I'm going to step into the fire on this one. The kilt is an ideal that evolves even today. We may regard the "modern" kilts negatively, because it is a great change. Change is always a risk. But it makes me think, ~150 years ago, give or take a decade, do you think that the same view came into play as the knife pleat took over from the box pleat?

When the 'school girl' uniform came into play, was there lots of sick stomachs? Is a Utilikilt give the same sour thoughts, or different ones being that it is at least designed for men?

I usually wear a tshirt with my kilt. It's not 'formal' but I don't care. Was there derision when the kilt went from daily use to high formal use? Is wearing a tshirt really greatly different than the first kilt wearers wearing just whatever shirt they had?

I think the better way to think of it is

If you took what we call a kilt today, and gave it to a person who wore an early kilt, would they A: consider it a kilt & B: wear it? Ignore different names and all that, would our modern kilts fit their needs? With our sewn down pleats, interfacing, steeking, etc. Or would they call even our 'traditional' kilts an unholy creation?

Just saying.