In 2023, we won the tender to design a new uniform for Girlguiding, for all 385,000 members of the movement, and this July (2026) saw its launch. The redesign is Girlguiding’s first complete uniform redesign in over 30 years, and the outcome is believed to be the world’s largest garment co-creation project – we can’t find any evidence of a more inclusive, hands-on engagement process anywhere.
Working alongside Girlguiding, HemingwayDesign helped engage more than 55,000 girls and women in shaping the new uniform. Ten years after our work with Transport for London, where over 16,000 members of its 21,000-strong workforce helped co-design a new uniform, this project has taken the scale – and the ambition – of co-creation to a whole new level.
We listened to, analysed and acted on all 55,000 responses, using them to directly inform each step of the design process. It became clear that keeping distinct uniforms across the different Sections (Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers.) was essential, not just for identification, but because age and experience alone shaped such different wants and needs around uniform.
Younger girls (Brownies & Rainbows) sought out colour, pattern and vibrancy – fun. Older cohorts (Guides & Rangers) tended to look for subtlety and maturity through calmer, more muted colours, like greys and blues, as well as smaller logos. A shared belief across all cohorts was the importance of sustainability, a genuinely inspiring thing to hear, and one of our two key design principles. The other was affordability, ensuring each garment delivered the best value and quality for the best price.
This is a uniform that is deliberately far from uniform. It recognises that the needs, values and confidence of a four-year-old Rainbow are very different from those of an eighty-four-year-old volunteer. Rather than prescribing what people should wear, it offers choice, flexibility and freedom of expression. It also acknowledges that uniform can be a financial commitment for some families, allowing girls to wear as little as a Girlguiding T-shirt and still feel fully part of the movement. New pieces are designed to work alongside existing clothing and even uniforms from previous generations, making the collection more accessible, sustainable and personal.
“We are incredibly proud and excited to reveal our new uniform. Designed in collaboration with thousands of girls and young women with the expertise of HemingwayDesign means we could respond directly to our members’ wants and needs.”
Felicity Oswald, Girlguiding CEO
