I've been down a few times as well. I was thankful for all of the gear every time, especially the helmet. I'm pretty sure that my gear saved me from the pain of some likely injuries if I hadn't been wearing. Jeans may not be leather or kevlar but it's better than nothing when you go skittering across the pavement.

When I ride, it's always with boots, gloves, jacket and helmet. Until recently, I used to pull an oversized pair of overalls over my other clothes and I wore a full-face helmet. I change the jacket depending on weather, so anything from a jean jacket for hot weather to a bomber jacket with a fleece lining for the really cold weather.