What is with the Bard costumes/armor/gear in early Heavensward?

[sayafrost]

Bard is thematically classed as a performer, so a lot of bard-specific gearsets are eccentric like that (even though technically this isn't one as I believe it's a version of an old Mage set). That it uses a bow is almost incidental. Personally I love it.

Is the Machinist a performer too? As that is the shared set for it too XDDDD