To be pleasantly surprised (Girlguiding uniform)

[brownieleader]

Guiding have just launched the new uniform - it’s the first time since the 90s that all the sections have had a new look together (although each section has had it’s own individual new uniform in that time I think?)

I’m a leader and am often 🤨 at a lot of HQ decisions but overall I like this! I like how it’s not too dissimilar to the old stuff so won’t matter that units will be mix of styles for a couple of years. The Rainbows in particular I think is adorable and my girls will LOVE it but what does everyone else think? Yay / nay / cba?

My daughter started guides in January and had new uniform for this - clearly this has been in the pipeline for a while and I’m rather annoyed because it would be quite expensive to re-buy everything when she’s only just got it all and only wears it 2hrs a week!

Surely no one wants to wear that any more. I was embarrassed enough in the 1980s with the uniform aged 7.

My brownie really likes it. I was at the Zoom meeting this evening where the uniform was showcased. We like that the sash has a pocket! And she loves the stripey top. I like that thought has been put into making the fabrics soft, easy to care for and without itchy tags. I also like that the shorts and leggings have been designed with being active in mind. My daughter's brownie experience is so outdoorsy compared to mine, clothes for a variety of outdoor weathers are so sensible.

They've been really clear throughout that old uniform will remain acceptable until it's totally worn out! They're expecting a few years at least of a crossover where kids will wear both styles

Oh my goodness, I was there! I was in guides by then but still freezing in my uniform. Loads of people ended up with hypothermia!

In my Brownie pack the girls were all wearing their tunics with a brown skirt by their third year. 😄

Yes, my daughter has just started brownies and the leader made it very clear that no new uniform is required. I only bought her a T-shirt and she had a hand me down hoodie, so I may splash out on some new bits for her now. I expect she’ll be in the minority at her unit though!

I still have my old brownie tunic! I took it in to my daughter’s Brownies when she enrolled.

Yes, your leader should have told you. My daughter started at her unit in Jan of this year and in our welcome email, the leader said not to buy uniform if we didnt want to due to the new stuff coming out (obviously I knew as a leader anyway but this was a general email to all the new starters). There is no pressure to change though - HQ have said girls can wear the current uniform for as long as it fits. If she is really desperate, maybe you could just buy her a new tshirt and she could wear her current one for camps / residentials?

@Oscillatingi am jealous of you as I never had the purse on the belt 😖

I really like all of it. I'm a leader and mother of a rainbow and I think my bank balance is going to suffer somewhat 😅
I agree with those that say practical and comfortable is more important for the weekly activities, rather than the one day a year we might go to a parade. Those who talk about parades make it sound like we do that every week! We've always got our Guides and Rangers to wear their school skirts etc with their uniform tops for Remembrance and they look very smart. And they're always much warmer than the Girls Brigade beside us!

It's all great, so practical

I’m not at all keen on that pink for Rainbows, so stereotyping. Shame they kept the yellow and brown for Brownies. Really like the Guide one and DD is going up in September so nice excuse to buy some new stuff!

Brown and yellow are the traditional colours though.

It's rainbows turning pink which is the move away (and really fucking annoying) but the members chose it so 🤷

The leaders uniform is underwhelming. More impractical cotton t-shirts in a slightly different shade of blue. I may as well stick with my faded ancient ones. (Apparently not for tumble dryers either )

The "snugby" and hoodie are a bit more interesting. The downside of the snugby is the collar to lump over the collars on the polo t-shirts which looks awkward.

I like the look of the sash bag. That's different, and useful. More space than a badge tab and not bouncing around litterally getting on your tits. It's a practical nod back to traditional sashes which is nice.

To be fair the pale blue that was the main front of the Rainbow t-shirt tended to go a washed out grey after 3 washes. Pink will wash better with red. I like the Rainbow colours on there too. I can see the appeal for 4-7 year olds.

I was a Brownie then Guide in the early '70's. Our guide Captain must have been very forward thinking. Most weeks between Easter and September we were told to turn up in camping uniform if we wanted. That was navy shorts and light blue polo shirt. Quite liked to smart skirt and blouse though

I'd never have got DD to Rainbows (had I wanted to) if the uniform was pink and rainbows. Bit twee. Everything else looks fine

I’ve still got my brownie dress and bobble hat etc. I don’t know why I kept it. It was very impractical really. The straightness of the skirt was rubbish when playing games that needed you to run and jump. The worst uniform though was the jumpers with massive writing on.

Re Scouts.

Apparently they are updating the uniform.

They've been saying this for about five years though!

The necker is the distinctive thing but a change to polo shirts for all sections really wouldn't go amiss tbh. It's not like the badges when you get to scout level are reasonably achievable (if you do them properly and don't just fudge them) apart from nights away due to lunacy by someone who wrote the criteria.

Yes I loved my brownies dress and the little pouch but this is the 2020s people! These are girls are active, brave and adventurous individuals and they need clothes to match.

i love the new look, i especially like the way you only really need the T shirt to know that you are part of the group - it makes it accessible to everyone. I think the whole look is really sustainable.

Brownies do much more outdoor & adventure stuff now.
Would you want to do orienteering, climbing, abseiling and football in a dress?

There's lots of evidence that shows that girls wearing skirts & 'girl' shoes do a lot less physical activities & games than those wearing joggers & trainers

I am a bit annoyed in a selfish way 🤣 I know my rainbow will want the new uniform and I won’t begrudge getting her it. But I have spent ages sewing her bloody badges onto her polo shirt (I’m now the best at sewing!) and she will be moving up to brownies in March so it doesn’t feel worthwhile to take them off the polo shirt and sew them onto something else again but I know she would want them on her new uniform! If only they’d waited a year 🤣

If you don't mind spending out on a new uniform and your only objection is moving badges then stitch ripper to get them off the old uniform and fabric glue to put them on the new one.

Or buy the warmer layer in the new design for her to wear over her polo.

The previous red and blue Guide one made them look like they were moonlighting for Dominoes delivery so I'm glad that got binned. I was the era of the transition over to the Jeff Banks one as a Guide, but I do miss those lovely cabin crew type hats you could really have cracking fights hitting your friend with.

In the end, disappointingly since I got so much out of Guiding as a kid (I'm still in touch with my old Guide and Brownie leaders) - my kids didn't gel with Rainbows (our local one couldn't deal with DD1 not being the type of girl to sit and colour in quietly) and ended up going all the way up through Scouting - not an issue with the organisation as a whole - it's just very luck of the draw about how groups are in your neck of the woods.