Ella Whelan
is a journalist, author of What Women Want, and co-convenor of the Battle of Ideas festival
Girlguiding has launched a new uniform for all its members with a focus on “self-expression, belonging and confidence”. The new clothes, in bright colours, also come with relaxed rules as the institution’s new “pared-back approach” means that members will only have to wear a regulation top to be considered “in uniform”.
It might be 36 years since the Guides, Rainbows, Brownies and Rangers had a uniform revamp, but changing fashion is hardly a new thing. Comparing the stiff, cotton, belted, brown frock of 1967 Brownies with its pre-stitched yellow tie to the shorts and Day-Glo yellow t-shirt of the 1980s uniform is a wonderful insight into a societal shift towards a more playful and relaxed approach to kids.
What has changed is the idea that uniforms – and by definition sticking to the rules – might no longer be so important. Girlguiding is making a fuss about its relaxation of what’s required of girls, headlining all their press releases with the aim that members feel “free to express themselves”.
