Girl Scout Uniforms Through the Years

By Mary M.

Although the uniform has changed, the mission is the same …

Girl Scouts help to build tomorrow’s leaders today with Courage, Confidence and Character … no matter what you wear! 

This picture was taken at Juliette Gordon Low’s 100^th year Anniversary Celebration at Camp Timber Ridge when Girl Scouts CEO Ana Marie Chavez came to encourage us to continue what Juliette Gordon Low started.   The women, pictured above, dressed in some vintage Girl Scout uniforms showed us how Girl Scouts who came before us, dressed.

(It’s probably a good thing that our uniforms have changed because I’m not sure too many of us would really like wearing these now!)

Do you like having to wear your vest or sash to all Girl Scout meetings and events? Well imagine having to wear a Girl Scout dress or a really long skirt or a hat or long black socks!  Maybe your mom or grandmother was a Girl Scout, and she still has her old Girl Scout uniform.  My mom does. I’m sure you will keep your Girl Scout Vest or Sash for your children to see.  Girl Scouts is definitely something of pride.

When Juliette Gordon Low first started Girl Scouts in 1912 the uniform that she and her troop wore was: a very long blue skirt, a blue blouse, a tie made of blue satin and long black stockings with black shoes as seen in the picture above.

In 1914 the uniforms were going to be manufactured, and they changed to: a khaki blouse, a skirt, a kerchief tie, and a hat with the letters GS on the front. After another five years, girls had their choice of which uniform they wanted to wear either: a long coat dress or a short coat with a skirt, both with a khaki hat, neckerchief, and a belt. Which one would you chose?

If you were a Girl Scout in 1928 (as we call it today, Juniors), your uniform would have been: a one-piece dark green dress with embroidered GS letters on the collar and a dark green neckerchief.   They also wore a hat with the World Trefoil embroidered on the band.

Uniforms continued to change in the 1930’s for teenage girls. The main difference was that a pair of pleated shorts was now worn underneath a skirt that buttoned down the side so it could be easily removed for hiking.  This uniform made it easy for girls to follow Juliette Gordon Low’s ideals of getting girls outside to learn about the outdoors and earn badges and patches.

After that, Girl Scout uniforms continued to evolve according to the styles of the time but, the message remains the same! We are Girl Scouts.