I actually prefer fvwm, although it sometimes feels a little bloat, especially if I'm forced to use fvwm2. That's the way X should be, and that's the way it shows its power. I don't see the need for gui apps under X, since the ideology it best works with is having multiple terminals and some special display windows (xload, xclock, pager) along it. Web browser and gimp tend to require gui, because of the way they operate.
I heavily dislike any theme crap on X, and I dislike it on windows as well. Form follows function, and as long as the UI is functional, it will look good too. In my opinion, the people who disagree are the kind of people who don't use computers as a tool, but rather want an entertainment center or a decorated idling place. I personalize my systems with functionality rather than looks.