The Girl Scouts of the USA is reimagining its historic uniforms with the help of three students from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology. The new collection plays on themes seen in other uniform collections, such as interchangeable pieces, with 18 new items and a new vest and sash. It’s the first redesign in more than 20 years.
License Global reported that the collaboration was a way for the Girl Scouts to “better reflect the young female change makers of today and tomorrow.” By creating a new sash and vest made specifically for Girl Scouts from sixth grade through high school, it directly appeals to the individuality and expression of teenagers and young adults.
According to the New York Times, the design elements reflect the world we currently live in, where kids in middle school have the latest iPhones and need a place to store them in their uniforms.
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“Girl Scouts really helped strengthen my self-confidence and encouraged me to pursue my interests,” Nidhi Bhasin, one of the FIT designers and former Girl Scout, told License Global. “With this collection, our shared goal was to not only design trendy attire, but also make sure that girls would feel inspired, proud and powerful while wearing each piece. Today’s Girl Scouts are the next generation of leaders, so we needed to make sure they dress the part so they can continue to take on this world.”
Similar to how some companies will put uniform options on a company store, the new pieces are available on the online Girl Scout Shop. And they don’t just work as uniforms during Girl Scout events—anyone, even non-Scouts, can purchase the items to wear as fashionable pieces.
With items such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, joggers, leggings, denim jackets and more, it creates a more casual feel while still existing within the uniform guidelines. It points to a trend that will likely continue in the future in both clubs and workplaces—making a uniform not exactly uniform, per se, but playing up branding while giving a variety of options for employees or members.
This sort of umbrella of uniform options works well for customers within education, hospitality/restaurants and more. There are many more ways to show a unified brand identity than everyone wearing the same thing, and that belief is going to continue as younger generations work their way up through management positions.
And, as the iPhone pockets show, you can respect the integrity and history of an organization while still living in the present and giving end-users what they want.
