It was 1978, peak Studio 54. Halston was the It designer for the glamorous disco set, for whom he specialized in sequins, chiffon, and drapey silhouettes. His pal Liza Minnelli said his sensual clothes “danced with you.”

The hard-partying designer might not have been the obvious choice to update the uniforms of Girl Scout leaders. But the Scouts had a new CEO, Frances Hesselbein, and she was intent on dragging the venerable institution into the second half of the 20th century. In the postwar years, the Girl Scouts had emphasized homemaking and community service, with a predominantly white, middle-class membership. Hesselbein focused on preparing girls from diverse backgrounds for careers and leadership. She believed the same organization that had been founded eight years before women could vote—when it told girls they could be a doctor, lawyer, aviatrix, or hot-air balloonist—could shift with the tides of second-wave feminism.

And so Halston was tapped, and donated his services, to design a new adult wardrobe for the Girl Scouts.[1] His five core pieces made in polyester—jacket, vest, skirt, blouse, and trousers (which had only been added to the uniform five years prior)—were a hard-working wardrobe for any 1970s woman. He launched the uniforms at the Four Seasons restaurant, like a traditional collection, but with adult Scouts as models.

Halston liked the challenge of dressing everyday women, designing inexpensive clothes that fit from a size 6 to a size 44. Besides, he added, “They have to look nice.”

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Links:

• Halston Designs for the Girl Scouts – Ann Robertson, Girl Scout History Project, May 21, 2021

  
  

• No Sequins This Time: Halston Dresses the Scout – Bernadine Morris, The New York Times, May 17, 1978

  
  

• Girl Scout Uniforms Get First Makeover in 20 Years – Lisa Lockwood, Women’s Wear Daily, August 25, 2020

This post is part of The American 250, a series featuring 250 objects made by Americans, located in America, in honor of the country's 250th anniversary. 250 words on 250 works, from January 1 to December 31, 2026.

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[1] He would have been paid between $50,000 and $100,000 for the project, but Halston, an Eagle Scout himself, said “the Girl Scouts are a terrific organization and anyone who could help them should.”