Volunteers wearing uniforms for London 2012 Olympic Games pose for photos, Nov 2011. [Photo/Agencies]

LONDON - The Grenadier Guards, Wimbledon tennis and rowing at Henley have all provided fashion inspiration for uniforms to be worn by an army of volunteers at next year's London Olympics.

The range of clothing, to be worn by around 70,000 volunteers at the Games and Paralympics as well as 6,000 London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) staff and 4,500 technical officials, was shown off on Tuesday.

"What we've come up with is a uniform which celebrates the best of Britain's heritage in a modern and sustainable way," said LOCOG chief executive Paul Deighton.

"Delivering the Games is hard work and so the uniform needs to be functional, however we also want our teams to wear it with pride. We showed it to them this morning and the response was incredibly enthusiastic."

The volunteers, known as 'Games Makers', should stand out from the crowd with a uniform of deep purple with poppy red collar and epaulettes.

LOCOG said the colour combination "is based upon a contemporary twist of a regal purple and vibrant Grenadier Guards red".

"The details on the uniform evoke the pride and heritage of the United Kingdom. The colours and details on the uniform celebrate the best of British sport, history and fashion."

The Grenadier Guards, who wear a tall bearskin hat on ceremonial duties, are a British Army infantry regiment founded in the 17th century.

Key features of formal clothing to be worn by technical officials include engraved buttons with Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, and embroidery under the collar featuring the London skyline.

The lining inside the suits will also feature iconic London buildings. Organisers said the uniforms contained as much sustainable material, such as recycled polyester, as possible.