If you decide to lay up your own panels the number of layers will be determined by the weight of weave you use, the type of weave you use, the type of material (carbon, kevlar, glass, blended, etc).
For a good mix of aesthetic, coolness, and strength I would use something like
this colored/blended fabric and do either 5 layers alone, or 2-3 layers on top and bottom of a core material (just from the seat of my pants) and definitely use epoxy for the medium. Don't forget to do a multi-angle layup.