Is there anywhere I can look ingame to see the style of armor I'm picking up or getting from quests. Like is it argonian or imperial etc. it can't be all my race right?
I wish! There isn't even labeling on anything you make! It's hard if you try to upgrade a piece later and fail (therefore losing that piece of armor and having to remake it). I sure hope you can remember what style set you originally made....
At the crafting table, there are tiny icons for each piece (chest armor, legs, etc.) that change in look depending upon what racial motif you're crafting in. The only way I've found to reference anything I've crafted is to sift through different motifs there, then look at the icon of another set piece in my inventory and see if I can find a match.
I don't think there's much cross-referencing looks-wise between crafted armor and loot drops though, but you could try that....
There are some quest rewards and loot drops in styles that are not craftable. Most greens should be of one of the motifs you can craft, but some quest rewards and blue and up drops have a unique style that cannot be crafted.
To tell if you can craft it there one trick you can do, if you have the Imperial edition. Right-clicking on any piece of equipment that has a motif style should give you the option to change it to the Imperial style (as long as it isn't already Imperial). If you see that option you should be able to craft it so you can then check through the motifs at a relevant crafting table to cross reference.
If you can't convert the item to Imperial then it must be of a 'non-motif' style that you cannot replicate via crafting.
It is a pain if you're keen to know what style each piece of equipment is, but that's the best way I know to do it.
I also just learned that each motif style actually has three different styles as you use different materials. So a iron ignot helm will look entirely different then a helm you craft with ebony ignots. I sounds odd but it'd true. Just tested this. Each motif depending on the material your using has three different looks and 9 different colors.
When you go to a crafting table to create a new item you can see the icon of what you are going to craft. One of these icons should match the icon of the item you are trying to identify the style of.
Yes each motif has different styles for different materials. But for a dropped item to be the level it is, it will be made of that level's material (ie level 46-50 items will be made of Ebon)
So the longer version is, if you want to identify the motif style of a piece of equipment (assuming it isn't a unique non-motif style).
1: Look at the icon of the item you want to identify
2: Use a relevant crafting table (blacksmith, clothing, etc)
3: Select the type of material that matches the level of the item
4: Switch through the motif styles until you find an icon that matches
That motif will be the style the item is crafted in. Deconstructing the item will give you a chance of getting the style 'gem' for that motif.
If you can't convert the item to Imperial then it must be of a 'non-motif' style that you cannot replicate via crafting.
The only items I have found that cannot be converted to imperial style are items which are specifically named, so usually that means quest reward items and set items. Not all set items use a unique non-motif model some do some don't. Necromancer set comes to mind as a set that does not have a motif, while warlock set uses T4 breton light cloth as it's style.
Very rarely have I encountered a quest reward with a unique look.