tiny female armors!

[Iscah]

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...

Tank gear, mostly yes, other than the 'skirt' items that lose the padded trousers underneath when equipped to female characters.

Other gear.... well, female members of the Ishgardian dragoons would like a word about that.

[Vidu]

Other gear.... well, female members of the Ishgardian dragoons would like a word about that.

Yeah, tha female Dragoon AF is a somewhat weird choice - I always explained it to myself by linking it to traditional dragon-lore: The reason dragons are hoarding treasures and are sleeping on them is that they're bellys are actually pretty vulnerable because tehy're not covered in thick scales. So they're laying on all those gems and pieces of gold, that are working their way into their skin, get stuck in it and create an armor - at least thats "traditional" dragon-lore, doesnt has to hold true for this game. So I always figured the uncovered belly of female dragoons was a reference to that...

Doesnt make it less stupid, obviously - thats why I call it an "explantion" not an "excuse".
The real reason is probably that someone thought "Hey, that would look better/sexier, lets do that!". I will ignore that and hold on to my explantion though...