Ozzman,
The way I see it is the gear is to protect you if S**t happens. If you actually do need to use the gear, which would you rather have, scrapes on the gear and some bruises, or a few broken bones, some road rash, and other problems. Who cares what you look like as you go down the road, I would rather look and feel good after a crash then not look like a dork while riding.
Ed C