You pretty much said it, as an example I've gone for a subtle partial gold highlight to my kensai's blade with a practical but partial decorative grip, but it appears that from now on i have to look how ubi-**** wants me to which is someone sporting more bling than a try hard gangster rapper, next update lets you buy some trashy gold inlaid hour glass you hang from your neck and covers your entire chest, for 5000 steel of course.
Honestly? I'd be more at home with some more smooth armors and textures. Maybe scaled armor plates on Knights and Vikings, or just unique additions to each piece. Just make each armor piece very unique looking in its own way.
Or, if you really want to make every armor piece unique, allow customization for specific parts of the piece (i.e. shoulder plates, chest piece, and something else for Warden's chest piece) but have them all fall under the chest category for gear stats. Just having more customization options that are unique would honestly make character customization much more satisfying.
ok so heres the real problem, why is it you have to pay 500 steel to change your look and only if you have another piece of gear with that look in your inventory, HOW IT SHOULD WORK pay 500 steel to unlock said items look without tier restriction, when unlocked let us switch between looks as we please, some of us are fickle we may regret said gear look changes PLEASE UBISOFT PLEASE MAKE THIS HAPPEN