tiny female armors!

[Lilseph]

There is craftable versions of the skimpy coliseum gear. Not really keeping it to a minimum when it's available for every job to use. I'm not complaining though, just pointing it out.

And what's the defensive stats for these? That's the point. Glamouring is magic, making an item look like something else, but behind that magic, the armor is still the one you're actually wearing.

I assume thats a glamour?
In that case, your character (gender doesnt matter) is actually wearing their proper heavy armour, but are creating an illusion that they're wearing a bikini, to speak lorewise. So unless you're actually wearing some of thise skimpy clothes, there is nothing to discuss.
Most of the tank-gear is pretty heavy armor, after all - and unlike other games, where girls will get some tiny platebikini while guys get to wear the real thing, FFXIV hands out proper heavy gear to both genders when it comes to tanks, so the gender is kinda irrelevant here...

Beat me to it with a better explanation.

[Vidu]

There is craftable versions of the skimpy coliseum gear. Not really keeping it to a minimum when it's available for every job to use. I'm not complaining though, just pointing it out.

That is glamour-gear though - aka: gear without any stats. So if a tank is truely equipping that, they'll get smacked in the face pretty hard and might aswell be wearing nothing.

If used as glamour on proper gear though it becomes this illusion, as I explained - not only for us but also lore-wise.

The Coliseum gear also kinda belongs in the Coliseum where both men and women fight in that kind of outfit (probably with a lot of oil put onto their bodies) to put on a show.

Honestly though: I feel this thread is probably just provocative bait that we're falling for because its a boring friday evening and raid is yet about to begin (at least thats it for my case).
Wear what you like.
If you need to make up a headcannon for yourself why your character can wear that - make up your headcannon.
Whats there to discuss?

[Emstidor]

I assume thats a glamour?
In that case, your character (gender doesnt matter) is actually wearing their proper heavy armour, but are creating an illusion that they're wearing a bikini, to speak lorewise. So unless you're actually wearing some of thise skimpy clothes, there is nothing to discuss.
Most of the tank-gear is pretty heavy armor, after all - and unlike other games, where girls will get some tiny platebikini while guys get to wear the real thing, FFXIV hands out proper heavy gear to both genders when it comes to tanks, so the gender is kinda irrelevant here...

Now explain the Shisui tanking set.

[InkstainedGwyn]

To be honest, personally I'm not fond of the mostly-naked glams on anybody, male or female. But it's none of my business what anybody wears, so eh. No less practical than wearing a giant chocobo head into battle.

That being said, A++ to the fact that we're discussing actual lore reasons it's okay. Whether I like the outfit or not, I don't like people being shamed for what they want to put on their characters.

[Avatre]

Now explain the Shisui tanking set.

Mystical underwater cloth that attracts metals, and is scented for the monsters to strike it only....yeah it's a stretch, but what you gonna do about it?

[Lilseph]

Mystical underwater cloth that attracts metals, and is scented for the monsters to strike it only....yeah it's a stretch, but what you gonna do about it?

I think it's one of those question that only Koji Fox can answer (and make him sweat a little). I can't find any lore related reason why they look like that and also have tanky stats.

[Reinha]

Realistically we shouldn't be able to take hits in revealing armor. Realistically we also shouldn't be able to swim, dive, backflip or run endlessly in full plate gear. When you consider that every piece of gear in game is actually weightless it matters little which body parts they cover (or don't).

[Vahlnir]

And what's the defensive stats for these? That's the point. Glamouring is magic, making an item look like something else, but behind that magic, the armor is still the one you're actually wearing

I don't think the OP really clarified what type of armor they were talking about. If we're going for looks (glamours), my point still stands. Otherwise I have no idea where the OP expects this to go.

[Vidu]

Now explain the Shisui tanking set.

Well, my personal explantion would be: We're getting this set out of a chest in a temple that belongs to people that are living in a bubble underwater because they dont care for war. So they're not people in need of plate armour and the clothes they keep in the temple are more for rituals and the like anyways.
When we bust in the casters are like "Oooh, nice, this is perfect! Has been used for rituals, filled with magic power!"
The bard goes: "Well, the colour is ugly, but its light, I can move around in this. Bought."
Melees are looking over to their tank being like: "We wont get hit anyways, right? And the bard has a point - we can move freely in this!"

While the tank stares into the chest and goes "...yeah... no one really thought about me here, eh? Okay, I'll take whats left and just..."
"...wear it at the beach only!" the healer cries out...

[Lilseph]

I don't think the OP really clarified what type of armor they were talking about. If we're going for looks (glamours), my point still stands. Otherwise I have no idea where the OP expects this to go.

I think the point is: Using magic as an excuse for everything that doesn't follow logic.

However, I find a difference between a bikini set that provides proper defensive stats because of magic and using a true piece of gear (plated, chainmail, whatever) that is disguised as another item (glamouring). In the later, the gear retains its original properties but it looks different. The exposure is not "real". If you touch it, you'd feel the metal pieces regardless or at least that's how I imagine it. Glamouring is also "lore friendly", as the crystals provide an explanation of how they work.

If I have to share my opinion... Personally, I am not a huge fan of skimpy armor at all. I don't care if others use it, but I personally won't because it feels stupid. Using "magic" as a excuse for their fanservice is the same line of reasoning of using child-like "loli" characters and excuse yourself saying "oh but they are 9999 years old", in other MMOs. I just... doesn't work for me. But that's how I perceive it, people are free to do whatever they want.