You could just get the armour to have the Glamoured Special Ability, causing it to have the cosmetics of your gentlemanly attire despite having all the benefits of armour.
Wearing a chain shirt under clothes should not be a problem. People may still be able to figure out you are wearing it. Making the chain shirt out of mithral should help, and you can probably have clothes specially tailored to do a better job of hiding it. Someone touching it will probably be able to figure it out even with that.
The skill disguise could also allow you to cover the fact you are wearing armor. All of this is of course up to your GM so talk to him about it.
Chain shirt would be wearable underneath anything really. Probably would want an undershirt, then the chain, then your fnacy victorian clothing.
Also, the glamered effect on armor could make your armor look like fancy victorian garments, when in reality its full plate. Not that you should wear full plate because you're an alchemist, but you get the point.
Edit: Wow, I like how within 1 minute of each other we all post the same basic ideas
For a bit of realism that probably not needed- you really shouldn't wear a chain shirt directly against your skin. It can be rather scratchy, particularly on...sensitive parts of the chest.
This is actually a problem that still exists today, oddly enough. Marathon runners often have to wear bandaids over....certain areas... because their sweat leaves behind salt after it evaporates, and they are basically running with salt encrusted shirts rubbing against them for miles on end. You do not want to look like you are nursing a baby vampire, do you?
So anyway, there is enough justification that you need extra layers, and as such you can't exactly hide the chain shirt very well in tropical weather. It is easy enough to do in colder climates though, having heavy robes/cloaks will...hide the chain shirt, although you will be the kind of guy that the guards will (very reasonably) stop every so often asking questions about thieve's guild or weird cults.
This is just me throwing out random justifications, but they still seem valid enough that a GM could use them. Just keep that in mind.
In addition to the Mithral Chain Shirt, there is Elven Chain. Either of those should work.
That said, I would go with Glamered armor. This way the gentleman can change what he appears to be wearing with a command.
I don't think the armored coat would work as well since it is medium armor. It specifically states it is more cumbersome than light armor which both the Mithral Shirt and Elven Chain are considered.
Chain shirt isn't subtle armor unless it's mithral.
By that you mean the noise? Because it's certainly relatively easy to hide from sight. However, anyone touching the persons chest would notice very easily, and the susurrus of the chain would probably give it away to anyone who bothered to listen. At the very least they would know something was up.
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Nice idea, I have made chain shirts into waistcoats for LARP before. They work very well so I see no reason not to have one for your character. I’m no armourer or tailor so …
Generally you need a good leather backing to attach it to and then cover the front in more leather to protect the material, then stich on the outer and inner material, attach the buttons and you are good to go.
It is a little heavy butnot really noticeable unless someone touches you but a nice overcoat and you will be fine. You could easily extend this over the shoulder as normal chain which would be hidden by the coat. The leather and material covering the chain holds it in place and prevents it from making much noise also making it great for those wanting to be stealthy.
I love the look of surprise when someone hits you and you just smile and hit them back over their protests that you are dead …. But, but, but, I hit you first …. Always amusing …
You could cut back on the chain and make a looser mesh which would probably be like studded leather in game term protection.
Have fun
Regards
Sic
I've had characters use glamored armor with sleeves of many garments to change what the armor looked like on the fly. It was pure fluff, and the GM had to go along with it, but it was fun.
Celestial armor specifically says it's light enough to be worn under clothing. "This +3 chainmail is so fine and light that it can be worn under normal clothing without betraying its presence."
I have worn a chainshirt under my clothes in public and the only times people noticed was when they bumped into me.
I was doing LARP and had no car so I had to get there by train, and it is much easier to wear chain than to carry it.