You can choose to wear glamour gear or old gear that's horizontal progression right? But you say "those are clearly suboptimal choices." Well that's the problem with supposed Horizontal Progression, there will always be optimal choices and suboptimal choices. THere's no such thing as Horizonal Progression just Vertical Progression with the illusion of choice and more effort put in by the Developers to lie to you.

I prefer transparency as a rule and not people tricking me.