Question about shields

I'm currently flying an Origin 325a with upgraded components (QT, shields, weps). I'm primarily a PVE bounty hunter, mostly bunker missions but I do enjoy dogfighting, except for the fact that my ship apparently can't handle even a minor fender-bender without major damage.

I used to play a lot of Elite Dangerous and other space sims, so I think my flying skills are medium to good...I believe the issue I have is with weak shields. I've learned that unlike ED, a lot of the NPC ships only follow the kamikaze strategy, and if one of them even touches my ship in passing I can count on losing a piece of my wing and probably a wing gun as well. This happens even if I'm flying on full 5 pips for shields; my lovely ship has all the body strength of a Cadbury creme egg.

In ED, you can turn your ship into a "shield tank" by adding more shield generators and heat sinks for fast recharge. In addition, ED allows you to upgrade your hull material with military composite materials and the like. Is there an analog in SC that will enable me to bulk up my ship so it isn't quite so fragile? I have over 15m aUEC, so upgrading components or even my ship is an option...although I've checked out the medium fighter options in SC and I'm not seeing anything that's a clear upgrade to my Origin 325a (keep in mind I prize good looks and a cool interior above almost all else). Any advice is welcome...thanks!