Metal
There are a few things to think about when using armor. Are you going to make plates or scales. Plates can be the easiest way to make armor but they do not have the strength that scales do. So lets look at them both.
Scales where most commonly used up to the 16th century. There flexibility and multi layer strength are assets to the armor but the weight is much higher then a single plate of leather. Some armors in the past to add more strength to the armor would add metal over the most vulnerable spots on the armor or alternate metal and leather scales over the entire armor. Other benefits include more possibility for add color to your armor and the ability to increase the size of the armor (not that we would ever need to. Oh and can you hand me that hot dog please).
Plate armor can look great if done properly. Plate is easy to cut out, but it limits you to what you can do with it. You also run the risk of mis-cutting a piece of steel the size of your chest and having a huge piece of useless scrap metal. With plate armor you need to be much more careful with your patterns. Make sure you have space for the rivets and the stitching. Other then that you can make a piece of armor relatively quickly with this style.
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