The funny thing about armor in a level 1 Elden Ring run is that it's useless for defense. After Limgrave, most enemies will kill players in just one attack on a level 1 run. The player's HP 'pool' here is practically just a 'puddle.' At best, armor is mostly just a fashion statement in this kind of challenge run. Worse, they might even take up precious Equid Load limit. That's why a lot of level 1 run characters just prefer to do it naked.