Congrats on the new kilt! I wore my new USAK casual with the full family for the first time today. They got used to it quickly and I've got a cousin who's interested in finding a kilt for himself.
As for basting stitches: my casual didn't come with any and when I washed it last week I had no problems. I washed it in cold water on the gentle cycle and then hung it up to dry. Simply running my fingers down the pleats made them look as good as new. Incredible!