Gloves: Necessary, must be leather...should have stiff armor for knuckles.
Helmet: You need one that is either DOT or Snell rated. DOT is going to protect you better from 40-80mph and snell will do a better job at 80+. You do NOT need to spend $400, but you do need one that is new. Get a Scorpion, HJC, or BELL if you want to get a great helmet at a great price. Leave the Shoei and Arai helmets for the guys who print money for a living.
Boots: MUST be designed for motorcyclists. Recommend anything by Sidi, or the new Pumas if you have the $$.
Jackets: Must have spine, elbow, shoulder armor....you can go either leather (best) or textile (a close second), depending on your budget. Unless you are making 150mph runs down the highway, leather is great but not necessary.
Pants: Jeans are a BARE MINIMUM. Riding jeans or reinforced riding pants with knee pads are the next step up...full on leather pants are best, but hot and expensive.
Weight: All the gear will fit you. Motorcycle gear is cut to fit almost everyone and avoid product returns.
Welcome to the addiction
Let me put it this way about gear: Any piece of flesh that is not covered by a piece of dedicated motorcycle gear, count on losing when you go down.