I love how Imperial armor looks, but it's pretty much useless by the time I hit level 6. I'd love a mod that makes all the armor types look like Imperial armor when I am wearing it. Even better if it doesn't affect NPCs, just me.

Useless?! Have you tried upgrading it through blacksmithing? My character is level 30, and I can upgrade Imperial Heavy Armor to be almost as strong as Steel Plate.

Compared to Dwarven it is. And I can learn how to make dwarven armor really early.

And upgrade steel plate far beyond imperial heavy armor?

If we could work it in so you added better materials to your favourite armours to make them as good as the highest light/heavy class then we'd be on the right track. I love the elven armour and weapons, and will probably persist with them despite them being inferior at higher levels.

Move the "Advanced Armours" perk out of the light armour chain then allow you to make scaled and plated armours of all types based on the basic material. Dragon Scaled Eleven Armour or Ebon Plated Dwarven Armour for example.

Keep all crafted armour types in play, and yet get the benefit from the advancement in Smithing.

Either way the armor rating is huge enough to get you through the game, try not to worry about the stats, equip whatever looks best/suits your character.

My Voodoo priestess only wears Forsaken equipment, with various improvements and enchantments.

But it is still isn't useless. Something doesn't have to have the absolute best stats in order to be useful.

Well, you might make a mod where you will acutally be rewarded for the imperial questline by being given better imperial armor sets, I'd certainly support that idea.

That's a great idea!