If you want to purchase SCA approved armor, the specifications for heavy-list fighting can vary depending on the region you are fighting in (Or tournament). For some, each piece of armor must be a certain armor gauge (steel thickness) and have to meet certain criteria. Also,it depends on what kind of look you want. There is so much in varying styles, such as lamellar, scale, plate, maille, leather, and combinations of them all. Not to mention proper padding.