Distinctive: a sneak peek at uniform design details

As you know, our new uniform for girls and volunteers is coming in 2026. It’s the first time in 30 years that we’ve updated the whole range at once.  

The full designs won’t be launched until summer 2026. But in the meantime, 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.  

This time, we’re looking at the design principle: ‘Uniform should be recognisable and distinctive’. It’s based on the need for uniform to clearly communicate who we are and what we do to the general public, so we can grow.  

So, let’s talk about brand, colours, and catch up with girls from Amplify, and some of our senior volunteers for their reactions to the designs.  

Brand awareness - not everything needs to change

Part of the reason we’re introducing the new uniform is to help Girlguiding grow, and build awareness among the general public. But, as we’ve shared previously, that doesn’t mean that everything has to change.  

If you’ve seen our social media lately, you know how iconic Brownies yellow is! Our recent Jeff Banks retro range has been going down a storm with members and non-members alike. Brownies tends to be our most recognised section, so the colour combination of brown and yellow isn’t going anywhere in the new designs.  

Similarly, Rainbows’ look is working really well – we know that the red, in combination with our rainbow logo, is well recognised. But we’ve added a few more elements from the new Rainbows brand colours, including pink and blue, to reflect girls’ preferences - younger girls told us they want something bright and colourful. And we’re leaning into the ‘rainbow’, with more rainbow colours featured in design elements across the whole range. The overall main colour on most of the garments is still red, but now with all that extra colour added, you definitely won’t miss Rainbows easily!   

So, if the Brownies and Rainbows uniforms are working best for awareness, how can we make sure Guides, Rangers and volunteer uniforms also look distinctive?  

Introducing 'the blue theory'

One of the things uniform can help us do is show the general public that we’re all one family, and that Girlguiding is here for girls of all ages. We’ve looked at how symbols like the trefoil can be used on all the sections to get that across. But for Guides and Rangers, that needed a bit more thought.  

We know our older sections aren’t as well recognised as Rainbows and Brownies. And as that’s the case, we’ve looked at how we can more clearly show that our older sections are a part of the same organisation. That’s where blue comes in. We have a lot of blue in the Girlguiding brand already – it’s our main brand colour, and it’s a colour that has a lot of history for us, as the very first Guide uniforms were blue.  

To take advantage of that, we’ve adopted an approach for Guides, Rangers and volunteers of all ages where everyone is wearing their own distinct shade of blue as the dominant colour. That works for older girls, who told us that they wanted more subtle, grown-up options, especially Rangers, who didn’t tend to like the idea of having purple as the main colour they wear. Guides have also been wearing blue for a long time. And it’s a good choice for volunteers, who need an option that’s wearable and practical.  

Guides and Rangers are still clearly differentiated from volunteers with their own logos and accent colours. And all the blues are different enough that any member of Girlguiding can tell the difference. But for the general public, it’s a clean look that clearly communicates that Girlguiding is a family. And it helps us stand apart from the Scouts!  

Reactions to the designs so far

We’re still working through the process of sampling, testing, and tweaking the new designs. Member feedback continues to be an important part of that process.

Recently we gave some of our senior volunteers – chief commissioners and their teams – a look at samples of the designs so they could give us their thoughts. The uniform was modelled live by girls and our chief guide team so everyone could see it on real bodies.

Because of course, this isn’t just about colour – it's also about how the uniforms fit and feel.  

Here’s what they told us:  

'The new uniform feels modern and fresh, while still having a nod to our traditions and heritage. It reflects who we are today – confident, inclusive, and forward-thinking – and it’s great to see something that girls and volunteers alike can wear with pride.' - Rona

‘I loved the feeling of family across the new range of uniform. I recognised the sections, but saw the way the designers had listened to the membership and produced something that looks modern, but familiar. The Rainbow and Brownies uniform is fun yet practical, and the Guide and Rangers uniform is more grown up. The wide range of adult uniform will give something for everyone! Well done!’ - Elaine

‘I loved how the young members looked when wearing the new uniform.  You could see that they felt really comfortable in it, that it made them feel good and proud to wear it and be part of the guiding family.’ - Amanda

‘I really like the new uniform. It looks fantastic. I can't choose a section I prefer because I like them all. I think the designers have listened and heard what volunteers and younger members said and what they wanted. I really like the "since 1910" - a lovely touch.’  - Karen

'I was super excited to see the blend of us being up to date and recognising our history - I am already excited about wearing this and sharing it with my Brownies and Guides!' - Hannah

What do girls think? 

We've also been lucky enough to get lots of feedback from Amplify, our youth steering group, as we've continued to test options for older girls. Here are some of their thoughts: 

'Everyone at Girlguiding has worked so hard to listen to Rangers' voices about their new uniform, to make sure it's what everyone really wants, so they can comfortably and proudly represent our organisation. We love it, and hope you do too!' - Lily

'I think they've done really well at making the Ranger uniform subtle 👍👍' - Amplify member

'✨ ✨ ✨ The uniform team have done a great job of listening to everyone. 👍 ✨ ✨ ✨' - Amplify member

Got a question about the launch of our new uniform? You can find lots more information on our website.