Electrical tape is, at best, a temporary solution. Before long it will come loose, and start sliding up and down the wire leaving a sticky residue behind. And while it will provide insulation to protect from shocks (already not a concern for me), it's not going to do very much for the structural integrity of the cable, i.e., to keep the thing from tearing worse or snapping.
So, yeah, while I'd rather the solution be as elegant/inconspicuous as possible, which is totally reasonable, it's not my only concern.