Marietta, GA / 2009 w/ just over 600 miles on it.

[Water Warrior 2]

Motorcycle gear comes in various forms. You can go just for looks without any or little protection or go for riding gear that is function before form. A jacket with armored elbows, shoulders and a back pad is a good bet. Riding pants that have knee and hip protection is the minimum for me. Decent boots of some sort. Many folks wear hiking boots, work boots or something similar. I have actual riding boots and won't settle for less now. Gloves. You must have gloves no matter what. If you do fall even at a low speed you will automatically stick your hands out. What about a bird strike or even a Bee at speed. They both hurt believe me. Moto specific gloves are cut with a curve to fit the grips. Some are armored and some aren't.
Better to mention this before I forget. You will find textile gear, mesh gear and leather gear. They all come with a variety of rain liners, vests and pockets for every occassion. Helmets are a big subject and everyone has their favorite. I much prefer a modular(flip face)helmet. The important thing about helmets is that they must fit properly and all else is secondary in my opinion.
Just to get your knowledge up and running: go to MotorcycleGear.Com and look at their inventory. Also a good place to buy stuff. Other members will also recommend their fav site to buy.