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?

I think I just quite like the shirts (and yes, as another PP said, the girls have "blouses", they are different shape to the boys shirts although the fit is questionable).

Scouts is a uniformed organisation, and as such have a uniform which (once they've tucked shirts in, done up the buttons and rolled their scarves properly) look smart. And they do have a pride in their uniforms - they are awarded points for being neat and they do their best, with the elder ones helping the younger each week without prompting. And it's never impeded an activity yet on a weeknight... The scarves regularly come off (not good when lighting fires!), but shirts rarely unless hot.

They always look much smarter and more uniform than the Guides on parades in the town - with so many options of clothing, the guides never quite match each other, and due to the style of clothing can look scruffy? I know that's not everything, and Guides and Scouts are about being active and doing stuff - but having pride in what you do/who you are is good too!

Our Guides wear bright red neckers when we take them out - very useful!

Memories of trying to do a headcount in the dark, becoming increasingly worried we had lost a cub... before realising that tall shape to my left was the Cub who was taller than me (and im 5ft7, not short!)

Thank you for all your thoughts!

I do agree its not smart but honestly? We don’t do any parade type stuff so smart isn’t important to us!

I hadn’t clocked yesterday the back of the hoodies with ‘brownies’ sideways which I am unconvinced by! It’s all up on the website and I think the prices are broadly reasonable, the gilets do seem a bit pricey in comparison to the rest.

Yes I agree re gilet pricing. My daughter started brownies last term and I only bought a T-shirt and said we’d choose some new uniform over the summer. Of course the thing she really wants is the damn gilet which is both out of stock and very expensive (and the only part of the new uniform I’m not keen on!)

I currently have a Scout, an Explorer snd a just about starting Rangers girls in my house.

Thr consenus is... the hoodies are better idea than the Explorer shirt... but they are all very WTF about the sash bag.

(And apparently the Beaver and Cub uniforms are better than Rainbow and Brownie. They were shocked at my 90s brownie uniform pictures)

They don't need both uniforms if they do both things.

Yes me and the other 2 mums of the girls who joined at the same time feel the same. We wish they’d said something!

For the most part it looks comfortable and practical, which are the most important points. The Brownies and Rainbow sections look good. Guiding and Rangers is still fairly practical but pretty boring (the blue is always going to look too much like a primary school uniform to me).

The variety in tops is good but there don't seem to be any skirts/dress options in any of the sections. That may be because the sorts of girls who go into Guiding aren't keen, at least for when they are Guiding, but that seems at odds with what I've seen girls wearing by choice.

But I haven't been a guide for decades so not exactly an important opinion!

The last iteration of the uniform for guides had a skirt and a dress I believe. I have seen them on the website but literally never on a Guide in real life! They’re completely impractical for most activities Guides do, and most parents won’t want to splash out on an extra uniform item just for parade or whenever they might be worn.

I don't know what the last uniform was like, when I was a guide the skirt was a heavy, school uniform like thing that was a pain in the ass and part (along with school uniform) of what put me off skirts for a long time! But I see girls today, including my own kids, in skirts/short dresses and leggings all over the place doing everything from sitting reading to climbing trees and rafting. It seems practical and a favourite, which was why it surprised me. But as I say - no longer a guide nor involved in guiding so...

I'm sorry they didnt let you know. We're all volunteers and sometimes miss stuff or just send out our standard welcome template letters if we are busy with work/life/family.

You definitely dont have to change straight away. Most of our 10 and 11 year olds outgrown their first uniform so maybe something to look forward to in a year or so? Or maybe get one of the items that is for Guides, Rangers and adults with room to grow so that she can get plenty of wear out of it. There are also lots of accessories like the hats and sash belt which would go with our current uniform.

There will definitely be lots wearing the old uniform for a while yet as families won't replace until their daughters grow and some will still buy preloved. I think we'll see the new t-shirt with old zip hoodie for a good few years yet. Our leaders won't be changing straight away (even though I really like the new leader polo shirt.....)

The photos that I've seen have a young leader t-shirt. I suspect we'll see the girls doing both getting both shirts and a universal top

Love the new rainbow uniform - very sweet indeed. And thanks for the reminder that I've 6 Brownie badges to sew on before the new term. In Scotland so time is getting on!

Had the tabard for rainbows and the culottes for brownies. But i started Guides just as they introduced the new uniform in the early 00s so had that gilet and a few pieces from that range. My mum still wears my Rangers rugby shirt from the mid to late 00s.

I like the new Rainbows tops - I really dislike the pale blue of the current one, because I think it just looks like dirty white.

I still miss the 80s uniforms. I was one of the last in the brown dress and bobble hat - my sister got the culottes and sash (which I didn't like because the brown looked like a sickly brown-green to me). I also hated baseball caps and hoodies and was disappointed to miss out on the old smart Guide uniform.

As a baseball cap hater even now, I'm glad there's a beanie option!

My DD did beavers cubs and scouts briefly. The scouts shirt was hideous. My DS quit after cubs as his group wasn’t great but also I think the uniform but him off