National dress distress!

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that any delegation representing the UK at a Guiding event anywhere in the world, will face a major dilemma.  It's not what you might think. What does preparation for a World Conference involve? Well, so far, there's been the reading of preparatory papers; the analysis and comprehension of complex, potentially world-impacting motions; the complex booking of flights when everyone is going in multiple directions afterwards; a great deal of thought, administration and preparation; a lengthy kit list to peruse; the sewing on the Union Jack onto a multitude of polo shirts (make your sign, then put it onto your left shoulder and that's where the badge should be sewn - three fingers down); the post-conference options, of which there are many, and many more practicalities.  The complications of this non-exhaustive list pale into insignificance when a UK delegation is instructed to... 'wear national dress'.

If you're the Ghanaian contingent, that's easy! You can wear something made out of kente cloth, handwoven in Ghana; recognisable throughout the world.  Just google it and you're sure to recognise it.  

If you're part of the German contingent, you can wear a 'dirndl'; this is traditional German dress based on the historical costume of Alpine peasants.  Yes really.

If you are the Australian contingent, you can wear a hat with dangly corks; dress up as a koala; or a kangaroo.  

Fear not - I'm not going to go through the costume possibilities for all 145 member organisations of WAGGGS.  

It's not about stereotyping - it's about being obviously representative of a particular nation, as that is whom we will be representing.  So what on earth should the UK do?!

We had the discussion - 

'Kilts?' 'Is anyone Scottish?' 'I'm a quarter Scottish'.  'My uncle is Welsh?'

'What about Leprechauns?' One of the delegation is from Ulster.  The rest are not.  

'Let's dress up as Beefeaters!' The phone conference went eerily quiet at that point.

When I went to the Girls' World Forum in Chicago in 2012, we, the delegation, decided to dress up as though we were going to Royal Ascot.  There we were, at the International Evening, in dresses and (some, not me), fascinators, which I don't really understand. 

Unfortunately, it transpires that almost no-one in the world has heard of Royal Ascot, unless they live within 20 miles of Ascot, so we had to explain why were dressed as we were, to all participants, and that we were meant to look like this; we hadn't lost our way en route to a cocktail party elsewhere in the building; we were actually, at the right event.

My question is this - what would you wear to represent 'national dress' associated with the UK? Please comment and let us know what you would do, then you'll have to keep reading to find out what we actually decided to do!