Personal preference. IMO, soft or laminate - with perhaps some plate mixed in. You want as much stamina regeneration as possible to keep distance and jump over terrain as a Veela foot archer.
Qick tip: If you're using a shield in melee, there are some bodyparts that might not need as much protection. Get those to low weight and use a heavy helmet instead.
If you plan on goin melee for anything other than blocking the ones getting close to you, get armor training and use at least some light plate IMO.