Girl Guides get new casual dress code to promote 'belonging' and 'inclusiveness' in first overhaul in 30 years

Girl guides will get their first major uniform redesign in more than 30 years, with a new casual dress code to boost 'belonging' and 'inclusiveness'.From today, girls will only have to wear a branded top instead of a full uniform, so that they can 'express themselves' with their own styles.It means Guides, Brownies and Rainbows can pair the new tops with their own clothes – whereas previously they had to wear branded leggings or trousers.Promotional photos show girls modelling the new tops with jeans, tartan skirts, wacky sunglasses, head scarves, animal ears and fun hair accessories.It comes after Girlguiding was forced in December to U-turn on its decision to relax its rules by allowing male-born transgender members to join, following a legal challenge from a parent.The new uniform, which has taken two years to redesign, also has a focus on affordability and eco-friendliness, with more recyclable materials used.Girlguiding chief executive Felicity Oswald said: 'The new range is all about providing girls with the freedom to express themselves, whilst feeling part of our amazing organisation. With practicality, comfort and sustainability at the very core of the designs.'We know that self-expression and confidence go hand in hand. Girl guides will get their first major uniform redesign in more than 30 years, with a new casual dress code to boost 'belonging' and 'inclusiveness' (pictured: the new Guides tops) From today, girls will only have to wear a branded top instead of a full uniform, so that they can 'express themselves' with their own styles (pictured: the new Guides designs)It means Guides, Brownies and Rainbows can pair the new tops with their own clothes – whereas previously they had to wear branded leggings or trousers. The new tops for the Guides, who are aged ten to 14, have a plain blue colour scheme (pictured) Girlguiding chief executive Felicity Oswald said: 'The new range is all about providing girls with the freedom to express themselves' (pictured: the old Guides uniform) Promotional photos show girls modelling the new tops with jeans, tartan skirts, wacky sunglasses, head scarves, animal ears and fun hair accessories (pictured: the new Rainbows designs) The tops for Rainbows, aged four to seven, have become jazzier – with the old red designs replaced with pink and rainbow stripes (pictured: a new Rainbows top) Pictured: the old Rainbows uniform 'With girls in guiding being 30 per cent more confident, the introduction of the new uniform is designed to further nurture that confidence and foster a true sense of belonging.'This is the first full redesign in 36 years, although many parts of the uniform have changed individually in that time.The organisation said it has been 'designed to be styled any way the girls want', with a focus on 'self-expression and flexibility', and supporting 'freedom of choice and personal style'.Under the new rules, girls need to wear a branded t-shirt, long-sleeved top or hoodie, but can also choose to wear other optional branded items such as shorts, gilets and caps.The new tops for the Guides, who are aged ten to 14, have a more toned-down muted blue colour scheme, in contrast to the old bright blue and red designs – a change requested by members.Meanwhile, the tops for Rainbows, aged four to seven, have become jazzier – with the old red designs replaced with pink and rainbow stripes.The tops for Brownies, aged seven to ten, have retained the old yellow and brown colour scheme but include an updated striped design.They all feature the organisation's new logos, which were revealed in 2023. The new tops for Brownies, aged seven to ten, have retained the old yellow and brown colour scheme but include an updated striped design (pictured) Pictured: the old Brownie uniform design This is the first full redesign in 36 years, although may parts of the uniform have changed individually in that time (pictured: how the Guides uniforms looked in the 1990s)The entire range is made up of 30 garments, 15 accessories and neckerchiefs, with the latter able to be personalised.Other features include hidden pockets in waist bands, thumb holes, and badge sashes which double up as cross-body bags.Gilets can also be folded up to act as pillows for camping.Girlguiding said a recent survey of 2,000 girls aged six to 16 found that 93 per cent said they feel most comfortable when they can choose how to style themselves.Girlguiding ambassador and presenter Angellica Bell said the new uniform 'gives girls and volunteers the freedom to style it the way that suits them'.She added: 'The range is filled with playful, bold colours and practical designs.'It's clear to see just how much thought has gone into the co-creation of this inclusive, eco-friendly collection.'The new uniform empowers girls and volunteers to embrace their individuality.'The new designs were created in collaboration with 55,000 members by HemingwayDesign, founded by Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway, who were also behind the 90s fashion brand Red or Dead.The pair were childhood sweethearts in Morecambe, Lancashire, and rose to success by hand-making clothes for their stall in Camden Market, London.Girlguiding currently has around 300,000 members, as well as around 80,000 volunteers.Its announcement in December on trans members came after a parent wrote a legal letter in the wake of the 2025 Supreme Court ruling, which said that female-only spaces should be protected.