If in the realm of traditional/classic Highland apparel there is a continuum ranging from historical to modern, where is the conceptual division?
I've been reading this thread hoping to find the answer to that very question myself, and I'm glad you posed it in such a concise way.

For those of us who are new to wearing the kilt, it's an important distinction. When trying to piece together our wardrobe, we are often drawn to certain styles but want to make sure we're "doing it right", for lack of a better term. I would like to present a traditional/classic style but not step over that line (wherever it may be) that makes it look like it's a historical costume.

One of the styles I admit being drawn to is the way Josh (of Skye Highland Outfitters) wears a horse hair sporran and diced hose for day wear. To me, that is classic, traditional, as well as being historic (though not so historic as to look like a reenactor's costume).

A belted plaid, though, would be a little too historic for anything but reenacting.

So surely there's a line somewhere. But defining it is tricky and everyone will put the line somewhere different.

I don't really want to get into the argument of price and such, but there's an important point to be made there as well. I don't think anybody chooses to wear "cheap crap" if they could afford high-quality bespoke items. People buy the best they can afford. If it's a choice between wearing cheap stuff or staying at home, people will wear the cheap stuff. Does this harm the industry? Perhaps. But I'd venture to say that the number of people out there in the general population who can afford to spend umpteen thousands of dollars on a nice outfit are pretty low. For the vast majority of people, there simply isn't a choice. You buy what you can afford, and you shouldn't be ashamed of it.