Aside from making assumptions based on the name, FFXIV Reapers are not a personification of Death. They were Garlean farmers who made pacts with Voidsent due to their inability to use aether. The Reaper name is a legitimate reference to their roots with a supernatural nuance. We are not "Grim Reapers" who should be cloaked or skeletal.

I don't disagree that "armored" is still out of place. It's simply a side effect a new class having to share gear with an older one that is thematically different. However, I also think you're possibly expecting Reaper to be something other than what's intended.