Why Girl Scouts Wear Uniforms

Juliette Gordon Low returned to America in 1912. She brought with her an idea that was extraordinary. She wanted to start an organization that would devote itself exclusively to teaching girls worthwhile skills and wholesome values so that they could grow into honorable, self-reliant women. She had seen such an organization in England - the Girl Guides - and wanted to bring the same opportunities to girls in America.

The idea was way ahead of its time in America. The world of women in 1912 was a highly structured one, with rigid guidelines that defined a woman's behavior. Women could not stride down the street, walking to their destination with a sense of purpose. They were expected to travel with a companion or in a group, and were constrained in all their movements by their clothing.

Public attitudes are strongly influenced by the social conventions of the times. When Juliette Low first formed the Girl Scouts, women wore high-buttoned, long-sleeved blouses, with long skirts and boots that completely covered their ankles.

Dress of the 1930s

But Juliette wanted young Girl Scouts to be able to move around, to be involved in physical activites, and to develop muscle strength. She also wanted them to develop mental discipline, and encouraged teaching by example and following a defined code of behavior.

Borrowing ideas from the Girl Guide movement in England, she developed a uniform for early American Girl Scout troops that allowed girls to move about freely, while conforming to the sense of modesty of the time. Uniforms were not compulsory, but as much as was possible, all Girl Scouts were expected to dress alike.

Early uniforms were handmade, so each looked slightly different from the next in style and fabric. But they were not so different as to be very dissimilar from the other Girl Scout uniforms. The uniforms were as "uniform" as hand-sewing allowed.

Today, the National Equipment Service manages the business negotiations for cloth and cut for the entire national membership. Uniform purchases bring funds back into the national organization so that additional resources can be developed and more services provided for girls and volunteers. And, as with the trefoil symbol that began as a membership pin and came to represent the entire Girl Scout movement, the uniform has come to symbolize the character and integrity of every Girl Scout who has worn it.

Receiving the Gold Award

Critics of the uniform, who wonder why today's Girl Scouts need to buy separate clothing to participate in Girl Scout activities, overlook the many positive reasons for uniform dress. The uniform is an equalizer. Wearing it shows that we are all part of one great movement, regardless of individual socio-economic status.

Another positive aspect to wearing the Girl Scout uniform is the community recognition it provides. When troops plant a tree, clean a park, or march in a parade wearing the official uniform, the girls receive credit and acknowledgement for their actions. The troop publicly shows its commitment to and its pride in belonging to the movement. Wearing a uniform unifies a troop, links girls, and reminds them of the common purpose that brought them to the Girl Scouts in the first place. While wearing a troop t-shirt speaks of a local group, wearing the official uniform embraces the entire movement, national and international.

When a girl puts on her uniform, she transforms herself. She stops being "Jane Doe" and becomes a Girl Scout. Juliette Gordon Low understood that back in 1912. She loved her uniform, from the campaign hat to the tin cup attached to her belt. If she could see Girl Scouts in uniform* today, she would surely be proud!