[img]http://zeldawiki.org/images/0/04/Link_Zora_Armor.png[/img] 

Looks like armor to me... Link also had leather bracers, btw. And don't forget Nayru's Love. 

Anyways, Link was the Hero of Time and was able to collect weird things like heart containers that made him nigh impossible to kill by the end of the game. It's a little bit hard to just up and compare your character and his/her ability to take damage to something like that... 

Either way, if you're a Shiekah that prefers to get the most out of their stealth and speed, I understand not wanting to make the sacrifice, but... 

[img]http://zeldawiki.org/images/4/4f/Impa_OoT_3D.png[/img] 

Even Impa wore a bit of heavy duty armor..