night of my accident I landed on my right side. I fractured my pelvis on the right side. My Bohn armor that I now wear has some nice armor completely covering that area. That might have gone differently if I had been wearing the armor then. I might have not separated my shoulder's right AC joint if I had had CE rated shoulder armor. I had automatically assumed that the jacket I had on would have that level of protection, but when I went back and checked I discovered it was not. Again, it might have gone differently if I had had more competent armor there. So, it's best to avoid the "mights" if at all possible. I plan on going 2 piece leather when I am at a more sustainable waist size and feel OK shelling out the money (again, Spidi is not cheap).
A word (or several) about leather cost in general. Of course the more expensive brands are partially selling a name/design. However, there is something to be said for leather cuts. First, some leather cuts simply are not designed for me. They just don't fit well. This is partially why I chose Spidi (and continue to do so), because their stuff (for now at least) fits me the best. In terms of leather quality, companies like Spidi get their cow leather from Argentina, where the cattle are free range (no barbed wire fences to snag/tear their flesh). It's often considered to be among the best cow leather. More expensive garments tend to be made from less pieces of leather. This means that larger pieces that are less plentiful when making leather from a cow were used to make the garment. Because they are less plentiful, they are more expensive. The advantage of having fewer leather pieces is that there will be less stitching to fit everything together. This means there is a lesser chance of failure in the event of a slide because the garment is more uniform. So, this can drive costs up as well.
Boots. Ahh, boots. My favorite are by far Sidi. They are a little on the pricey side, but man. They are very comfortable (once broken in, if leather), have fantastic protection capability, and just about all the armor pieces and bits are replaceable. Check out their lineup. I have their hardcore racing boot, the Vortice (Air version). Thing is they're about $475. The Vertigos (what I had on during my accident and held up extremely well) are $300. There are other boots they have below those that may be worth considering, too. Keep in mind these are just MSRP, but you may find them for cheaper. If not inclined towards Sidi, Alpinestars also makes some good boots (as well as jackets, gloves, etc).
For helmets...this is probably one of the most chattered-about subjects. What's safest? I always say to wear a full-face. Some opt not to. Personally if I had been wearing anything less in my accident than a full my face would have gotten fucked up. It's not something I'd take chances with. My accident was at under 40mph, too. So, lucky I had my first X-Eleven on. Speaking of that helmet, those are SNELL M2005 and DOT certified. The Euro rating (ECE) is not shown on the X-Eleven, but the ones sold in Europe (marketed as the X-Spirit) do meet ECE. The safety ratings are one thing. How any manufacturer chooses to meet or exceed those ratings is another. For instance, you know how my X-Eleven is rated. Technically it carried the exact same rating as my friend's HJC helmet. We both still have our helmets after our accidents. Here is mine after the fact -
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y229/the_soapster/Bike/helmet.jpg. Although I do not have a picture of his, I will say I had to look twice to actually realize there was something wrong with his helmet. There were some marks on it, but it actually did not look too bad (of course it's not usable anymore safety-wise). I flipped over a car and smacked down on the pavement at <40mph. He went over a guard rail and landed in some water face-down (eek) probably going between 35-55mph on impact with the guard rail. While the crashes were different types, he did suffer a concussion from his accident (luckily nothing turned out to be wrong). I was scanned in the hospital and had nothing wrong. The haziness/partial consciousness I suffered was most likely due to shock. It could simply be the different crash type, but I would have thought his helmet would have sustained more damage to its shell. I'd have to say one of the best helmets out there right now is the Shoei RF-1100. It meets the new SNELL standard and receives a 5/5 from SHARP (
http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/). I'd look at
http://www.compacc.com/ for good pricing. I got an X-Twelve for about $210 less than MSRP, and the Twelve is a brand-new helmet (just like the RF-1100 which shares the same shell type). It also comes in five shell sizes. Many cheaper helmets tend to use one or two shell sizes and then just alter the padding size for the different helmet sizes. It's better to have a helmet with the least unnecessary bulk. If you are not into Shoei, the next helmet I'd recommend you to look at is the Shark RSR2. Basically, take a look at SHARP and look through the helmets they have tested. Many of them are also sold in the U.S./available here.
In summary, not all helmets with the same ratings are equal safety-wise. This is because each manufacturer will meet the safety requirements for each rating in their own way. It's always possible to exceed safety ratings, also.
I...think that covers it. Jacket, pants, boots, and helmet. To reiterate some good places for gear price-wise,
http://www.compacc.com/ and also check out
http://newenough.com/. A lot of the time it is best to try on gear in a shop, but if this is not an option for you (a lot of brands are not sold in motorcycle shops) and you choose to shop mostly online, make sure to measure yourself and make sure they have a good return/exchange policy.
If anyone else here has words of wisdom on gear to add to or refute what I said, feel free.
