Jenny, to back up what JShirley said, while this may be a legitimate inquiry, the natural suspicion of a forum like this is immediately "Mall Ninja". There are gazillions of threads to reinforce and perpetuate that immediate suspicion. Even on a board as well moderated as the high road, I have read any number of utterly ridiculous threads relating to completely fantastical things. Honestly, my first thought was that this was some kid looking to parlay his recent purchase of a flea market sword into a full on street ninja kit, which is not only dumb, but likely to get him severely beaten if not killed. A main tenet of keeping yourself safe is to try to blend in, not to stand out. Legitimately, there was some question as to intent. a person looking for reasonable alternatives like a leather jacket is good conversation; a kid looking for a place to buy full on medieval armor while defending home and hearth from enemies real and imagined is not great conversation and quickly veers to the stupid, and locked.
Still, if you look, the guy actually did get some decent advice and some good links, and I think he established that he isn't a kook. I can also assure you that he got legitimate advice from not one, but two very well-informed and knowledgeable moderators, neither of whom are particularly inclined to let goofy mall ninja threads exist.