byI'm trying to use seams as texture edges less often. It's a useful trick that I'm still using in a lot of parts of my model. But it by design gives a really sharp edge, and I'm finding I want a softer transition in a few places. So I've started putting a one-polygon border in places I know I want that soft edge, and drawing it in by hand.
Usually that border is right on a separately-seamed region that's elsewhere on the texture. Though, I think as I get better at texturing I can skip even doing that and just have (mostly) contiguous body/outfit textures. Baby steps.