I'm just going to get right down to it...love me, hate me I care not...for someone has gifted us with an idea and it is this:

What if...now try to stay with me...what...if...you could...be wearing a skeleton costume for example...and equip your armor on top of that...so you could be an armored skeleton...or a your armor Bloodthorn or Bandit or Cultist whatever the costume may be. And it wouldn't be like an all or nothing thing, like you would always have your armor and stats equipped, but could choose which pieces showed on top of the costume...boom. Miiiiiind, Buh-looooooown