After more than three decades, Girlguiding has torn up the rulebook on what its members must wear. Under a sweeping redesign of its uniform range – the first since 1990 – girls will only need to pull on a top from the new collection to be considered “in uniform”. The rest is up to them: their own trousers, their own style.
The overhaul, which Girlguiding chief executive Felicity Oswald said put “practicality, comfort and sustainability” at its heart, was driven by feedback from thousands of Guides, Rainbows, Brownies and Rangers who demanded more choice and the ability to express themselves.
“Girlguiding ends requirement for full uniform, letting members wear own trousers under new range.”
The result is a 30-piece clothing range, plus 15 accessories and neckerchiefs, with prices starting at £12 for a T‑shirt. Design features include hidden pockets in waistbands, thumb holes and badge sashes that double as cross-body bags.
Twelve-year-old Guide Isy, trying on the new kit, told BBC Breakfast: “It’s really comfortable. It doesn’t feel like the old ones and it’s practical to move in.” Poppy, a seven-year-old Brownie, had a clear priority: “I wanted loads of pockets, because I always lose badges, so I wanted somewhere to put them.” She showed off the new Brownies gilet, which doubles as a pillow and has “another secret pocket”.
Oswald said the range was “all about providing girls with the freedom to express themselves, whilst feeling part of our amazing organisation”. Nobody is being forced to swap overnight: members can keep wearing the old uniform until they need a replacement. As Chief Girl Guide Tracey Foster put it on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “If you love that current polo shirt, then wear it until it falls to bits.”