I've always thought the color stood out a bit too much and didn't look well with most equipment.  My thought on that matter is that it may have been designed thusly for a specific purpose however.  I didn't care for the tabard before I joined up and still don't, really, but obviously it didn't keep me away!

Two things...  First of all the &quot;what's in a name&quot; issue.  I mean, if people are used to seeing the tabard and it changes, it may change how onlookers feel about the guild - or even if guild members are noticed as such.  While this may be a positive thing for some guilds, our guild rocks.

The other thing is that the decision has been made unequivocally (LORD that was a tough one to spell) by the powers that be not to change it anyway...  :)

That said, design #3 is my favorite, followed closely by #2.  I don't care for #1 all that much.  You can probably guess by now that I think it sticks out too much and doesn't go well with other equipment. lol  Anyway, I appreciate the time spent by the op!