Inclusive and affordable
A sneak peek at uniform design details
Inclusive and affordable: a sneak peek at uniform design details
Inclusive and affordable: a sneak peek at uniform design details
Illustrations by Rachel Akerman
From sketch to stitch: how we're making our new uniform work for everyone
As you probably know, our new uniform for girls and volunteers is launching in June 2026. It’s been 30 years since we’ve updated the whole range at once, so it’s an exciting time!
While we wait for launch, we’re sharing a series of sneak peeks at some of the design details going into the new range, based on our 5 design principles.
We’ve already explored how important uniform is to our effort to grow, and be better recognised by the general public. But the new uniform is also an opportunity to improve on what we already have, by making a range that’s designed to last, fits everyone better, and is more inclusive and affordable.
Testing out the sizing and fit
Throughout the design process, we've had lots of feedback from volunteers about how important it is to get the sizing and fit right. We've always listened to members, and worked hard to make adjustments to the sizing of all our clothes whenever we receive feedback. Getting a great fit across a range of sizes, heights and preferences is hard, because it’s so personal and individual. We can’t achieve perfection. But we can continue to make improvements wherever we can.
We decided to use the new uniform launch as an opportunity to change our current sizing system, and make it more consistent. Hopefully this should help everyone choose the best option, especially parents and carers, who need a clear steer on how the uniform will fit their children at different ages.
We’re at the stage of the design process where we’re sampling items of the new uniform, and making tweaks. Before we commit to the final versions, we need to be sure that the uniform works across a variety of different sizes.
Back in June, we invited members who lived in the North West area to come to our online shop offices in Altrincham. We wanted to run sizing and fit sessions for members of all ages – girls and volunteers – to put the uniform through its paces.
To know something is a good fit, it’s not enough to just see how it looks in a mirror. You’ve got to move in it to get a sense of how it works on your body, how the seams feel, and how the fabric breathes. So we lined up a series of guiding activities, and asked everyone to tell us how the uniform felt.
Girls played a series of guiding games, and everyone got stretching and moving. Despite being asked to set up a tent on a very warm day, volunteers threw themselves in!
At the end of the session, we asked volunteers what they thought:
The whole adult range is inclusive from size 6-32 so it was a special moment for the whole team to see the uniform on different bodies. The feedback we got from volunteers and girls on the day is being fed into the latest round of tweaks and adjustments to the designs.
How we're keeping uniform affordable
With the new range, we’re updating our uniform guidance. Lots of volunteers, parents and carers have told us it’s currently confusing to figure out what’s required. And we know a lot of things, from guidance on what to wear and when, to badge placement, need to be clearer.
We’re proud to be a uniformed organisation. Our members tell us it’s a great unifier, and helps everyone feel a sense of belonging. But it’s also important that uniform should never be a barrier to anyone who wants to join. There’s a variety of items in the new range, as we know how important it is to offer flexibility and personal choice when it comes to deciding what to wear. But we don’t want any parent, carer, girl or volunteer to feel like they need to buy everything in order to fit in.
That’s why we’re going to be making it clear that the only thing members of all ages need to wear to be ‘in uniform’ is a t-shirt. There are a few different tops for all sections and volunteers to choose from, which all count as uniform as well. And of course, there are a few bottoms options for everyone. But the t-shirt is the lowest priced option, easy to wear with your own clothes, and comfortable for all guiding activities. By being clear about this approach, we’re hoping to make sure that parents, carers and girls who are thinking about joining see us as an accessible choice.
It’s also important to know that there will be no set date by which everyone needs to be wearing the new uniform. You can keep wearing your current uniform until you need a replacement, or you decide the time is right for you to get something new. It’s up to you, and there’s no need to tell parents or carers that they have to buy the new range either.
Rather than make anything mandatory, our hope is that the new range is something members choose to wear, because it makes you feel happy, comfortable and proud to be in guiding. Volunteers who tested out the uniform so far have told us that we’re on the right track – we hope you love it as much as they do when it launches.
In the meantime, check out some design details that are helping to make the new uniform work for everyone.
We're not sharing the full designs yet, but click the blue buttons for design details of some specific items!
We're not sharing the full designs yet, but click the blue buttons for design details of some specific items!
We're not sharing the full designs yet, but click the blue buttons for design details of some specific items!
You can find more information about the design process of our new uniform, including the previous updates in our design details sneak peek series, on our website.
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