Neal, I could loan you a boring pair of my khakis, an ugly button down shirt, and some Birkentstocks and you can dress "better" too!
For me, the extra-hard polymer strings are the answer, not only for durability but also for the tighter feel and the tonal clarity. Inspired by Jake's use of more rigid strings (he has his own signature set now, but used to put together his set by using classical guitar strings).