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Star Trek Uniforms Fully Explained

Since its premiere more than 50 years ago, Star Trek has been at the center of a growing web of culture, television, film, and fandom. With nine television series and 13 films, with undoubtedly more to come, there is a wealth of material to analyze and enjoy. Today, an enthusiastic fan can take just a single aspect of the Star Trek universe and dive into it for weeks.

Take uniforms. A seemingly simple concept, right? Star Trek generally focuses on the experiences of people serving in Starfleet, essentially a futuristic version of the Navy in space. So, Starfleet uniforms should be fairly consistent, even boring. Everyone's supposed to look like a cohesive group, so there should be little variation.

However, the uniforms of Star Trek are so varied and connected to the intricate fictional world of the franchise that it's pretty fascinating. Someone appearing on Star Trek: The Next Generation and then showing up again in a film like Star Trek: First Contact will probably have to fit themselves into two very distinct outfits. With more than five decades of stuff to go through, says CNET , there's a dizzying variety of looks for what's supposed to be a pretty staid quasi-military organization.

Practically everything about the history of Star Trek uniforms is linked to behind-the-scenes stories, real-world creativity, in-universe drama, and even a touch of fashion history here and there. From color, to cut, to material, there's a lot to learn.

Color is key to Star Trek uniforms

In Star Trek: The Original Series , which ran from 1966 to 1969, you can't miss the brightly hued uniform shirts sported by the crew of the starship Enterprise . Captain James T. Kirk and other members of the command staff sport golden yellow tops, says Mental Floss . Blue is reserved for the science department and medical personnel, so you'll see it on Mr. Spock, the second-in-command, and the ship's physician, Doctor McCoy.

And what of the folk in red uniforms? According to Star Trek lore, these poor "redshirts" are little more than cannon fodder, though, officially, red is for communications, admin, and security. If you're watching an episode where a random, red-clad crewmember is asked to beam down to the planet with the main cast, don't get too attached. They're probably going to get zapped, eaten, or otherwise annihilated to further the episode's plot.

Of course, there are some exceptions. Statistically speaking, says Nerdist , redshirts are not that bad off. Consider also that red shirts adorn major characters like Scotty, the ship's chief engineer, who made it through the entire series.

Now that you've got that settled, remember that it's only good for one series. In later Star Trek shows, red and gold switched places. Captains like The Next Generation 's Jean-Luc Picard wore a dark red, while his security chief, Worf, wore gold.

Starfleet rank is shown by pips and stripes

Like so many real-world military organizations, Starfleet hinges on rank. Crewmembers are expected to follow orders, but on starships that can carry thousands of people, who are they supposed to take seriously? That's where the rickrack comes in.

In Star Trek: The Original Series , rank was denoted by stripes of gold ribbon on someone's sleeves. The more stripes, the higher the rank. Generally speaking, says Atlas Obscura , two or three stripes means a captain. Commissioned officers are a safe bet for one stripe. Non-commissioned people get either a bit of braid or nothing at all. The stripes were brought back for the reboot films beginning in 2009.

The follow up series, Star Trek: The Next Generation   went for something different during its 1987 – 1994 run. The colors became a more muted, and the old rank stripes, which, frankly, looked like something you might have picked up from your local craft store, were retired. In their place, officers wore "pips," subtle little pins, on their collars. The higher someone's rank, the more pips they sported.

Other films played around a bit with the rank symbols, like the different colors and badges shown in 1982's Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . Still, they weren't too off the original mark. Generally speaking, the more junk on someone's uniform, the more likely it is that you'll have to follow their orders.

The original series went for velour

Futurama 's Zapp Brannigan character, a send-up of Captain Kirk, is all about his velour uniform. The first Star Trek series really was into luxurious velour, too, but the fabric proved challenging to maintain. It's not as if the 1960s were known for comfortable natural materials, after all.

According to Esquire , the fabric initially used in Star Trek: The Original Series was a little flashy. Costume designers used a stretch cotton velour for the tops, with a black synthetic Dacron infused with sparkles for the pants. Both materials were meant to subtly glitter under studio lights, lending the uniforms a shimmery, 23rd-century, spacefaring feel. 

Unfortunately, the velour was a flop. Many called it "that rotten velour," noting that the fabric tended to shrink in the wash and could tear easily. In the third and final season, designers substituted it for a double-knit nylon, says CNET , which proved to be a much hardier fabric, especially when it got thrown into the washing machine.

Captain Kirk's special green shirt was a little embarrassing

Originally, reports Atlas Obscura , the command staff of Star Trek: The Original Series was supposed to be sporting a muted green. Under the studio lights, though, the cameras read the green velour as a golden yellow. The production team simply went with it for the rest of the series.

Careful observers of the 1960s run will note that Captain Kirk is sometimes seen in a very green tunic-style shirt. According to an interview with series costume designer Bill Theiss , that's because it was made out of a different material. That particular shirt looked genuinely green. This is also why some of the colors in the original series seem to change, said Theiss. Even the miniature of the Enterprise could appear ever so slightly green under the right conditions.

William Shatner, the Canadian actor who played Kirk, wasn't necessarily fond of the tightly wrapped look, says Cinemablend . "It was a little embarrassing after lunch to have that tight green thing on you," he said.

Star Trek's women went from pants to miniskirts

The first pilot episode of Star Trek: The Original Series , " The Cage " is an odd duck. Though it was shot in 1964, it didn't make it to screens in its complete form until a Betamax release in 1989. Bits of the story were included in the season one two-parter "The Menagerie," but it contained only the briefest glimpses of what might have been.

These included things like a smiling Spock, different uniforms, and a woman in command wearing pants . Star Trek: The Original Series is notorious for its gendered uniforms. The men wore pants and long-sleeved shirts. Female crewmembers were confined to miniskirts so short that Lieutenant Uhura, the communications officer, always seemed on the verge of an embarrassing situation when she sat down.

That's partially why Number One, the second-in-command in "The Cage," stands out: She's wearing pants. Number One, played by Majel Barrett, is also a daring commander. But she wasn't considered right for the character. When Star Trek got its second pilot, none of the women were in command, and certainly none of them wore pants. Barrett returned, albeit as the emotional, mini-skirted Nurse Chapel.

Nichelle Nichols, who played Uhura, offers up a counterpoint. "I was wearing [miniskirts] on the street," she told the BBC . "What's wrong with wearing them on the air? [...] It was the era of the miniskirt. Everybody wore miniskirts."

The first Star Trek movie shook took uniforms in a weird direction

Star Trek: The Motion Picture looked like it was going to be a big deal. The 1979 film was the first time that fans would get to see their beloved crew on the big screen. Anticipation was high. Then, the movie debuted.

It landed with a dull thud. While die-hard fans still got enjoyment out of Star Trek 's film debut, most viewers couldn't get past the plodding story and dialogue-heavy scenes. It made just enough profit to justify a sequel, to be sure. SyFy contends that The Motion Picture did originate some interesting new trends for the franchise, like wearable communicators and redesigned Klingons . Still, few would point to this entry as their favorite Star Trek movie.

Some of the blame surely lies with the redesigned uniforms. Where The Original Series had colorful, if somewhat cartoonish togs for the crew, The Motion Picture made it look like everyone was going to the weirdest slumber party ever. According to Memory Alpha , the crew was now outfitted in two-piece tunics and one-piece jumpsuits in mind-numbing shades like pale blue and beige. At least the women on the crew were dressed in the same jumpsuits worn by the men. They might have looked oddly dull for space adventurers, but crewmembers like Lt. Uhura didn't look like they needed to worry about errant breezes. And, if nothing else, the space pajamas look pretty comfortable.

The Wrath of Khan redeemed Star Trek uniforms while cutting costs

Though Star Trek: The Motion Picture began the series tradition of changing Starfleet uniforms at every opportunity, rebooted uniforms didn't get very eye-catching until the second film. In Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, both the plotting and the uniforms got a much-needed upgrade.

To be fair, the striking red jackets of The Wrath of Khan wouldn't have existed as we know them if it weren't for the beige jumpsuits of The Motion Picture . As revealed by Empire , costume designer Robert Fletcher, burned somewhat by his experiences on the first film, decided to stay on in an attempt to redeem his craft. Fletcher still had to work within budget, says Forgotten Trek . Indeed, the budget was smaller, since the studio had been spooked somewhat by the lackluster performance of the first motion picture. As a result, Fletcher rather cleverly utilized the old movie uniforms. His team dyed the tunics red because that was the shade that took best to the fabric. 

Meanwhile, Fletcher added a few more militaristic details to the revamped uniforms, like boxy shoulders, stripes, and shiny rank insignia. Fletch referred to it as "Hornblower in outer space," referring to the popular Horatio Hornblower series, set in the era of the Napoleonic Wars. The maroon color proved so successful that it persisted far beyond the film and back onto television with the follow-up series, Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Star Trek: The Next Generation's uniform was all about spandex

While the uniforms debuted in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan were structured, boxy outfits inspired by military getups, the theme wasn't going to last, for William Ware Theiss, who designed the costumes for Star Trek: The Original Series , was ready to completely revamp even his own designs. Theiss was called upon to design the costumes for the first year of Star Trek: The Next Generation , the follow-up series that premiered in 1987. According to Forgotten Trek , Theiss wanted to pull back from the structured look of Wrath of Khan and return to a softer appearance.

That meant spandex. Specifically, Theiss employed a heavyweight material, of the type often used for swimsuits. He also changed the color scheme, making red the color for command staff, while gold was switched to engineering and security. Blue remained the key shade for medical and science personnel.

While designers might have liked the spandex, it got poor reviews from the actors. The form-fitting material was unforgiving of a heavy lunch or brief dalliance with a slice of cake. Robert Blackman, who replaced Theiss in later seasons, came to the rescue with a different cut and wool fabric. Unfortunately, only the male actors got the best changes, like two-piece uniforms. Female actors like Marina Sirtis, who played Counselor Troi, were stuck in uncomfortable one-piece jumpsuits for a while longer.

Deanna Troi's exception confused Trek fans

In Star Trek: The Next Generation , ship's counselor Deanna Troi was actually a Starfleet officer, but you wouldn't know it from her clothes. While everyone else on staff was wearing the regulation Starfleet uniform, Troi was often stuck in revealing onesies that recalled the first film's unfortunate jumpsuits. 

It may have something to do with Troi's gender. As quoted at Forgotten Trek , Marina Sirtis, who played Troi, took a dim view of how the show treated female characters. "The women on this show are very non-threatening," she said. "You don't see women in power positions." Troi was meant to be a soft, caring therapist. Perhaps her clothing was meant to reflect that gentleness, but with an admittedly sexist twist that lowered her necklines and kept Sirtis trapped in revealing spandex for much longer than her coworkers. Too often, her clothes reflected stories where Troi was made to be helpless or even outright dull for the sake of the plot.

Counselor Troi finally got to wear the real uniform in "Chain of Command, Part 1," a season six two-parter. In it, Captain Jellico, an uptight fill-in for Captain Picard, curtly tells Troi to just wear the uniform already. While the impetus for the wardrobe change might have been embarrassing for her character, Sirtis was delighted. As she told the BBC , "I was thrilled when I got my regulation Starfleet uniform [...] I got all my brains back."

The "skant" tried to reach gender equality but fell flat

We should give Gene Roddenberry some credit. While he was often of his time for things like scantily clad secondary characters on Star Trek: The Original Series , he genuinely tried to push back against cultural assumptions. Sometimes, it worked and became practically legendary, as when he helped to create a diverse bridge crew on the first television series. Other times, he pushed for costume parity that simply didn't land.

Roddenberry was involved with the production of Star Trek: The Next Generation from its 1987 premiere until shortly before his death in 1991. He was part of almost everything in the series, including the costume design. As reported by Star Trek.com , Roddenberry directed designer William Ware Theiss to design what became known as the "skant."

This take on the minidress was made out of the same spandex as the other uniforms. It was also meant to be unisex. Crewmembers of any gender would be able to wear the thigh-baring skant. Yet, it was a hard sell. The skant was ever-so-briefly seen on a male crewmember here and there in the first season, says SyFy, but never after that. Female crew like Counselor Troi wore it a bit longer, but actors and viewers alike thought it just made her look like a space cheerleader. Though you can understand what Roddenberry and company were going for, the skant just couldn't stay. It faded into fan lore and obscurity soon after the first season.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine made the uniforms fit for actual work

Star Trek didn't stop with Star Trek: The Next Generation . The sequel series was followed up by a progression of films and further television series. These included Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , which premiered in 1993 and briefly ran concurrently with The Next Generation . Though both series are supposed to take place at roughly the same time, the uniforms seen on Deep Space Nine were a serious departure.

Costume designer Robert Blackman returned to the jumpsuit design but mercifully stayed clear of figure-hugging, back-breaking spandex, says Forgotten Trek . Instead, the looser jumpsuits were made out of wool. Blackman had, like earlier designers, discovered that wool took dye better than other fabrics and held up to repeated washings. 

The softer uniforms looked like they could exist in a real, workaday reality. Characters like Chief O'Brien can be seen in the bowels of Deep Space Nine, a scrappy space station inherited from its previous Cardassian occupants. His jumpsuit, based in part on a mechanic's outfit and NASA workaday gear, looks right at place in the more gritty, realistic world of Deep Space Nine .

Star Trek: Lower Decks brings back color and might explain a big mystery

Star Trek: Lower Decks is an animated comedy series, the first ever to take a look at the ridiculous side of Star Trek . While it's very definitely a silly take on the franchise, the Lower Decks series actually holds a clue to the ever-changing and seemingly inconsistent uniforms across the series.

In part, the uniforms of Lower Decks are an homage to a never-used 1994 redesign. According to Trek Movie , creator Mike McMahan realized the discarded uniform design for the Star Trek: Generations movie was just right for his series. It calls back to The Next Generation just enough to make connections but remains distinct and colorful in its new two-dimensional context.

This latest series might also help explain the constantly shifting Starfleet uniforms. Careful viewers may have already noticed that different ship and station crews sport wildly different looks, even when they're supposed to be taking place at the same time. 

Inverse points out the apparent fact that Starfleet uniforms seem to correspond to very specific ships and jobs. Someone sent to a space station like Deep Space Nine would wear one uniform, while another crewmember on Picard's Enterprise would sport something noticeably different. An outside viewer could still see they were Starfleet personnel but might correctly guess they were stationed in different places. The looks on Lower Decks , which are their own unique creations, add more evidence to support this theory.

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Published Mar 5, 2021

You Wear It Well: The Uniforms of Star Trek 

Turns out, "dress for the job you want, not the job you have," might still be a phrase heard in the 23rd Century and beyond!

StarTrek.com

The Delta Shield. The colors: red, gold and blue. The form-fitting jackets and often black trousers. Even the confining jumpsuits. Star Trek uniforms have a special place in pop culture, equal in renown maybe only by the jerseys and full kits of certain sports teams. Let’s take a look at some of the uniforms over the years and what messages they are sending to the galaxy.

Star Trek: Discovery — Of Terran Capes And Crowns with Gersha Phillips

Star Trek: The Original Series

The TOS uniforms are arguable the most recognized and iconic of uniforms in the canon. They are the blueprint for all other uniforms in Star Trek . While they carry some of the elements from the “The Cage” unaired pilot episode — tunic-like top, Section colors, black capri-length trousers and boots — the cut and fit of the garments are narrower, the colors much sharper and for the women, no pants. Looking back from our vantage point the uniforms feel more inspired by the 1960s' mod culture, or the era’s British rock bands, not what a fleet of earth-based space explorers would be wearing in the 23rd Century. However, the athleisure vibe of it all was as portentous to our time as the TOS-inspired technology and gadgets that we use on a daily basis. Comparing these uniforms from the garments of other space traveling cultures seen throughout TOS is where you can really see the youthfulness of Starfleet. While Romulans’ uniforms echo the turtleneck silhouette, knit fabric and ultra miniskirts of Starfleet, the rigid textures, exaggerated shoulders, and the addition of a scarf or half vest overlays connotes a sense of the authoritarian militaristic society. Comparing the two looks, without context, you wouldn’t be at fault for easily assuming that Starfleet was the newest team in a galactic travel league.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation was all about the jumpsuit, with a touch of individuality. The best examples of this is Lieutenant Worf’s beautiful Klingon military sash or baldric and Lt. Troi’s flowing dresses and jumpsuits. The Next Generation also famously changed command colors from gold to red, ending a fan favorite “red shirt” trope from TOS. You see other examples of Starfleet uniform styles on the flagship Enterprise , including skants and tunics. The men’s TNG dress uniforms could even be worn as dresses due to their somewhat elongated line. However, from a design and storytelling point of view, the jumpsuit's utility is matched with the artful graphic design which evolves easily into the dress uniform’s elegance and formality.

Into the #Starchive Featuring Captain Picard's Uniform

We can see Starfleet’s evolution of mission and the number of lightyears traveled in the precision of the TNG uniform. Interestingly, the need to continuously mirror the delta design — in the shoulders, sleeves, even in the transition from bodice to trousers both section colors, front and back — is like a monogram. For the many species Jean-Luc Picard and his crew will make First Contact with, this uniform conveys a simple message: We are Starfleet.

Star Trek: Enterprise

We cannot talk about jumpsuits without talking about Star Trek: Enterprise ! The uniforms on this series most closely represent what our beginnings of further flung space travel might look like. In fact, rather than trying to create something that feels brand new and “science fiction,” the Enterprise crew looks like a team from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The command colors are placed in a simple elegant line framing the shoulders ending, of course, in a point or delta shape. The jumpsuits have the wonderful addition of actual pockets, which actually makes you wonder where all the pockets have been all of this time. Hallelujah — there will be pockets in the future! The jumpsuits are reminiscent of a behind-the-scenes pit or union crew, workers who are laying the important foundation for the future. Yet, similar to workwear from the 20th Century, there is an elegance of how a non-gender specific garment function matches and enhances its form. A more advanced culture may be more fancily dressed, but no one can jump on a nacelle rigging faster than Charles “Trip” Tucker, III.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager

These series combine the streamlined look of the TNG jumpsuit with the function of Enterprise series jumpsuits — jackets, pockets, and pleated trousers. The colors: command red, operations gold, and sciences blue continue with the addition of a mock turtleneck undershirt in grey, which evolves later in a uniform variant where the section colors are the turtleneck and the upper bodice detailing is a quilted grey. Grey as a standard color for Starfleet uniforms appears in Star Trek: The Motion Picture and seen again in Star Trek: Discovery season 3, discussed below.

Into the #Starchive with Captain Janeway's OG Uniform

Deep Space Nine uniforms are particularly interesting in the way all clothes are, in relation to the places and people we associate these outfits with. What makes DS9 unique is the variety of dress everywhere on the starbase, from the Bajoran military uniforms with even more emphasis on the upper bodice and shoulders than Starfleet’s uniforms, to the regalia of the Bajoran monks.In the context of running a space station, Starfleet uniforms need to balance a message of both authority and hospitality. In a sea of colorful people and outfits on the space station’s promenade, the Starfeet uniforms’ relative dark color scheme is the easiest to recognize.

Star Trek: Discovery (Seasons 1-2)

At first glance the Discovery uniforms ignore all previous series. However, there are nods to past series that reveal themselves. While no longer jumpsuits, the jacket, and trouser-leggings of Discovery are blue and thus similar to the Enterprise series. As the series is set between Enterprise and TOS this for me, as a fan, a welcome nod. Most startling is the loss of the iconic red, gold and blue color scheme, it is seen nowhere unless you count the reddish-bronze for Operations. Out of all the series the Discovery uniforms are the most formal. Comparing them to other series, they in fact look like the uniforms of people who have been traveling throughout the galaxy for some time. The form-fitting suit with metal rather than rainbow colors seem to say, “We mean business.” Discovery leans into a militaristic style, more than with previous series. From the rigidity of the jacket to the stripes at the shoulder the uniform appears to, if not welcome , then at least expect conflict and war. The subtle pips on the delta shield could be interpreted to mean that while rank is important, the crew of the Discovery is a family — a band of brothers and sisters equally important and valuable as a captain or admiral. The biggest hint to where this series is going is the asymmetry introduced into Starfleet uniforms for the first time. The eschew collar which creates a delta shape in the front of the face (invoking TOS’ uniform) is closed by a bold metallic zipper that goes from the left of the neck to the center at the jacket bottom. These off-center details could be interpreted to mean that unexpected outcomes are coming!

Star Trek: Discovery (Season 3)

A conversation about Star Trek uniforms would be incomplete without some mention of Season 3’s far-flung future Federation uniforms. It’s not hard to see where these new uniforms took inspiration from other Trek series. In addition to the grey color seen most notably in Star Trek: The Motion Picture , the quilted-ridges at the top of the jacket mirrors that of Deep Space Nine ’s uniforms, and the asymmetry at the bottom of the jacket reminds us of Discovery ’s earlier uniforms. Season 3 even brings back the red, gold, and blue for command, operations, and sciences, this time in a bold sculptural color block down the right side of the jacket. Its appearance seems to state that knowing you and your colleagues’ place in the Federation and on your ship of duty is paramount for rebuilding. This is no time for subtlety. While this same meticulous design could also be overcompensation for the reduction of the Federation’s place, power, and purpose in the 32nd Century it could also be the Federation’s way of “dressing for the job you want (the premiere intergalactic union of planets), not the one you have.” And that’s a tip we can all take with us, to the board room or the Ready Room.

Designer Gersha Phillips Looks Back on Discovery Season 2 Costumes

Bio: Tereneh Idia (she/her) is a writer, fashion designer and fashion educator who has taught and designed in Pittsburgh, New York City, Nairobi, Kenya, Singapore and Bali, Indonesia. While missing out on Star Trek as a child, she expects the rest of her adult growing up to be inspired and entertained by Star Trek.

Star Trek: Discovery streams on Paramount+ in the United States, airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada, and on Netflix in 190 countries.

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From TOS to Star Trek Beyond: The Evolution of Uniforms

From its humble – and somewhat precarious – beginnings in 1966, Star Trek’s place in science fiction has grown to epic proportions, unmatched by others in its genre (which, of course, is a bone of contention).

Arguments aside, there’s one constant element in Star Trek that we cannot do without: their wonderfully designed uniforms. I have to admit – there’s not much sexier than a person in uniform. Especially if they’re in Star Trek.

I’m not saying outlandish alien features and costumes don’t add to a story’s appeal, but Star Trek’s crew members – from TOS to Star Trek Beyond – hit the spot with their simple but “look at me” vibe.

So, how well do you know your Star Trek uniforms?

If your memory is a little hazy, let’s help you with that. Here is a Star Trek uniform guide which showcases the threads from The Original Series, The Motion Picture, The Next Generation, Generations, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise, and the most recent movies.

Perfect timing for Star Trek Beyond, don’t you think?

Which uniforms do you like best?

Related: Which Star Trek Villain Are You?

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Redesigning Starfleet’s Uniforms for Star Trek II

Few of the people involved in the production of the second Star Trek motion picture were happy with the uniforms Robert Fletcher had designed for the first.

“I don’t blame them,” Fletcher told Star Trek: The Magazine years later. “I didn’t like them much myself!”

The costumes seemed to sum up everything that was disappointing about the film: they lacked color and drama. They were bland.

Fletcher, who had been brought in on The Motion Picture to redesign the uniforms William Ware Theiss had designed for the original television series, was asked to redesign them again. Except this time, there would be less budget.

Fletcher and Producer Robert Sallin decided to salvage what they could from the costumes that had been created for The Motion Picture by changing the tailoring and colors. A series of dye tests revealed that the old uniforms could take three colors well: a blue grey, a gold and a dark red. The plan was to use these modified uniforms for the non-commissioned crew and cadets while enough money was found to design an altogether new wardrobe for the main characters.

Hornblower in space

When Nicholas Meyer joined the production as director, he had specific ideas about what he wanted to see in the new costumes.

I decided that this was going to be Hornblower in outer space, so I said, “OK, if this is going to be the navy, let’s hem them look like the navy; they shouldn’t be walking around in pyjamas,” which seemed to me to be what the uniforms in the first movie and the TV show looked like.

Meyer gave Fletcher one more instruction: he wanted the new uniforms to pay homage to the costumes worn in The Prisoner of Zenda (1937).

Fletcher began his work by producing a series of quick sketches. “I’ve always been used to an almost automatic drawing method,” he explained.

I scribble a lot and out of the scribbles comes the idea. Then I link that visual I’ve found for myself with other things intellectually and produce a scheme.

Fletcher was careful not to reproduce existing naval uniforms and used the dark red color that had been discovered during the dye tests. Meyer liked this approach, since it made the costumes dramatic and created a strong contrast with the background.

The first version of the uniform had a stiff black collar like the costumes in Prisoner of Zenda . Bob Sallin suggested changing this to a turtleneck. When he made the alternations, Fletcher decided to use trapunto, which is a form of vertical quilting.

Military uniforms

The new uniforms looked far more like military outfits than the ones from the first movie, which Fletcher conceded in an interview with Cinefantastique defied the Star Trek tradition.

“[Gene] Roddenberry always contended that the Federation is not a military organization. Yet they always behaved as if it were,” he argued. “They have ranks, they have military courtesy and Kirk is definitely in command on his ship.”

Meyer preferred the military look and asked Fletcher to design rank insignia to make the uniforms look even more like uniforms.

There was kind of a complicated arrangement of divisions and ranks expressed by the braid on the sleeves. I made that up. I organized it and produced a little instruction booklet about it for the wardrobe department and anyone else who was interested.

Initially, the insignia were worn on a band around the upper arm. This was moved to the cuff.

The last major change was to redesign the flap of the double-breasted jacket so it could actually open. This was something Meyer requested. He felt the lighter color on the inside of the flap would frame the actors’ faces better.

However, the flaps presented Robert Fletcher with a problem. When it was open, one could clearly see the snaps that held it in place — and these looked distinctly unfuturistic.

In order to make it look less like plain old snaps, I found this sterling silver chain that looked strange. I ordered a reel of it and sewed it in with the snaps to give it a feeling that it was perhaps a magnetic closing.

Fletcher then designed several variations of the uniform, most of which were worn by Kirk and not by the other characters.

It’s normal in any kind of military organization that you don’t have just one uniform; you have uniforms for specific tasks and specific times of day — formal, informal, combat, and so on. Kirk is the lead, so he goes through the most variations. When it seemed appropriate, he had a change.

Robert Fletcher’s new Starfleet uniform remained in use until the original cast retired, becoming as much a part of the Star Trek universe as William Ware Theiss’ originals.

30 comments

Gawd, I HATED the Star Trek II uniforms. So bulky and uncomfortable-looking. And I can only imagine how ridiculously hot they must have been under the stage lights — like wearing a fur-lined parka.

I liked them. They provided a real world feel to the whole picture. I think they looked somewhat comfortable, granted it must’ve been hot under those studio lights. They look no more bulky than a suit jacket. My only quibble is that they should’ve kept the division colors from The Original Series to provide a greater sense of continuity.

I agree with Jaren, completely.

I don’t agree with the different colors for the organization. Starfleet is supposed to be inclusive and not a segregate organization. Offering different colors for bands or depts is fine, but The Wrath of Khan uniforms were the first time an organization had a uniform. A set attire that included everyone in one cause. The military has that uniformity and so NASA, a civilian organization the organization Starfleet is suppose to be mimicking. To have lavish colors and different varieties was a product of the 60s, nothing more.

Erm… Chris… those were *all* uniforms. If you look at military forces, they all have different uniforms within themselves, with different ones for different purposes. The whole “ermagerd, colors aren’t uniform!” argument is nonsensical. You need only look at the flight decks of aircraft carriers to see the various colored shirts and uniforms in use there, with each denoting a different function. These illustrate and explain the different colors and functions: link 1 , link 2 .

I think they sort of kept the division colors, on the shoulder strap and the arm band. I think they were a vast improvement over The Motion Picture .

Could not disagree more. Terrible design. The only thing I didn’t enjoy in that film at all.

You must be a product of the peace and love era… the Star Trek II uniforms were most likely hot as hell, but the didn’t look like actors wearing PJ’s on screen. Those uniforms were the best of all TV and movies put together…

Another distinguishing feature seems to be the sweaters under the uniform jackets. For example, command officers wear white sweaters and medical personnel wear green. And so on.

These uniforms were absolutely brilliant and evokes a sense of nautical regality missing in TOS and TMP. Fabulous Star Trek design sense with a nod to ‘cavalry bib’ tunics, bloused ‘paratrooper’ trousers and British full dress colorations combine to make the most powerful, memorable and distinct Star Trek uniform of all iterations; class, swagger, and dash. The perfect uniform for the command crew of the Enterprise and Starfleet!

I hated the redesigned uniforms for Star Trek II and beyond. In the 1968 book The Making of Star Trek , Gene Roddenberry is quoted as saying that clothes (uniforms) in the future would not have zippers, buttons, clips, belts and many of what was ultimately in the design of the “red” uniforms. I wasn’t troubled by the uniforms in The Motion Picture except that they lacked color. In fact, I prefer the original uniform design by William Theiss of the first two seasons of TNG over the Robert Blackman redesigned uniforms for TNG’s remaining seasons. IMHO, William Theiss was a far superior costume designer than Robert Blackman. The actors never liked them, because of their one-piece design, but they were tight-fitting to the actors’ body, and were not as “baggy” as the Blackman TNG redesign. Just look at what jumpsuit the Space Shuttle astronauts wore from the fifth shuttle flight to the flight of Challenger ’s destruction. Blue coveralls (seemed like one piece) uniforms with just a open helmet with an emergency air pack. After the Challenger accident NASA went back to using ungainly pressurized space suits, but in the end those wouldn’t have saved the astronauts in the event of another Challenger -type disaster, nor the demise of shuttle Columbia .

There’s a reason why the actors of TNG preferred the later uniforms, and that was because to create the effect of no wrinkles, the actors would wear costumes that were too small for them, and so the new uniforms were designed, otherwise they’d lose Patrick Stewart because he was having back problems. Same reason why TOS actors preferred the TWOK uniforms over TMP. Gene Roddenberry was trying to create a futuristic look, but the problem with his vision of clothing was that he had no idea that functional clothing evolved based on comfort.

I have always hated the ST:WOK uniforms. For all of reasons stated above. The closest thing they’ve come to a merging of the styles was DS9’s uniforms. Which worked for practicality. You’re not gonna sit for eight hours in a ST:WOK uniform without skin chaffing and massively sweating. Not to mention how stiff they’d be in trying to reach across consoles. They were horrible.

I actually liked the design of the TMP uniforms. They were practical and in reality, one can imagine they would have been quick to don and doff. Essential for a duty uniform. Fletcher muted the colors as it was felt the bright colors from the series would have looked comical on the big screen. The idea of the utility jacket with large pockets for away missions made sense, as did Scotty’s onesie with the large thigh pockets for engineering. When you look at the TMP design as a progression of the TOS uniforms it seems logical (pun intentional). The Star Trek II designs are a complete departure to the design aesthetic. They did a lot of weird retrofitting in Star Trek II ; notably the communicators and phasers. In TMP, the communicator was compact and wrist-worn, and the phaser was very streamlined. The communicator that Kirk uses in the Genesis Cave scene looks like the clunky version from “The Menagerie/Cage”.

You are right on the communicator, but I would say in some ways it looked even clunkier than “The Cage” one (but at least it wasn’t transparent!) The phasers from TWOK were actually the same as TMP though, you can briefly see security with them on the bridge during the V’Ger attack and there are behind-the-scenes photo with either Nimoy or Shatner holding one while wearing a space suit.

What was wrong with the original idea? Lime Green (Command and Operations) Blue (Science and Medical) Red Engineering and Security) made Star Trek unique! This is Trek ’s TRADEMARK! It’s DIFFERENT! From Battlestar Galactica and any other sci-fi series. The other sci-fi shows generally use a ‘military’ style idea, which Gene Roddenberry was insisting that the Federation is not a military organisation. So, what was/is wrong with the original three colors? Simple, and practical, non-belligerent and iconic for Star Trek . If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it. For me, it was such a relief when the three colors were brought back for the film reboots, it proves that it works for the big screen as well as the small. I hope that the original creation will prevail!

As a chef, I loved the new uniforms with the flap that could be undone for more casual times. The decision was far better than TMP.

Has always been one of my favorite uniforms. As to the comfort, they seem no more or less comfortable than a chef’s coat, and they work in hot, greasy, humid, kitchens for 10 hours. I doubt the 100 percent climate- and humidity-controlled environment of a starship would be an issue, and future fabrics would behave differently. (“It is very *cold* in space!”) I think in reality even the senior officers would more frequently wear what the extras wore, the jackets tend to lend an air of dress uniform to it that seems unnecessary for routine operations or training operations. Real world budget restraints aside, there should be a casual variant much like Kirk’s green wraparound tunic he wore in TOS.

I love the Wrath of Khan unis! Kirk looked like a freakin’ doctor in that white monstrosity from TMP!

Unless I am mistaken, the jackets were for officer uniforms only. I saw it as a means of identification among the crew, same as the rank insignia. Higher ranking officers usually have more “ornate” uniforms, do they not?

Check out the extra standing behind Ms Nichols in the candid photo. He is like “Guy” from Galaxy Quest … look its crewman #6. I would have done the same thing. I personally loved these uniforms. I bought the pattern back in the late 80s and had a friend who is a seamstress make it for me.

The best Trek uniforms of all time. I loved how they gave them a shout out in some TNG episodes (minus the turtleneck shirt.)

The Wrath of Khan uniforms lasted for the longest time, the 2280s until after Picard graduated from Starfleet Academy, the crew of Enterprise -C wore them minus the turtleneck as well. They blew the TMP uniforms out of the water, ever see one at a con? NO ONE likes the TMP uniforms. Kirk’s bomber jacket, the Regula I field jacket, I still want both AND a The Wrath of Khan uniform, but then I want a TOS dress tunic/pants and an Enterprise uniform too. We can dream right?

Those are exactly the uniforms I want myself.

Jumpsuit onesies actually cut right into the privates. That’s the reason the actors complained and they were forced to change them to pants and a shirt on both the movies and TNG. The original Stormtroopers’ armors were hard plastic and had the same issue, their newer suits are soft rubbery stuff.

Best Star Trek uniforms to date!

I LOVE the TWOK (and beyond) uniforms. I understand and even agree that they seem like a step backward with regard to ease of wearing, taking them off and putting them on, etc. But WOW, do they ever look SHARP! I love the separate colors on the undershirt, sleeve band and shoulder strap denoting division, as well as the cool insigna designating rank. And the red “mountie” jacket with the flap is beautiful. Further, the field jacket, Scotty’s engineering vest, and officer’s bomber’s jacket expanded the fleshed out the look very nicely. Do they look futuristic and efficient? No. But do they look gorgeous on screen? Oh, hell yeah! I understand others’ objections to them, and to be fair those are quite valid reasons. But all art is subjective, and me, personally, I just adore the aesthetic of these uniforms most out of all iterations of Star Trek . It’s funny: I don’t recall where I read or heard this, but George Takei once said that, during the filming of one of the movies, he found it uncomfortably hot to wear the uniform under the lights needed for shooting. But since Sulu spends most of his time on the bridge, in shots only featuring him at the helm console (in other words from the waist up), he shucked his uniform pants and shot a number of scenes wearing the red uniform jacket on top but only a pair of shorts on the bottom!

These are my favorite uniforms. I have an inexpensive fan-made replica that I bought on eBay many years ago. I only wore it once to a Halloween party.

Not a big fan of either uniform, to be honest. The first uniform looked like New Age cult apparel, and the second looks like what Santa’s elves would wear to a formal event at the North Pole.

Sorry guys, the uniforms were spot on. Clearly nobody above has served on any of the services.

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“The Lost Era” Uniform Timeline

• January 5, 2022
• General Star Trek costumes , TNG , TWOK

As a preface to my updated TNG costuming resources and my upcoming TWOK-era uniform projects, I thought it would be neat to examine what we know of the “The Lost Era” uniform timeline, from the TOS-era movies to TNG.

I’ll be discussing the evolution of the TWOK-era uniforms in my upcoming TWOK-era costume analyses , so for now I’ll only be mentioning uniform changes that I believe pertain to “The Lost Era” and TNG-era uniforms.

Also, for this discussion I’ll be confining my observations to (what I believe were) intentional creative decisions, NOT errors, omissions, or “goofs.”

QUESTIONS ...

In canon – that is, only taking into consideration what was actually seen on-screen during the film/TV franchise – it’s not clear when exactly William Ware Theiss’ TNG-era uniforms became the standard uniforms for Starfleet.

All we really know for sure is that it seems to have been during “The Lost Era” between the launch of the Enterprise B (as seen in Generations ) and “Encounter at Farpoint” (as seen in The Next Generation ).

How and when the transition between the TWOK-era uniforms and the TNG-era uniforms took place is a vague issue that’s prompted considerable speculation over the years.

Was there another uniform style at some point in the meantime?

Were the TNG-era uniforms phased in slowly, or were they implemented all at once?

After the heavily-structured, naval, even militaristic TWOK-era uniforms, at what point did skin-tight spandex jumpsuits and unisex mini-dresses become the new standard for Starfleet?

The unenviable task of dealing with these questions in a way that would make sense – both chronologically (in-universe), and to the audience (visually) – first fell to William Ware Theiss, as The Next Generation ’s initial costume designer.

WILLIAM WARE THEISS' APPROACH

Prior to the launch of Star Trek: The Next Generation , William Ware Theiss had also been the costume designer for Star Trek: The Original Series and the aborted Star Trek: Phase II .

Between Phase II ’s abandonment and The Next Generation ’s launch, however, there had been four feature films with the original cast, for which Robert Fletcher was costume designer and Gene Roddenberry had had limited involvement.

These films featured different Starfleet uniforms and numerous classes/variations, many of which are loved by fans (particularly the “Monster Maroons”), but none of which bore much resemblance to any of Theiss’ costume designs for The Original Series .

After the success of these films, the spinoff TV series was green-lit with Gene Roddenberry “restored to power” as a showrunner, who recruited Theiss to be the costume designer for TNG.

Roddenberry is said to have been unhappy with certain aspects of the films, including what he saw as the militarization of Starfleet, which was also reflected in the movie-era uniforms.

I suspect that one reason the TNG-era uniforms were so drastically different from their TWOK-era predecessors was an attempt by Roddenberry to visually distance – or even disassociate – The Next Generation from the TOS-era movies as far as possible.

Furthermore, Theiss’ approach to designing the costumes for the new series seems to have simply been to “pick up where he left off,” perhaps acknowledging superficial aspects of Robert Fletcher’s movie-era uniforms but mostly just ignoring them.

Theiss favored knit fabrics and unstructured uniforms toward the end of TOS, Fletcher favored heavily-structured wool uniforms for ST2 through ST4, and then Theiss designed unstructured spandex uniforms for TNG.

Theiss established three division colors in TOS, Fletcher introduced more and changed their associations, and Theiss returned to the three division colors for TNG.

… etc., etc.

It is my personal belief that Theiss may have felt slighted by Fletcher’s radically-different uniform designs and, after Phase II never made it off the ground, the success of the movies was salt in his wound …

In Star Trek Costumes: Five Decades of Fashion from the Final Frontier , Theiss is quoted saying, “Bob Fletcher is a very fine designer, and I mean that sincerely – but we don’t design the same way, and there’s no reason we should. Apples and oranges. My personal feeling is, if you go to a structured, woven fabric, and use the kind of tailoring and structuring he’s done, it puts those costumes back, historically, five hundred years, with shoulder seams and shoulder pads of that type.”

But regardless of the personal feelings of anyone involved or the creative direction from The Powers That Be, Theiss’ approach to “The Lost Era” uniform transition appears to have basically been, “Ignore the TOS movie uniforms and pretend they never happened!”

With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that, right from the beginning of The Next Generation ‘s pilot, everyone was already wearing Theiss’ TNG-era uniforms.

The characters on Farpoint Station waiting for the Enterprise to arrive were already in uniform, as well.

(It wasn’t like the Deep Space Nine pilot in that regard, when the show’s cast members were first introduced wearing the existing TNG-style uniforms and gradually switched over to the new VOY-style uniforms over the course of the episode.)

The only (other) instance in which Theiss had to address the uniform transition was about a third of the way through The Next Generation ‘s first season, in the episode “The Battle.”

During the episode, Captain Picard mentally relived the events from 2355, which was approximately eight years prior to the episode.

By now, it shouldn’t be surprising that for these flashback events, Theiss dressed the former Stargazer crew in his TNG-era uniforms. 

Considering Theiss’ apparent attitude AND the fact that this was ultimately just a mental hallucination inflicted by an illegal telepathic device (with malicious intent), I believe it worthy of mention here … but ONLY as a possible example of the Starfleet uniform timeline, not necessarily a factual one. 

That said, in The Next Generation ’s pilot, Theiss DID dress Admiral McCoy in trousers reminiscent of those from the TWOK-era …

I believe this to have been intended to represent the character as a sort of relic and/or “living legend” from generations prior.

Curiously, for the original wardrobe/make-up tests (as seen on The Next Generation season 1 Blu-Ray set ), McCoy was dressed in a variation of his TWOK-era “monster maroon” uniform.

Note the TNG-era communicator, and the lack of the right shoulder strap.

This may have been done purely for convenience, since Deforest Kelley would’ve probably had several uniforms readily-available from the first four TOS movies, or perhaps Theiss’ TNG-era uniforms weren’t quite ready yet.

It could have simply been an experiment, an abandoned creative direction, or any number of other possibilities.

In any event, it never made it on-screen (in-universe), so it technically “doesn’t count.”

I mention it here because it may have been a source of creative inspiration for Robert Blackman, costume designer on The Next Generation from the third season forward.

ROBERT BLACKMAN'S APPROACH

Whereas William Ware Theiss had created this issue and then more or less ignored it (Gene Roddenberry’s potential directions notwithstanding), Robert Blackman inherited it by default when he came on board the show in season three … and he had to contend with it several times over the remainder of the franchise. 

(Durinda Rice Wood was costume designer for TNG’s second season, although the issue of the uniform transition never arose that production year.)

Blackman’s strategy for addressing the uniform transition – aside from actually acknowledging it, of course! – appears to have been to “bridge the gap” between the two uniform styles by gradually transforming the TWOK-era uniforms into the TNG-era ones to the best of his ability.

He had numerous opportunities to present various stages of the transition, as he seemingly envisioned it.

Robert Fletcher’s TWOK-era uniforms and William Ware Theiss’ TNG-style uniforms were so radically different, transforming the former into the latter was certainly no easy task – probably not even practical to even attempt, but Blackman certainly did the best he could, considering the situation he inherited!

Some fans have criticized various errors and faux-pas with the TWOK-era uniforms seen during Blackman’s tenure, but personally I’m inclined to overlook most of them considering the incredible difficulty of his position.

Blackman inherited a wardrobe full of notoriously uncomfortable uniforms which needed to be redesigned and upgraded, in a way that stayed true to the essence of their original design while still being new, different, and more comfortable for the cast.

In addition to the monumental task of upgrading an entire production’s worth of uniforms AND introducing a whole line of new ones, he also had to continually crank out costumes for the guest stars and “aliens of the week.”

Whenever a flashback/time-travel/etc. scenario showed up in the script, Blackman would probably have had a week or less to make it all happen, with all the other stuff going on as well!

Fletcher’s TWOK-era uniforms were probably the most intricately-detailed costumes in the franchise, particularly regarding all the various accessories, trinkets, accents, detailing, positioning of the various components

Dedicated fans study for weeks, months, or even years trying to wrap their brains around Fletcher’s uniforms, often with the intention of getting their own, personal costume “just right.”

But Blackman would have a fraction of that time AND would nearly always have to address the issue of the uniform transition, each time never knowing if or when the writers would revisit “The Lost Era,” or during what specific window any future visit(s) would be set.

In short, Blackman had to incorporate the work of five (!) other costume designers into the show, carrying their legacies forward while cleaning up other peoples’ messes AND making his own creative contributions, under weekly deadlines.

With that in mind, I’ll outline what we do know about the Starfleet uniform timeline here, in approximate chronological “stardate order” – that is, the order that events took place in-universe, although the actual episodes/movies referenced were in a different production order.

Unsurprisingly, the TWOK-era uniforms were in full-swing in 2278, approximately 85 years prior to “Encounter at Farpoint,” as evidenced by the crew of the Bozeman .

Interestingly, that actually predates the events depicted in The Wrath of Khan by several years, making this the earliest example of the TWOK-era uniforms seen in-universe!

As mentioned previously, the TWOK-era uniforms were still in style at the time of the Enterprise B’s launch in 2293, approximately 71 years prior to “Encounter at Farpoint.”

The following year, 2294, Scotty was aboard the Jenolen when it crashed onto the Dyson Sphere.

He and one other person survived the crash, and he rigged the transporter to preserve them indefinitely until they were rescued.

When the TNG crew discovered the crashed ship and completed the transporter cycle, we saw that Scotty was still wearing the more casual class (or variant) of his movie-era uniform, like he’d worn for most of the final three original movies.

Since he wound up being the sole survivor of the crash, we don’t know what the other Starfleet passengers or crew was wearing, but I think it’s safe to assume they were still wearing the movie-era uniforms at that point.

And I find it interesting that after his wounds were treated and he’d cleaned up, he continued to wear this uniform style for the rest of the episode.

He didn’t seem to feel the need to switch to the present-day Starfleet uniform, nor did any of the Enterprise crew seem at all inclined to make an issue of it.

It made sense for the characters, but I also think it was a great creative choice for two reasons:

First, our most recent (and perhaps strongest) visual association with Scotty by this point was like this ; sticking him in the TNG-era uniform would’ve seemed disrespectful somehow.

And second, it was a great visual representation of Scotty’s situation and what his character was dealing with in this episode; he was a man out of time, a relic of the past who wanted so badly to be useful in a world of new engineering and technology that was beyond him.

Aaaand that’s where things start to get a little hazy …

In 2327, approximately 36 years prior to “Encounter at Farpoint” and shortly after Jean-Luc Picard graduated from Starfleet Academy, the TWOK-era uniforms were still in use.

However, the quilted turtleneck-style division shirts had been replaced with what appeared to be a plain, T-shirt style division shirt underneath. 

In 2343, approximately 20 years prior to “Encounter at Farpoint,” the TWOK-era uniforms were still worn in this manner, as evidenced by the memory of Ian Troi that Deanna experienced inside of Lwaxana’s mind during their telepathic connection.

It IS worth noting that this telepathic projection may not have been Ian Troi as he appeared at the time of his death in 2343, but possibly Deanna’s memory of him sometime prior to that year.

Around that time, major changes seem to have been made to the TWOK-era Starfleet uniforms.

By 2344, approximately 19 years prior to “Encounter at Farpoint,” the TWOK-era uniforms were still worn by Starfleet crew, but the undershirts had been eliminated entirely, as had the belts.

Curiously, though, the uniforms worn by the enlisted crew members were still worn with belts …

A few years later, around 2348 (approximately 15 years prior to “Encounter at Farpoint”), the TWOK-era Starfleet insignia pin worn on the left chest had been replaced with the TNG-era communicator, as evidenced by the hologram Jack Crusher made for Wesley shortly after his birth.

It also looks like the division stripes running down the trousers’ pant legs may have been removed, but it’s difficult to tell for sure …

Chronologically and in-universe, that was the last time that any variation of the TWOK-era uniforms were ever seen on-screen.

As a side note, a minor modification Blackman made to nearly all of the aforementioned “Lost Era” TWOK uniforms was to replace the gold trim on the left sleeve band with red.

In-universe, this trend may have begun as early as 2293 (albeit intermittently), considering these Demora Sulu and actor Tim Russ’ costumes from Generations :

However, at that point it definitely wasn’t a universal change.

If one wanted to, I suppose one could make a case that, in-universe, the “red trim” thing only kicked in with younger and/or junior officers at that point … but I really just think it was one of the (many) confusing ways that Generations fumbled.

On the other hand, Generations did give Blackman the opportunity to further nudge the TWOK-era uniforms toward their TNG-era successors with Captain Kirk’s vest.

The black panels on the sides were not only slimming (definitely more flattering on Shatner at that point), but they were subtly evocative of the black panels on the sides of the TNG jumpsuits and TNG skants .

This was a great way to suggest the beginnings of a uniform transition, and as a crossover/“passing-the-torch” movie the context was perfect!

Considering the beginning and ending, that’s about as fluid a uniform transformation as could be reasonably expected, short of whipping up some transitional skin-tight, spandex, jumpsuit-style “monster maroon” uniforms …

… or some short-sleeved, skirt-length “monster maroons” worn without pants …

Good call, Mr. Blackman!

Opinions vary regarding the aesthetic appeal of Blackman’s transitional “Lost Era” uniforms and quite a few logistical errors were made over the years, but I think he made a great creative decision to approach the issue the way he did, and I don’t think anyone could’ve done a better job reconciling two radically different uniform styles.

By the time of Jack Crusher’s death in 2353 (approximately 10 years prior to “Encounter at Farpoint”), it appears that Theiss’ TNG-era uniforms had become the standard, as evidenced by Beverly Crusher’s flashback of herself and Captain Picard going to view Jack Crusher’s body at what appeared to be a morgue.

As mentioned previously, as of 2355 (approximately 8 years prior to “Encounter at Farpoint”), Starfleet crew seem to have donned Theiss’ TNG-era uniforms, as evidenced by Captain Picard’s hallucinatory recollection.

I find this is somewhat curious, though, since the Stargazer appeared to be a TOS movie-era ship …

In fact, the bridge of the Stargazer looked eerily familiar …

On the other hand, consistency in Starfleet ship design makes sense, and they often built these ships to last!

We know of numerous starships that were in service for decades, perhaps most famously the Excelsior -class.

And in the episode “Relics,” Geordi even told Scotty that the Jenolen – a ship over eighty years old – might’ve still been in service if it weren’t so banged up.

(And I’m sure that the existence of the TOS movie-era sets at the time of The Next Generation had absolutely nothing to do with any of this …) 

A few years later, in 2358 (approximately 5 years prior to “Encounter at Farpoint”), Blackman wedged in this curious variation of a Starfleet admiral uniform …

It appeared to be a stylistic hybrid of both the TWOK-era and TNG-era uniforms, albeit with the Voyager -era communicator – whoops!

Again though, all three of the previous examples I mentioned were telepathically-induced recollections/hallucinations/impersonations, forcibly imposed by malicious aliens, so their reliability as evidence is questionable for our purposes.

However, they do seem to lend a certain amount of credence to each other.

Even if we disregard all three of the previous examples, though, Theiss’ TNG-era Starfleet uniforms had still at least appeared by 2353, as evidenced by the photo of Jeremiah Rossa’s parents.

This seems to validate the Starfleet uniform timeline, as seen in the aforementioned visions/hallucinations/recollections/etc.

There were three additional examples prior to “Encounter at Farpoint” during which we saw Theiss’ TNG-era uniforms being worn by Starfleet crew.

The first was in the Victory ‘s away team sensor logs, about a year before “Encounter at Farpoint,” during which Geordi La Forge was still a junior officer on an away mission with several other crew members, all of whom donned Theiss’ TNG-era uniforms.

The second was Lieutenant “Thomas” Riker, the transporter clone of “William” Riker from perhaps a year or so prior to “Encounter at Farpoint.”

Curiously though, while his uniform was obviously the Theiss-style, it was an unusual variant in two ways:

First, it was a jacket, rather than a jumpsuit.

And second, it appears to have been made from wool gabardine, as Blackman’s TNG-era uniform jackets were, rather than the appropriate jumbo spandex. It was also lined.

And lastly, in The Next Generation ‘s final episode, we saw that at the time of the Enterprise D’s launch, all the crew members were already in Theiss’ TNG-era Starfleet uniforms (again, unlike the Deep Space Nine pilot, in which the cast was introduced in one uniform style then changing to the new one). 

IN CONCLUSION

I have the greatest respect for Robert Fletcher, William Ware Theiss, and Robert Blackman as costume designers … even if their artistic visions for future Starfleet uniforms were radically different. 🙂

I think they all three did fantastic work on the franchise, and assuming my outsider’s perspective is reasonably accurate, I understand why they each made the decisions they did while making their respective contributions.

Personally, I think Robert Blackman chose the best approach to address “The Lost Era” uniform transition, and I believe he did as good a job as could possibly have been done – particularly under extraordinarily difficult circumstances.

If you enjoyed this blog post, please support my costume research on Ko-Fi .

Every bar of gold-pressed latinum goes toward producing more sewing/costuming resources like this, for everyone interested in Star Trek costumes. 🙂

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Awesome article and video! Although there may have been another in-between uniform, as seen in Jean-Luc's crate in his Stargazer cabin in "The Battle". Something I noticed a few years ago.

https://twitter.com/gaghyogi49/status/1284601458265137152?s=20

That was actually Larry Marvick's costume from the TOS episode, "Is There In Truth No Beauty?"

In-universe, I can only assume that it might be in Picard's possession because of his interest in history ... but it might've been Theiss just slipping it into the episodes for reasons of his own.

It's neat to consider it as an in-between uniform concept, but I don't really see any canonical evidence for it.

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Star Trek's Different Uniform Colors And Their Meanings Explained

T he Starfleet uniforms seen on the original "Star Trek" series back in 1966 were designed by William Ware Theiss, a costume designer who had previously worked on major Hollywood productions like "Spartacus," and who would go on to design for films like "Harold & Maude," "Bound for Glory," and "Pete's Dragon." According to an article on StarTrek.com , Theiss became friends with D.C. Fontana on the set of "Spartacus" (Fontana worked as a member of the studio's typing pool), which gave him the connection he needed to land his "Star Trek" job. It was Theiss' idea to make futuristic space uniforms look more shirt-like and casual, which stood in contrast to the shiny-and-chrome sci-fi costumes that were more in vogue at the time.

Theiss was also notorious for the skin-revealing outfits he designed for the show's many female guest stars, and he was noted for being able to ride the line of acceptability when it came to nudity. He was a talented man whose name should be more widely known by Trekkies.

The actual colors of the Starfleet uniforms, however, were decided by committee (with Fonanta and show creator Gene Roddenberry giving input), so Theiss went along with the idea that the various workers on a Federation starship should be color-coded by their respective departments. Little could Theiss have known that the Starfleet department colors would remain a permanent fixture in a media franchise that would last (as of this writing) 57 years.

As far as Starfleet is concerned, there are three central departments on a Starfleet vessel: Gold is for command, blue is for science/medical, and red is for engineering/security. In the days of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," the red and gold would be inverted. Theiss won an Emmy for "Next Generation" before his death in 1992.

Read more: Why Khan Noonien Singh Casts A Shadow Over The Entire Star Trek Universe

Gold, Red, Blue, And Other Uniform Colors

In the original "Star Trek," for instance, one might note that Captain Kirk ( William Shatner ) wore a gold uniform. That was to denote his position in management. Other lower-ranking officers in gold uniforms were essentially on the "management track," presumably learning about all departments on a starship and hoping to command a vessel of their own someday (or at least become a first officer).

Those in the red uniforms worked with the technical aspects of a ship. Scotty (James Doohan) and Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) dealt with machinery, engines, communication devices, etc. Red was also used for security officers on the U.S.S. Enterprise, which may be why so many redshirts died on away missions; they were ancillary security officers. Red uniforms were also worn by yeomen, who essentially helped with clerical work and didn't have a rank. It's worth noting that in the canon of "Star Trek," engineers, yeomen, and security officers don't have to attend Starfleet Academy to serve on board a starship. One can simply enlist. Those officers answer to the heads of their respective departments.

Those in blue, like Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), are in charge of scientific research and medicine. A lot of "Star Trek" is devoted to the sciences, so it makes sense that it would be an active and enormous part of any ship. The science/medical department is pretty self-explanatory.

One might note that Kirk occasionally wore a green tunic with a V-neck collar. The green uniform didn't denote any unique department and seemed to be a regulation fashionable alternate for starship captains. If a captain was bored with their standard gold uniform, they were allowed -- on casual Fridays? -- to wear the green one.

The All-Red Uniforms

In director Robert Wise's 1979 film "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," the uniforms were updated. The crew all wore disco-ready bodysuits that were, likewise, color-coded by department. Command officers now wore all-white outfits, science officers wore a muter steel blue, and engineers wore a muted golden brown. Looking close, one might also note that the Starfleet insignias on officers' left lapels were also color-coded, and the coloring system seemed to be more elaborate for the badges. Command officers wore white, science officers wore orange, medical officers wore green, engineers wore red, operations officers wore gold, and security officers wore silver. "The Motion Picture" was the only "Star Trek" outing to use this code.

"Star Trek: The Motion Picture" also revealed that officers seemed to have many fashionable alternatives to their standard uniforms, and multiple uniform cuts and tunics could be seen around the ship. Occasionally, it seems that Starfleet goes through fashion phases where it becomes lax and less stringent about the uniformity of its uniforms. These "any uniform will do" phases seem to last about a year before Starfleet cracks down again.

Hence, in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," a new standard was put into place, and the all-red, Christmas sweater-like uniforms (seen in the picture above) would remain the standard through at least the 2350s when the Enterprise-C was commissioned. Those uniforms looked awfully hot but had button-down, shoulder-fastened chest flaps that could be opened to cool off a little. One might note that the subtle department colors were included on the uniform's collars, cuffs, and shoulder straps. Command officers wore white, engineer/security officers wore orange, and science/medical officers wore grey.

The Red/gold Flip

William Ware Theiss returned to "Star Trek" to design the uniforms seen on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and the design reverted to the red/gold/blue color coding from the original series, only now with the red and the gold reversed; commander officers like Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) wore red while engineering/security now wore gold. There has been no explanation in the canon of "Star Trek" as to why the department colors flipped. Some fans have theorized the red/gold flip was a production decision made to confront the "redshirts always die" cliché that has wormed its way into the Trekkie's pop consciousness. If the captain wore red, then audiences would no longer assume that those in red uniforms were doomed.

The "Next Generation" color coding system has stayed in place until this day. Those colors remained unchanged in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," "Star Trek: Voyager," and the four "Next Generation"-inspired feature films. More recently, "Star Trek: Lower Decks," which takes place about 10 to 15 years after "Next Generation," boasts the same coding. The general uniform designs have changed a lot, but the coloring remains consistent.

On "Next Generation," Picard also might be seen wearing a grey uniform with a suede-like red jacket thrown over it. Like Kirk's green tunic, this seems to be a special fashion dispensation for captains. One might also note that Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton), who served as an acting ensign on the U.S.S. Enterprise-D, wore a grey/dark grey body suit. This was the uniform given to provisional officers; Wesley hadn't gone to Starfleet Academy yet and wasn't an official ensign.

The Distant Past, The Distant Future

The 2001 series "Star Trek: Enterprise" is set a century before the events of the original "Star Trek," and the show's costume designers came up with a wonderful uniform design that rests comfortably on a timeline between NASA and Kirk. The crew all wore functional, indigo-colored jumpsuits, replete with pockets and zippers, that bore their department colors on stripes seen over their shoulders. Because "Enterprise" takes place long before the notorious red/gold flip, command officers still bear gold stripes, while engineering/security officers wear red ones. The science officers have always worn blue.

Also set before the events of the original "Star Trek" was the 2017 series "Star Trek: Discovery," which featured a pretty drastically different uniform design. The characters wore all-blue uniforms that featured chrome-encrusted highlights on their sides and wrapped around their shoulders to denote their departments. On "Discovery," command officers wore shiny gold, science officers wore shiny silver, and engineering/security officers wore shiny bronze. Medical officers were permitted to wear all-white uniforms, a trend also seen in the chronologically concurrent "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds." That series adhered more directly to the 1966 designs and colors.

In the third season of "Discovery," a time warp threw the characters into the 32nd century, and, naturally, Starfleet uniforms had changed. The cut of the uniform was very different; the ranking pips were displayed in multiple ways all over an officer's body. Sometimes, the uniforms were grey with department colors denoted on down-the-chest stripes. Sometimes, they were all one color.

For clarity's sake, however, the "Next Generation" era color coding remained intact on 32nd-century "Discovery," something that seems to have lasted the better part of a millennium. The biggest change: medical officers now wear white instead of blue.

Read the original article on /Film .

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Star Trek Movie Uniform Spoilers

| July 31, 2008 | By: Anthony Pascale 314 comments so far

Red, Blue and Gold For people who have been paying close attention to the various hints and comments from the cast, it should come as no surprise that the uniforms worn on board the Enterprise in the film follow the same color standard as the Original Series . The latest comment on this comes from the new James T. Kirk himself, Chris Pine, who confirmed with Hollywood Outbreak he would be wearing command gold. In the past Zoe Saldana (Uhura) has talked about her short skirt , and Anton Yelchin (Chekov) has also commented about how the crew will be wearing red, blue and gold. And the new Star Trek poster also gives some clues to the uniforms as well.

TrekMovie has talked about the uniforms with multiple sources and has confirmed that, just like on The Original Series , Scotty (Simon Pegg) and Uhura (Zoe Saldana) will be wearing red as will other actors and extras in engineering, security and communications. Spock (Zachary Quinto) and Bones (Karl Urban) will be we in Blue, as will others in science and medical. And Sulu (John Cho), Chekov (Anton Yelchin) will join Kirk (Pine) in command gold.

New uniforms a nod to the original According to TrekMovie sources, the Starfleet uniforms on the Enterprise are the element of this film closest to The Original Series in design. They are comprised of very dark grey (almost black) pants and boots for the men and mini skirts and boots for the women along with the previously mentioned shirts. For the women’s outfits, the mini-skirts are a bit longer than TOS and they have both short-sleeved and long-sleeved versions, and at least one female member of the crew will be wearing pants. The biggest difference with the tops is that they are comprised of two pieces, with a very dark grey (almost black) undershirt and the over shirt of the appropriate color, with a slight v-neck. The undershirt forms what looks like a black collar, similar to the TOS uniforms. As TrekMovie’s closer look at the new poster reveals (above), the colored uniform blouses have small ‘delta shield’ emblems woven into the fabric (this is most apparent on Saldana’s). Also, the shirt Chris Pine is wearing in the new poster appears to be uniform undershirt. Another change is the rank insignia which is said to be similar but more simplified in design. Lastly, the delta shield emblem is actually a pin instead of being sewn into the top, but still retains the department variations on the design. Regardless of the few differences, from a distance the new uniforms are almost indistinguishable from those of The Original Series.

Another important note, however, is that the main uniforms are only a portion of the overall wardrobe to be seen in the film. Most past films in the franchise have very little variety of wardrobe, but this new film has the biggest set of wardrobe of any Trek film, even more than Star Trek The Motion Picture . Many of the characters will be seen in both their Starfleet uniforms as well as civilian clothes. There are also Starfleet uniform variations including Academy uniforms, pressure suits, and apparently different versions of the Starfleet uniforms for some scenes set on another starship ( see previous spoiler article) .

So the bottom line is that on one hand the new Star Trek film will give a nod to TOS with a fairly close match, but on other hand provide a whole new set of new and interesting outfits to see our heroes save the galaxy in.  

First and cool.

Star Trek: The Fashion Show

Ah well, I hope the uniforms aren’t ridiculously simple – it would clash with the idea of a “revamped futuristic looking ship / bridge”

This sounds good. I like the description, but would like to examine the uniforms and other costumes… did your source show you any examples?

I think the original series also had two piece shirts if I remember correctly. Look forward to see more in depth pictures.

Thanks for the update, Anthony.

Civilian clothes, eh? I hope they’ll be cool. Also, and at the same time, I find myself hoping that the civvies will be hilariously and outrageously fugly, a la Search For Spock.

Sounds good. I prefer the patch to a pin but overall it sounds beautiful (and the delta-weave cloth is a very groovy detail).

Very much along the lines of what I expected…

It was clear from James Cawley’s visit to the set and his comments afterward, that the uniforms would be very similar but not exact replicas of the ones seen in TOS. The two-piece uniform seems much more realistic, and I am not surprised to hear that the mini-skirts are a little bit longer and that the female officers and crewmembers have a trouser option (just like in today’s service-alpha uniforms in the US Armed Forces).

It’s going to be a bit more difficult for Kirk to get his chest exposed with a dark undershirt beneath his command gold, and Uhura will have to bend farther over for us to get a peek!!!

At least we will have some surprise left over with the alternate uniforms mentioned…

#5—“Ah well, I hope the uniforms aren’t ridiculously simple – it would clash with the idea of a “revamped futuristic looking ship / bridge”

I don’t see why.

Cool. The orginal series had very little variety in uniforms. This should be interesting to see if they’ll bring back TOS versions of Movie era uniforms such as the command Bomber jacket, the Rad Suits, and the field uniform/ jackets.

This is good, modernizing the design without breaking the basic continuity.

Can’t wait to see what Rubies will bring to the table here.

I’m glad to hear this and I’m also glad they are paying attention to detail in every area; wardrobe, starships, character likeness. Can’t wait to see this new implementation of new ideas to freshen it up as well.

I kind of remember “official” books with a variety of emblems that different starships wore on their basic uniforms.

Is that what is going on here? If so, that’s cool.

“The two-piece uniform seems much more realistic”

So a shirt and an undershirt is more realistic than a shirt with a collar.

I don’t see why.

Great, the more its like TOS the happier I am. I hope those dreadfull TOS movie uniforms never show up.

BTW, Does anyone know why Picard did sport a yellow shirt in TNG?

I meant Didn’t.

I recall one of the spy pics taken on the set a few months ago – the jacket did have a delta pin on it, instead of a patch…….

Male Announcer: Welcome to the annual Enterprise Command Crew Lineup, where we show you ALL of this year’s hot new fashions. This year, we’ll be seeing what tight shirts and hot bods Starfleet has to offer Seventeen-Oh-One this year.

Female Announcer: Intriguing, isn’t it? We have a great lineup for our future staff. There’s all sorts of new faces coming in. We’ll be seeing a reprise of the traditional Red, Gold, and Blue for this season and—

Male Announcer: Shut up! Shut up! Here they come! And first up, here comes James Kirk! He’s an arrogant new ensign, fresh out of Starfleet. He’s sporting the trendy tight pants and red shirt! Stay away from the away missions Jim.

Female Announcer: You said it! He is looking FINE!!!!111one Next up is Spock of Vulcan. You all know him. He’s been around with us with Captain Pike. His ears say “logic” but his face says “Hottie!” He is sporting the blue V-neck of science.

MA: Here’s Uhura, an eager young girl who majored in communications. I’ll give HER my number! She is sporting this year’s mini-skirt v-neck combo. And might I say she is looking FABULOUS! Mike to Uhura, you look great!

FA: Next in our line is our beloved doctor, Leo McCoy! Next to him is his trademark Prada Medical Tricorder. OW! Please state the nature of the medical emergency? I’m in LOVE! Scan my heart, cause when you get near, my blood pressure is 180/140! Though, theoretically with that, I should be dead.

MA: You mean you aren’t? *Gets slapped* Okay okay. Next we have McCoy’s assistant, the B-A-utiful Nurse Chapel. She’s toting her tricorder next to her, showing it off. She just transferred here recently, and she brings with her the blue version of the mini-skirt, v-neck combo. Marvelous, my dear!

FA: And last, but certainly not least, is our Chief Engineer, Monty Scott. He hails from the moors of Scotland to bring us lights and glamour every day. His dark grey pants, red shirt, and red hair are a striking and fierce combination. Warp Factor HOT on my command!

MA: That is our Enterprise Fashion Show for this year. Come back next year, when we have a whole new line of red shirts up to bat, because most of you won’t make it through the next fifteen minutes!

FA: I’ll say. You Reddies die off like flies!

[BOTH LAUGH]

MA: Well, goodnight everyone.

FA: We hope to see all of you again real soon. If you don’t die in some ridiculous way, that is.

Both: Tootles! ——— As you can see, I’ve NEVER worked in the fashion industry, nor do I plan to. I’m a doctor, dammit, not a—— *sniffs* I smell Gucci!

As a vintage clothing dealer and wardrobe collector, this is of special interest to me.

The idea of the black undershirt reminds me of the “Voyager”/”Deep Space Nine” era uniforms, with their grey undershirts, and of the “First Contact” style uniforms with the rank colored undershirts. This new design sounds very functional while still retaining the overall classic look. I hope the rest of the film follows suit (no pun intended).

Geez, is it May yet?!

I am very happy to hear this news. I am hoping that the cast finally gets pockets. I, for one, never understood having to strap everything you had to carry on a velcro belt. Either way, TOS fashions rule!

I’m excited to go back to a simplified world of Star Trek. Something about The Original Series made the universe seem bigger and humanity seem smaller. I like that. My favorite is Next Generation yet still I’m excited to shed all the baggage that TNG and its successors created. It’ll be a faster paced wild west adventure in space. I’m looking forward to that.

Anyway that’s what this news story made me think of.

but…but…what about ‘the cage’ uniforms in WNMHGB???

guess that could be explained away with the enterprise washing machine broke down that week so they had to break out some old uniforms in storage and wore them…then the wash machiones got fixed in time for Combomite Manouver..

plus McCoy mustve been dropped off at a starbase for WNMHGB

Not that I will be disappointed in any way to see Zoe Saldana’s legs in a mini-skirt, but I wonder how they pull a mini and boots off without appearing campy and dated. Outside of the 1960’s fashion scene, it’s difficult to imagine a military or pseudo-military agency dressing their females like Nancy Sinatra.

Having said that, I’m betting she’s got great “stems” :-)

Mini skirts….a bit longer… NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Actually, it all sounds really good.

A PIN?? The quest begins…. When they changed combadges, I became obsessed with finding/replicating one- just to be FIRST!! (Ah, geekdom.) To me, NOTHING could be worse than season 1 & 2 of TNG. Nothing.

The uniform color scheme had changed by the time of TNG. Red was for command and Yellow was for service.

This was even mentioned in “Trials and Tribblations” when Sisko has to remember to change shirt colors.

Longer mini-skirts? I remember an early episode of The Next Generation where they showed a male crew member in a bare legged maxi-shirt, that was just as short as the original show’s female outfits. Strangely, the look wasn’t adopted by the command personnel.

21 Velcro Comment,

It’s like why Uhura touches her ear every 15 seconds. We can create starships that travel at thousands of times the speed of light, but we can’t create an earpiece that stays in while in use. It’s just a “go figure” situation. Though, you would’ve thought that they’d have figured out something other than Velcro to use in the future. But that’s just my 9 cents (accounting for inflation).

It still doesn’t explain how Spock from the future won’t notice the slight differences in the uniforms than from his memory of wearing them.

23. No offense, but it’s called a Pilot. These are shows that work out the bugs, and boy, there are plenty of ’em when you have to invent a whole new universe. You create a drama that you hope will sell, then you have to make it workable. In the mid-60’s, color television was just being introduced. That’s the reason Star Trek went psychedelic, plain and simple. Plus, it just looks better

“#16 – BTW, Does anyone know why Picard didn’t sport a yellow shirt in TNG?”

A lot of the command/security did switch. Engineering had yellow uniforms in TNG but vice versa in TOS, etc.

#15—“So a shirt and an undershirt is more realistic than a shirt with a collar.

I don’t see why.”

Then you have obviously never served in the military, or if you have, you’ve obviously forgotten what it is like to wear a uniform in everyday practical situations. As a combat veteran former US Marine who has served “actively’ in uniform on more occasions than I could count, trust me…It just is. It is better for the body temperature (in the heat and the cold) and keeps the outer shirt from being soiled in perspiration, which is unnecessarily unsightly and simply less comfortable in situations where the person in question is exposed to the elements, and also keeps the skin on the torso less exposed to coarse earth (like sand, for instance)one might come in contact with on the ground.

30 – yeah i was just foolin..

joking aside i remember reading an atricle or interview around the time of the original crew films where the costume designer or whoever was talking about the movie uniforms for TMP/TWOK and said something like ‘obviously we couldnt have them dashing around in the colourful tv uniforms on the big screen as although they looked great on tv theyd look outrageous on the big screen’

guess again pal (whoever you were)

#28 –

Or, to quote Frasier from an old episode of “Cheers”…

“We can put a man on the moon, but we still can’t put metal in a microwave!”

I think the question is WHY did the producers do the gold/red switch?

What was the purpose? For continuity’s sake, it makes no sense, considering the former color scheme was well known. For storytelling sake, wouldn’t it have been a difficult transition day for servicemembers? So was it deliberate? An accident? Artistic reasons? Star demand?

#19: Great job, Sharkster! I’d go to that fashion show any day.

well at least they will be like the TOS uniforms.

Here’s hoping that the sets will be paid a similar homage

BUT WHERE’S THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THIS PIECE, ANTHONY…?

Mainly, will we be seeing moderized versions of “The Cage”/”Where No Man Has Gone Before” era uniforms in flashbacks?

16 – are you joking? TOM (the original movies) red uniforms were great!

29 – the uniforms described here sound virtually identical to TOS ones bar a few changes (badge, collar etc) only a big fan would notice…anyway whos to say the red/blue/gold uniforms wernt slightly different just prior to TOS 5 year mission…theres always been lots of minor and major differences in the uniforms througout all incarnations of trek…(e.g. TNG – 1st/2nd seson one piece suit….then the 3rd-7th season two piece…then they wore the DS9/Voy style for Generations – but all were the same basic design of the red/blue/gold)

#32 — I’m glad someone with knowledge of the military is contributing and enlightening the rest. Thanks! And to the rest of you: think before you post. I can’t believe I’m even in the same room with you.

Seacrest out!

Do we know if the Delta will be associated with The Enterprise only?

I am wondering though, I heard this was to take place between “The Cage” and “Where no Man has Gone Before.” But in WNHGB, weren’t they still wearing the uniforms that were worn in “The Cage?” THey didn’t start wearing the more traditional uniforms until “The Corbomite Maneuver.” And I am going by Production order, not airing order. I don’t know why it was aired in such a manner, but it made no sense that way.

ok this is a bit off topic but…

regarding the gold/blue/red color scheme.

It looks to me like, starting with DS9, the blue science medical uniforms turned green. Kind of a blue green, but definitely more green than blue. They look much different than say, Dr. Crusher’s uniform in TNG. Am I color blind, or am I right???????

Make it work, people!

Continuing from 19:

TOS: Wait a minute, Denise, we have 2 late arrivals! Our chief of Astrosciences, Hikaru Sulu, and our newbie, Pavel Chekov, our navigator.

Denise: Indeed. Both are sporting the newest and latest gold-pressed uniforms. They look like latinum in THOSE outfits!

TOS: Is Sulu available?

Denise: You wish! Maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll get to see him swordfight with his shirt off!

TOS: And the chances of that are….?

Denise: 3,720 to 1, the same as being able to successfully navigate an asteroid field.

TOS: Never tell me the odds!

Denise: But you just—-

TOS: Don’t care. Now, with those two trotting away, THAT ends our show. Have fun, and don’t get killed on an away mission!

Denise: Unless you’re a redshirt, then that’ll serve as a great plot device!

TOS: G’night to all!

Hopefully that other ship design outfit mentioned will be a different insignia, as in TOS.

The original shirts were one piece, not two as asked by somebody above. They did wear black t shirts under the tunic, however. It can often be seen.

I’m relatively happy… although why not just go with black pants??? My biggest gripe is the pin instead of the patch… But okay. Now, no mention of the sleeve piping… I’m assuming the same???

And no. 43: I’ve noticed that too… more a sea foam green, and not a true blue on DS9

TOS#45- The chiffon-and-lace undershirts for the guys were a nice touch. However, do you really think stiletto-heeled boots are really practical for the ladies…

I think the reason for the color switch lies in the TWOK movie era uniforms. As those were primarily red, it seems like they continued with red as command and had to switch mustard/yellow to Ship Services.

What was the purpose? For continuity’s sake, it makes no sense, considering the former color scheme was well known. For storytelling sake, wouldn’t it have been a difficult transition day for servicemembers? So was it deliberate? An accident? Artistic reasons? Star demand?

It was probably some Red Shirt conspiracy. You remember how it was always the crewman in the red shirts to die ithe landing parties. Hey I have an idea lets swap shirts with the captain and comman crew!

I just wonder if the red shirts will live up to this old tradition? No pun intended.

What Do The Star Trek Uniform Colors Mean & Why Are They So Important?

"Star Trek" is definitely a technicolor wonderland of a show. That sense of eye-catching brilliance trickles down from the background scenery to the props used by each cast member, all the way to the uniforms the show's central crew wears as a part of their duties. 

It's easy to notice that the crew of the Starship Enterprise wear tunics in varying shades. Those colors are quite important — they denote which job class each crew member belongs to. Those classes were devised by series creator Gene Roddenberry and costume designer William Ware Theiss, and are intended to resemble the classifications used by the United States Military on noise-heavy aircraft carriers. 

Sometimes there are differences allowed for dress uniforms; the command staff, for instance, will wear green uniforms during formal occasions. And these rules aren't hard and fast ones; across the whole universe of "Star Trek" series, films, and other ephemera, the colors various officers wear on the show and the meanings behind them change depending on when the scene takes place in the show's general timeline. But these are the color codes that most often denote each character's job on the ship, and the ones used during the original "Star Trek" series to explain who is who and what they do.

The term 'red shirt' gained a negative connotation

Even if you're not a "Star Trek" fan, you've probably heard jokes about how often red-shirted officers are introduced to the show, only for them to quickly die during away missions. For a period of time, the term "red shirt" became a dirty word in the "Star Trek" world; it's gone on to take on a larger cultural significance, indicating that a person is a disposable background element easy to get rid of. And yet many of the show's red-toting characters are the franchise's longest-lasting individuals. The class encompasses the engineering, security, and communication staff positions on the Enterprise. Lt. Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) and Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (James Doohan) are among the most prominent crew members who wear scarlet hues. To wear red on the bridge is definitely a high honor.

Are 'red shirts' more doomed than their counterparts? Mathematician James Grime weighed in on the subject during a talk at New York's Museum of Mathematics in 2017. A simple statistical calculation revealed that 10% of the show's red-shirted denizens die during the original show's run — compared to 18 percent of golden-shirted characters. "There is some truth in the old 'Star Trek' myth if you look at security officers ... 20 percent of security officers died. So I think the moral of the story is, if you're on the starship Enterprise and you want to survive, be a scientist," he said.

Ironically, crimson red was eventually used to denote a position of authority on the ship; the uniforms that debuted in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" place the crew in scarlet togs, with no color divisions to mark them.

Blue denotes a scientific mind

If you're feeling blue during your time on the Enterprise, then you're probably logically-minded. Throughout much of the original "Star Trek" series, blue uniforms were given to the show's science and medical officers. That's why Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Nurse Christine Chapel (Majel Barrett), and Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley) can be seen sporting blue tunics throughout the series' run. The designation of blue uniforms hasn't changed much during the course of various "Star Trek" series; blue and purple shades are used to indicate ship medics in such continuations of the universe as "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

Blue was also the chosen shade for the crew uniforms in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," with splashes of brown, oatmeal and white. This change didn't go over well with the cast. Their rebellion against the baggy uniforms went beyond their alleged unsightliness; costume designer Robert Fletcher sewed shoes into the bottom of each uniform, forcing the actors to ask their assistants for help in completing simple tasks such as going to the bathroom. A change was promptly made for the next film, and the red Navy-style uniforms stuck with the whole movie franchise until "Star Trek: The Next Generation" was launched.

Golden shirts denote power

Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), meanwhile, sports a gold-colored shirt. These are the outfits worn by those in command: largely, captains and other figures of authority. In other iterations of the show, gold tunics are worn by members of the ship's security staff. In any event, it's a uniform that denotes power.

But those shirts weren't actually intended to be golden at all; in reality, they were pale green tunics that were filmed as golden or orange-looking thanks to the sort of film the show used. According to an interview conducted with Bill Thiess in 1988 for Star Trek Prop Authority , it wasn't the show's intent to present Kirk and other captains as wearing gold at all. "It was one of those film stock things; it photographed one way – burnt orange or a gold. But in reality was another; the command shirts were definitely green." Unfortunately, thanks to that mistake the look has stuck, and Kirk's uniform is more often remembered as golden instead of green.

Whether they're sporting green or dodging danger in red, there's one thing officers on the Enterprise definitely know how to do – look stylish in a timelessly classical way.

What Star Trek Uniform Colors Mean Throughout the Franchise's Eras

Star Trek's uniforms have undergone a staggering variety of changes over the years. The famous tricolor coding, however, has remained intact. Mostly.

Quick Links

The original series' uniforms helped star trek 'pop', the movies made radical changes to the star trek uniforms, the next generation brought back the tricolors with a twist, deep space nine and voyager gave the design a 'fatigues' look, star trek: enterprise altered the look yet again, discovery bridged the gap between enterprise and tos, picard continued the tricolor tradition, star trek: prodigy delivered new cadets uniforms, lower decks gives the tri-colors a humorous twist, strange new worlds perfectly balances old and new.

• Star Trek's uniforms have evolved throughout the decades over the course of the franchise.
• The meanings behind the colors have shifted throughout the Star Trek eras, but most series generally stick to the tri-color format.
• Each new Star Trek series has brought its own unique take on the main crew's uniforms while still providing visual connections between the eras.

From its earliest incarnation, Star Trek has used its distinctive uniforms to help stand apart from other science fiction epics. Over time, they became as important to the franchise as the phasers and transporters: particularly the unique "tricolor" patterns of red, blue and yellow. Every series has its own version, and the specific designs vary as a way of making each series distinctive.

The colors themselves have very specific meanings, though that has shifted from show to show and from design to design. Most of the time, it sticks to the basic parameters set by The Original Series , with the colors designating different departments comprising Starfleet. But a few big changes have come and gone as the franchise has evolved over the years.

Updated on March 22, 2024 by Robert Vaux: New Star Trek series have been released since the article's first publication. It has been updated with several new entries accordingly, and the formatting has been adjusted to meet CBR's current guidelines.

'The Phone Didn't Ring': Walter Koenig Reflects on Career Struggles After Star Trek

The two Star Trek pilots -- "The Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before" -- established the basics of Star Trek 's uniform colors. But the tones were muted and understated, and the rapid expansion of color TV in the 1960s demanded something that popped. The Original Series brightened the colors while formally distinguishing what each one meant: red for security and engineering departments, yellow for command and flight control, and blue for science and medical. The Kelvinverse reboot movies starring Chris Pine use the same color coding for their redesigned variants of the classic uniforms.

William Shatner also wore a wraparound green tunic on occasion, as well as a formal uniform composed of green fabric. (The color disparity resulted from lighting and film stock at the time, which made the green fabric look yellow.) Other departments wore color-coded formal uniforms of the same cut. In addition, enlisted crewmen wore coveralls loosely coded to the department where they worked, and variations such as red workout uniforms would crop up as well. No special significance was attributed to their colors.

Star Trek: The Original Series

In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets.

The first Star Trek movie opened over a decade after The Original Series ended, and changing times meant a change in the look. The tricolors went out the window starting with Star Trek: The Motion Picture in favor of muted, neutral tones such as brown, beige, and sky blue. No particular significance was connected to specific colors. Instead, the Star Trek symbol on the uniform's left breast contained a color circle behind the delta, coded to match the wearer's department.

Those uniforms proved too wishy-washy and prompted another redesign. The "monster maroons" made their debut in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , patterned after classic naval uniforms of the 19th century. Every officer's outer tunic was the same deep red, with the color of the shirt below indicating department and duty. White was for command, light green for medical, gold for engineering, dark green for security, dark blue for operations, gray for science, communications, and navigation, and red for NCOs and cadets. Though radically different, the uniforms made for a winning look and remained with the original crew throughout their movie adventures.

Star Trek The Next Generation: When Does TNG Get Good?

Star Trek: The Next Generation took the opportunity to return to the tricolors of The Original Series , though the cut and pattern underwent a big change. That cemented the red, blue, and yellow as a definitive part of Star Trek: so much so that the franchise's introduction now features the tricolors streaming behind the starships onscreen.

As with The Original Series , the colors each denoted different departments on a starship, with one key change: red now indicated command and helm, with yellow for security and engineering. (Science and medical stayed blue.) That came partially as an attempt to reverse the infamous "red shirt" stigma, but it also had a very practical purpose: stars Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes looked much sharper in red than yellow.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine arrived toward the end of The Next Generation 's run and brought a variation to the now-established uniforms. The tricolors moved to the top of the outfit, leaving everything black below the shoulders and a standard gray shirt underneath. That helped the show distinguish itself visually from its predecessor. The new uniforms were intended to serve as Starfleet's "fatigues," workaday outfits for the more rough-and-tumble world of Deep Space Nine . Star Trek: Voyager used the same design throughout its run, and it also appeared in Star Trek: Generations .

Star Trek: First Contact delivered yet another change, with the gray moving to the outer garment and the undershirt now colored to denote department. Deep Space Nine adopted this design during its later seasons, though Voyager -- trapped in the Delta Quadrant -- pointedly did not. In every case, the colors never changed their meaning, denoting the same departments that they did in The Next Generation.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

In the vicinity of the liberated planet of Bajor, the Federation space station Deep Space Nine guards the opening of a stable wormhole to the far side of the galaxy.

Star Trek Voyager

Pulled to the far side of the galaxy, where the Federation is seventy-five years away at maximum warp speed, a Starfleet ship must cooperate with Maquis rebels to find a way home.

Star Trek Theory: Picard Retconned the Divisive Enterprise Series Finale

The renaissance that started with The Next Generation concluded with Star Trek: Enterprise : a prequel covering the early days of humanity's interstellar exploration and the founding of the Federation. The officers donned uniform blue coveralls reminiscent of submarine crews. Colored piping indicated the crew member's department: matching the The Original Series' coding for red, blue and yellow.

In addition to distinguishing Enterprise 's crew from that of other shows, the redesign was intended to connect the "classic" Star Trek uniforms to the fashions and patterns of the modern world. It also made a soft nod to the monster maroons of the Star Trek movies. More importantly, it indicated the political differences between the human fleet and future allies like the Vulcans who had not yet joined Starfleet. The ship's two alien members -- T'Pol and Dr. Phlox -- are markedly not in uniform.

Star Trek: Enterprise

A century before Captain Kirk's five-year mission, Jonathan Archer captains the United Earth ship Enterprise during the early years of Starfleet, leading up to the Earth-Romulan War and the formation of the Federation.

When Star Trek: Discovery re-launched the franchise in 2017, it faced a conundrum for its uniforms. The show was set between the "blue coveralls" era of Star Trek: Enterprise and the classic look of The Original Series (and eventually Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ). The first two seasons found Starfleet still wearing blue, though they resembled more formal military uniforms than the coveralls of Enterprise . Metallic piping on the sides denoted department: gold for command and helm, silver for sciences and medical, and copper for engineering and security.

In Season 3, the crew of the Discovery shot forward to the 32nd century, where they assisted in rebuilding a shattered Federation. That resulted in another series of redesigns, incorporating new variations of the tricolor patterns. Red indicated command, gold was for operations (including helm), blue for sciences, and white for medical.

Star Trek: Discovery

'keep being noisy': picard star provides star trek: legacy update.

The remaining shows in the latter-day Star Trek renaissance -- Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Prodigy -- have adopted the same design philosophy as The Next Generation era. Each series features unique uniform designs patterned around the tricolor formula to denote department. Every series' look is unique, but the specific use of color coding remains true to the era in the timeline: matching the specific departments as used in The Next Generation .

Picard includes a number of key characters who weren't in Starfleet -- at least when the series began -- and as such, it de-emphasizes the tri-color look as much as possible. It helps protagonists in uniform still visibly match their colleagues. It also lets Picard show a side of the Star Trek universe outside of Starfleet, something that helps distinguish it from other series in the franchise.

Star Trek: Picard

Star Trek: Prodigy similarly takes place outside the bounds of the Federation, at least in the early episodes. Its protagonists are a band of young runaways, who escape a planetary labor camp by stealing a wayward Starfleet vessel. In the course of their adventures, they learn Starfleet's mission and commit to upholding it, despite no training and no official rank.

It also introduced cadet uniforms for its young crew. They were black and gray, without any specific color coding. It helped distinguish the crew from Admiral Janeway's, who spent most of the first season in pursuit of them and who wore variations of The Next Generation- era uniforms.

Star Trek: Prodigy

A group of enslaved teenagers steal a derelict Starfleet vessel to escape and explore the galaxy.

How Similar Is Star Trek: Lower Decks To Rick and Morty?

Star Trek: Lower Decks is intended as a parody, but it's also canonical, which means it treats its characters and their mission just seriously enough to convincingly put them alongside their live-action counterparts in other series. Final proof arrived in Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 7, "Those Old Scientists," in which Lower Decks actors Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid played their characters in live-action form alongside Christopher Pike and his crew.

Their uniforms adhere to the standard Starfleet color scheme from The Next Generation era. ( Lower Decks takes place a few years after the final Next Generation theatrical film.) The cut features a narrow black top and the wearer's department color across the chest and torso, along with black trousers. Canonically, the uniforms are for crew members working on California- class ships, which are largely relegated to second-tier missions and maintenance duties.

Star Trek: Lower Decks

The support crew serving on one of Starfleet's least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos, have to keep up with their duties, often while the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds faces continuity challenges the likes of which no other Star Trek series has encountered. Set after the first two seasons of Discovery and a few years before the events of The Original Series , it needs to keep in step with continuity while still forging a distinctive identity for itself.

That extends to the uniforms, which match the same color patterns as The Original Series. Captain Pike is seen in the same yellow as WIlliam Shatner's Captain Kirk -- sometimes in the green wraparound -- with the rest of his crew wearing the same colors as those who will eventually replace them aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise. It has also made the notable move of eliminating the infamous "miniskirts" that female crew members wore on The Original Series. Though Nichelle Nichols made the look iconic, it has subsequently been criticized for its objectifying qualities. Strange New Worlds loses the skirts -- the series' women wear trousers just like the rest of the crew -- while still subtly evoking the style in the new cut.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

The Star Trek franchise is currently streaming on Paramount+.

The Star Trek universe encompasses multiple series, each offering a unique lens through which to experience the wonders and perils of space travel. Join Captain Kirk and his crew on the Original Series' voyages of discovery, encounter the utopian vision of the Federation in The Next Generation, or delve into the darker corners of galactic politics in Deep Space Nine. No matter your preference, there's a Star Trek adventure waiting to ignite your imagination.

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Star Trek Uniforms

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Starfleet uniform

• View history

Starfleet uniforms in 2371, showing two separate styles in use at once

A provisional officer's uniform alongside a standard duty uniform

Starfleet uniforms were uniforms worn by individuals serving in the Federation Starfleet , originally a United Earth organization. These uniforms facilitated the wearers' needs as both scientists and researchers , as well as Starfleet's military role. The uniform and combadge used by Starfleet personnel may vary by the ship or facility they were assigned to, or the officer's rank or department. These were often retained even when visiting other Federation locations. ( TNG : " The Child "; DS9 : " Homefront ", " Tears of the Prophets "; LD : " We'll Always Have Tom Paris ", " Kayshon, His Eyes Open "; DIS : " Saints of Imperfection ")

Casual duty attire also allowed for considerable variation of uniform aboard a Starfleet vessel, though it was ultimately up to the captain's discretion. Wearers were expected to abide by the Starfleet dress code , though special exceptions were sometimes made for certain aspects of an individual's cultural heritage, such as Worf 's Klingon baldric , Nog 's Ferengi headdress , and the earrings of Ro Laren , Kira Nerys , and Shaxs . ( VOY : " Learning Curve ", et al.) According to Elim Garak , " I think Starfleet should allow their officers more latitude in accessorizing their uniforms. You'd be surprised what a nice scarf can do. " ( DS9 : " Broken Link ")

On two occasions, the term " Federation uniform " was used to describe Starfleet uniforms.

In 2369 , the Bajoran civilian Mullibok , who was being evicted from his home , asked Commander Benjamin Sisko how many Federation uniforms he planned on sending down to have him removed. ( DS9 : " Progress ")

In 2372 , Chakotay referred to his as a Federation uniform as he explained to Kar how it was like the Jal name that the Kazon earned. Chakotay told him that his uniform was earned through " years of study ", and " learning about science and ships and navigation , " adding too, that he was further taught to be "[..] prepared us to defend ourselves in battle. They prepared us very well. And we had to pass many difficult tests before we were given the right to wear the uniform. " ( VOY : " Initiations ")

• 1.1 Command
• 1.2 Operations
• 1.3 Sciences
• 2.1.1 Type #1
• 2.1.2 Type #2
• 2.1.3 Type #3
• 2.1.4 Type #4
• 3 Uniform variations
• 4 Dress uniforms
• 5.1.1 Design
• 5.2 Ambiguous uniform
• 5.3 External links

Divisions [ ]

Starfleet uniforms were classified by color among the command, sciences, and operations divisions. Occasionally, the uniforms were also broken down by department, while displaying rank insignia conspicuously. The color scheme had varied over time throughout Starfleet history, but the uniforms were designed for comfort even in the most extreme environments. ( DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations ", " Let He Who Is Without Sin... ")

Command [ ]

The command division was the head of Starfleet, with most of the ranking officers in Starfleet Command wearing these colors. Generally, this division was responsible for the administration of starships , starbases , and space stations .

Operations [ ]

The operations division was the backbone of Starfleet, encompassing the engineering , security , and support departments. This division was responsible for technological innovation and for maintaining and defending the Federation.

Sciences [ ]

The sciences division was the heart of Starfleet, composed of the exploratory , medical , and mental health departments.

Uniform styles [ ]

Unknown eras [ ].

These Starfleet uniforms were introduced between the 24th and 31st centuries .

Type #1 [ ]

A female officer in an unknown uniform

This uniform was worn by an operations division officer , as seen in a photo within the Transporter Facility maintained by Chief Petty Officer Carlton Dennis . ( LD : " Grounded ")

Type #2 [ ]

A female junior officer in a uniform from an unknown era

This uniform was worn by one of Tal 's hosts . ( DIS : " Forget Me Not ")

Type #3 [ ]

A holographic representation of a female lieutenant

This uniform was worn by officers in an unknown era. ( DIS : " Su'Kal ")

Type #4 [ ]

Holographic representations of officers in uniforms from an unknown era

This uniform was worn by the delegation welcoming the Kelpien and Ba'ul Alliance into the Federation. ( DIS : " Su'Kal ")

In the 23rd century , similar uniforms had been in use as cadet outfits. ( DIS : " Through the Valley of Shadows ")

Uniform variations [ ]

Troi in her casual attire

Some officers wore alternate uniforms. Deanna Troi often wore casual clothing while on duty, and T'Pol retained her original Vulcan uniform with a few concessions to her Starfleet rank and ship assignment. Other officers, such as Worf, Montgomery Scott , and Ro Laren, were allowed to wear accessories relating to their culture with their uniforms, but this was at the discretion of the captain. Uniforms were also altered to accommodate non-humanoid officers, such as the three-armed, three-legged uniform of the Edosian Arex , and the uniforms for beluga whales Kimolu and Matt . ( ENT : " Borderland "; Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan ; TNG : " Ensign Ro "; TAS : " Mudd's Passion "; LD : " First First Contact ")

Uniforms were also adapted to environmental or atmospheric conditions. When exploring the planet Tyree , Benjamin Sisko and colleagues wore long, flowing gown uniforms to deal with the sand . They featured a colored stripe to represent departments. ( DS9 : " Shadows and Symbols ")

Dress uniforms [ ]

Worf wearing his dress uniform with a Klingon ceremonial sash

Dress uniforms were a variant of the standard Starfleet uniforms worn for special occasions, such as weddings , courts martial , funerals , and the greeting of ambassadorial delegations and heads of state. ( TOS : " Court Martial ", " Journey to Babel "; TNG : " Lonely Among Us ", " Manhunt ", " Data's Day "; DS9 : " Move Along Home ", " Rules of Engagement "; VOY : " Course: Oblivion ", " One Small Step ", " Ashes to Ashes "; Star Trek: Insurrection )

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ].

Patrick Stewart 's character of Jean-Luc Picard has appeared in more styles of Starfleet uniform than any other character on screen without story contrivances (like time travel , holodecks , or alternate timelines ) being involved.

For most of Star Trek 's history, Starfleet uniforms have had at least three division colors. Some characters have worn different division colors in different episodes. Leslie , Jae , Tom Paris , Harry Kim , and Sylvia Tilly have each been shown wearing three colors at different points (including, for Paris and Kim, alternate timelines and holodeck scenarios); however, the first character to wear all three division colors in one episode was Ensign Sam Rutherford , who wore operations gold, command red, and medical blue in LD : " Envoys ".

The Starfleet uniforms worn during Star Trek: The Original Series were designed by William Ware Theiss , who returned to design the Star Trek: The Next Generation uniforms (which were further adapted into future versions on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Star Trek: Voyager , and the TNG -era films by Robert Blackman ). Robert Fletcher designed the uniforms seen throughout the original series movies, with later new designs provided by Nilo Rodis .

Robert Blackman also designed uniforms worn on Star Trek: Enterprise , a design representing a precursor to those seen in TOS . The uniforms seen in Star Trek: Discovery were designed by Gersha Phillips . The uniforms in Star Trek: Picard were designed by Christine Clark .

Michael Kaplan designed the uniforms seen in Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness , and Sanja Hays designed the uniforms for Star Trek Beyond .

As shown in the It's A Wrap! sale and auction , a number of Starfleet uniforms have had padding to increase muscular appearance. Such cases include two costumes for Tom Paris , one racquetball costume for Julian Bashir , and a Deep Space Nine costume for Worf, to create a more Klingon appearance. According to Wil Wheaton , all the main cast members wore muscle padding during the first two seasons of The Next Generation , mainly because of the tight-fitting nature of the spandex uniforms used in these two seasons. [2]

Several prototype uniform undershirts to those seen in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan on were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay. [3]

Ambiguous uniform [ ]

Female on the Elysian Council

A Human female seen as a member of the Elysian Council in " The Time Trap " wore a uniform of ambiguous origin. It was described in the Star Trek Concordance as "a white suit with blue collar and an insignia on the left breast," and was suggested to "possibly [be] an early Star Fleet [sic] uniform". While it is known that the Bonaventure , and possibly other Earth/Federation ships, were lost in the years prior to 2269, it is unclear if this is indeed a Starfleet uniform, and, if so, from which era it originated.

External links [ ]

• Starfleet uniform at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 22nd & 23rd century Starfleet uniforms  at Ex Astris Scientia
• 24th century Starfleet uniforms  at Ex Astris Scientia
• Starfleet uniforms  at Spike's Star Trek Page
• Interview with William Ware Theiss at Phaser Resource (X)
• 2 USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-G)
• 3 Star Trek: The Next Generation

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‘Star Trek’ Fan Leaves Behind a Collection Like No One Has Done Before

When Troy Nelson died, his shelves were filled to the rafters with memorabilia from the popular franchise. Soon, the massive collection will be boldly going, going, gone.

Evan Browne said her brother Troy’s love of “Star Trek” began with the original series, which he and his siblings watched at dinnertime. Credit... Connie Aramaki for The New York Times

Supported by

By Sopan Deb

• Published April 1, 2024 Updated April 3, 2024

Editors’ Note, April 2, 2024: After publication, The Times learned that Troy and Andrew Nelson were named in a civil lawsuit filed in Pierce County Superior Court in 1998, in which they were accused of molesting three disabled adults in a state-licensed facility that they operated. After a six-week jury trial, Washington State was ordered to pay $17.8 million to the plaintiffs. The state said it intended to appeal but missed the deadline and paid the victims. The Nelson brothers denied the allegations and were never criminally charged.

Troy Nelson and his younger brother Andrew were almost inseparable.

The two youngest of six, they were born two years apart. They lived together in their childhood home in Bremerton, Wash., for more than half a century. Near their home, there is a park bench on which they carved their initials as young boys.

The Nelson brothers never married or had children. They worked together at the same senior home. They even once, as teenagers, dated the same girl at the same time while working different shifts at the same pizza shop. This lasted a week until they realized it.

“Two parts of one body,” Evan Browne, their older sister, said of their relationship in an interview.

On Feb. 28, Andrew Nelson, who had been treated for cancer for years, went to feed the chickens and ducks that were gifts from Ms. Browne to her brothers. He had a heart attack and died. He was 55. Just hours later, Troy Nelson, who was stricken with grief, took his own life. He was 57.

“He had talked about it before,” Browne, 66, said, tearfully. “He said, ‘Hey, if Andrew goes, I’m out of here. I’m checking out.’ Andrew would say the same thing, and then it really happened .”

What Troy Nelson left behind has become a sensation. After his death, family members posted pictures on social media of his massive — and, really, the keyword is massive — collection of “Star Trek” memorabilia, which have now been shared thousands of times.

The items took up two living rooms and a bedroom, all lined with bookshelves, according to Elena Hamel, one of the brothers’ nieces. The centers of the rooms were lined with additional bookshelves — all packed to the brim — to create aisles. There were jewelry cabinets serving as display cases.

The shelves contained action figures. Dolls. Models of ships. Posters. Ornaments. Lunchboxes. Legos. Several toy phasers and tricorders. (For non-Trek fans, the phaser is a weapon, and a tricorder is, essentially, a fancy smartphone.) Multiple “Star Trek” lamps. (Yes, there are “Star Trek” lamps.) Trading cards. Comic books. Trek-themed Geeki Tikis (stylized tiki mugs). Life-size cutouts of famous characters. A life-size captain’s chair.

While it’s impossible to account for every private collector in the world, Troy Nelson’s collection is almost assuredly among the largest — if not the largest.

The last additions to the collection came in the final weeks of his life: Stuffed rabbits in “Star Trek” uniforms. “I’ve never seen a collection that size,” said Russ Haslage, the president of the International Federation of Trekkers , a “Star Trek”-themed nonprofit that Haslage founded with Gene Roddenberry, the creator of the franchise.

Haslage’s organization opened in 2020 a “Star Trek” museum in Sandusky, Ohio, that has received donations of memorabilia from estates. Those collections “pale in comparison” to Mr. Nelson’s, he said. (Haslage has reached out to the family to ask about donations from the collection.)

The older brother’s love of “Star Trek” began with the original series, which he’d watch with his siblings.

“It was our dinner meal,” Ms. Browne said. “When we had dinner, we were sitting in front of ‘Star Trek.’”

Troy Nelson began collecting in the late-1970s. His first acquisition was a model version of the Starship Enterprise. Then came Star Trek conventions. Why the franchise was such a draw to him remains a mystery to his family.

“I really can’t say. I mean, other than the fact that he was brainwashed with it at dinner time,” Browne said, laughing. “That sounds ridiculous. When we grew up, it’s like, ‘Dinner is at this time. And if you don’t get here at this time, you don’t get dinner.’ So it might’ve been a comfort for him .”

Troy Nelson would often monitor sites like eBay for items he didn’t have. On several occasions, he would express frustration on losing out on an item before being able to bid on it. Until he found out the reason.

“Andrew already got it for him,” Ms. Browne recalled.

Obsessive “Star Trek” fandom has long become an indelible part of pop culture, especially as the franchise — which has spawned several television series, movies, novels and comics — has been a long-running institution. There have been documentaries that have studied the subject, such as “Trekkies” in 1997. It’s been lampooned on “The Simpsons,” “Saturday Night Live” and “Family Guy,” and become a story line in an episode of “The West Wing,” among many others. For dedicated fans, accruing collectibles isn’t uncommon.

“When you collect these things, you’re closer to that genre that you enjoy so much,” Haslage said. “When I first started in 1979, I was grabbing everything I could get my hands on because it was cool, and it was a piece of the whole ‘Star Trek’ mythos. If you have these pieces, you’re a part of that universe in some way.”

It turns out that collecting is a pursuit that runs in the family.

Andrew Nelson collected mall swords, Ryobi-branded tools and statues of warrior women, like Xena, the warrior princess .

Browne’s house has a wall with thousands of smashed pennies and her living room windows are full of glass sugar and creamer bowls.

Browne’s father, Bud Peers, collected salt and pepper shakers, guns and knives. Troy and Andrew’s father, Norman Nelson, collected scrap metal and wood.

Hamel has 17 Christmas trees, all fully decorated with separate themes.

Browne’s son, Michael, who is 36, collects anything and everything related to black bears.

“ When you have a large collection like that and it’s displayed like that,” Hamel said, “and it’s something that is important to you, it’s often really calming to be in a space like that. It’s just all the things that you love. It’s soothing.”

As far as Browne knew, Troy had no history of mental illness or any previous suicide attempts. After Andrew died, she received a distraught and frantic call from Troy with the news. She told him that she was on her way.

Ms. Browne said she called him when she got to the Tacoma Bridge. No answer. And then again, at the Manette Bridge. No answer. When she reached their home, the back door was open. And then she found him. The phone call was the last time they spoke.

Troy Nelson did not leave a note, but did leave some things meticulously arranged by his computer, including a key to the house, burial plans for the two brothers, and bills.

“ I don’t know really what I thought,” Ms. Browne said. “All I could do was just scream.”

The Nelson family is boxing up Troy’s “Star Trek” collection to prepare it for auction. Andrew’s ashes will be placed in an urn carved in the likeness of the supermodel Bettie Page . (He was a fan.) Troy’s ashes will be placed in a “Star Trek” lunchbox.

If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.

Sopan Deb is a Times reporter covering breaking news and culture. More about Sopan Deb

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We Now Know Exactly When Michelle Yeoh’s Star Trek Movie is Taking Place

Section 31 will feature at least one captain of a starship called Enterprise.

Michelle Yeoh is back in the Final Frontier. As the duplicitous Mirror Universe character Philippa Georgiou, Yeoh starred in three seasons of Star Trek: Discovery , but later in 2024 she’ll return in her own movie — Section 31 . Named for the clandestine espionage organization within Starfleet, Section 31 has just been described as a “spy thriller” by a new article in Variety . We’ve also got a new image of Yeoh as Georgiou, seemingly integrating someone with some very cyberpunk-looking gear. But the big news for Trek fans is something even bigger. It seems like we finally know when exactly Section 31 will be set.

Here’s why the revelation of a very specific Starfleet captain reveals roughly where we can expect Section 31 to take place.

Section 31 will feature an Enterprise captain

Kacey Rohl in 2019. In Section 31 , she’ll be the first person to play Rachel Garrett since Tricia O’Neil originated the role in 1990’s “Yesterday’s Enterprise.”

As reported by Adam B. Vary for Variety , the character of Rachel Garrett will appear in Section 31 and be played by actress Kacey Rohl. In the larger Trek canon, Rachel Garrett is famous for being the captain of the USS Enterprise-C which was destroyed fighting the Romulans in the year 2344. At that point, Captain Garrett (as played by Tricia O'Neil) was a woman in her mid-forties. But, in Section 31 it seems we’ll be meeting “...a young Rachel Garrett.”

This one detail all but confirms that at least one aspect of the storyline for Section 31 will have to take place sometime before 2344, likely in the 2320s or 2330s. Which, believe it or not, is a largely undocumented and unexplored period of the larger Star Trek timeline.

A 24th-century TNG prequel

Captain Garrett’s time on the Enterprise-C is largely untold. But what happened before that is even hazier.

Because Section 31 features a younger version of Rachel Garrett, this means that at least part of the movie will be a full-on prequel to the era of The Next Generation . And, interestingly, this period of Trek history, from roughly the end of the TOS -era movies, to the start of TNG is a roughly 70 year-gap. The Undiscovered Country and the first part of Generations take place in 2293. The first TNG episode takes place in 2364. During this gap, a lot of Trek history happens, including the Federation’s war with the Cardassians, the finalization of peace with the Klingons, and Jean-Luc Picard’s tenure as Captain on the USS Stargazer .

But if Section 31 takes place in the 2320s, even some of those events are still in the future. If you take a hardcore deep-dive onto the ever-reliable Star Trek wiki, Memory Alpha, you’ll find that there are almost no notable events in the 2320 s at all, other than Jean-Luc Picard starting his studies at Starfleet Academy. When Georgiou was sent back in time in Discovery Season 31 by the Guardian of Forever, we were told that it would be close to a time period in which the Prime Universe and Mirror Universes had yet to fully drift apart.

Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) steps into the Guardian of Forever in Discovery Season 3.

And yet, by putting Georgiou in the early 24th century, the new movie will likely sport a lot of retro Star Trek aesthetics. We know Starfleet officers were still rocking the “monster maroon” uniforms first introduced in The Wrath of Khan, and Strange New Worlds Season 1 even gave us a taste of what a modern redesign of those uniforms might look like. Plus, if this movie is filling in the backstory of Rache Garrett, this means the show will not only be a prequel for The Next Generation but also the origin story of an underrated Enterprise captain!

As of this writing, Section 31 is a stand-alone movie starring Michelle Yeoh. But, with this cut into the timeline of Trek, one can’t help but wonder if there’s not room for even more adventures in this very specific slice of Trek history.

Section 31 is expected to hit Paramount+ in late 2024.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation Command Uniform Sherpa Blanket

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This Star Trek: The Next Generation Command Uniform Sherpa Blanket lets you relax in ultimate comfort after a long day of commanding the U.S.S. Enterprise. Featuring the iconic colors of the Star Trek: The Next Generation command uniform on the soft mink front and a cozy sherpa back, this Star Trek blanket is perfect to snuggle up in as you unwind during the evening.

• You'll never need another blanket! This blanket is the perfect addition to your home, it looks good and is a nice companion on cool nights.
• Made Of: 100% polyester.
• Care: Machine wash cold on gentle cycle with mild detergent and similar colors. Tumble dry low or lay flat to dry for longest life.

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• Return Policy: We will gladly accept returns for any reason within 30 days of receipt of delivery.
• Shipping: Ship times are estimates of time in transit after your product leaves the fulfillment center. Some items in your order may ship separately to arrive faster.
• Availability: Ships internationally to most countries around the world.
• Shipping Policy: For more information, see our Shipping Policy .

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Star Trek: The Next Generation Command Uniform Beach Towel

Make your next beach vacation the best one yet with this Star Trek: The Next Generation Command Uniform Beach Towel. Perfect for crew members in the command division, this soft Star Trek: The Next Generation beach towel keeps you dry while showing off your love for your team.

• Whether at the beach or pool you will use this beach towel as your favorite accessory all summer!
• Measures: 30"x60".
• Made Of: 100% Velour Terry Cotton.
• Care: Please wash before using towel. Pile and softness will return.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation Command Uniform Throw Pillow

If you are in the command division on your starship, then you deserve some R&R every now and then! Inspired by the command uniform of crew members aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise, the Star Trek: The Next Generation Command Uniform Pillow lets you relax in comfort while showing some pride for your division.

• Show off your favorite shows or characters with this vibrant throw pillow. You'll want to be able to display one of these in each comfortable spot in your house!
• Measures: 16” Wide x 16” Tall.
• Made Of: spun poly material with down alternative; blown and closed.
• Care: Spot Clean or Dry Clean Only.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation Command Uniform Tote Bag

You can let everyone know your status in the command division by throwing this spacious Star Trek: The Next Generation Command Uniform Tote Bag over your shoulder. Featuring a design inspired by the iconic red command uniform, this Star Trek: The Next Generation tote bag will become any fan’s favorite accessory.

• Dimensions: Bag 15" x 15"
• Maximum weight limit: 44lb
• Handle length: 11.8".
• Made Of: 100% spun polyester fabric, Dual handles 100% natural cotton bull denim.
• Care: Handwash.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation Command Uniform T-Shirt

Are you ready to join the command division of Starfleet? Then you will love adding this official Star Trek: The Next Generation Command Uniform T-Shirt to your wardrobe. Perfect for those who excel in the command division aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise , this tee is a must-have addition to your wardrobe.

PRODUCT DETAILS:

• CUSTOM STAR TREK APPAREL: This official Star Trek: The Next Generation Command Uniform T-Shirt is made of 100% cotton for ultimate comfort during space travel.
• OFFICIALLY LICENSED: Wear these officially licensed Star Trek: The Next Generation Command Uniform T-Shirt everywhere you go to show your love for your favorite franchise
• PERFECT FOR GIFTING: These official Star Trek Uniform T-Shirts make an out-of-this-world birthday, holiday, or graduation gift to any Star Trek fan!
• From Star Trek marathons to exploring new areas of the galaxy aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise, this Star Trek: The Next Generation Command Uniform T-Shirt is a must-have look for any fan.
• Wear this classic Star Trek: The Next Generation Command Uniform T-Shirt over and over again by machine washing cold on a gentle cycle with like colors. Tumble dry low.
• Availability: Ships to the United States and Puerto Rico.
• Shipping Policy: For more information, see our Shipping Policy here .

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Screen Rant

Never heard of star trek: discovery’s red directive before there’s a simple explanation.

Captain Burnham's new mission in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is a Red Directive, but has a Red Directive come up in Starfleet before?

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 1 - "Red Directive"

• Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 introduces a new Red Directive mission, showcasing unprecedented secrecy and urgency in Starfleet protocols.
• Captain Burnham embarks on a dangerous intergalactic treasure hunt that's a sequel to the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, "The Chase".
• The Red Directive mission in Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 revolves around seeking the technology of the Progenitors, with high stakes involved.

Captain Michael Burnham's (Sonequa Martin-Green) new mission in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is classified as a Red Directive, which hasn't come up in Star Trek before. Written by Discovery showrunner Michelle Paradise and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, Star Trek: Discovery 's season 5 premiere, "Red Directive," launches Burnham and the USS Discovery on a mission to a derelict 800-year-old Romulan starship. This kicks off an intergalactic treasure hunt that sets Discovery season 5 as a sequel to the Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6 episode, "The Chase."

Captain Burnham is summoned to her Red Directive mission by Admiral Charles Vance (Oded Fehr) and Dr. Kovich (David Cronenberg) in Star Trek: Discovery 's season 5 premiere. Burnham is given her orders in a secure location called the Infinity Room. The USS Discovery's Red Directive mission must succeed at all costs , and Dr. Kovich even personally oversees Captain Burnham's efforts. Even as Burnham and the crews of the USS Discovery and the USS Antares led by Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) risk their lives, Kovich maintains the Red Directive's secrecy until Burnham finds her own answers to force Kovich into cooperation.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 - Everything We Know

Why discovery’s red directive hasn’t been heard of in star trek before, it's a different starfleet in the 32nd century.

There's a simple explanation for Star Trek fans who may be wondering why they've never heard of a Red Directive before: the Red Directive is an invention of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 . There have certainly been countless Starfleet priority one classified missions, but a Red Directive takes secrecy and urgency to another level. Red Directives are also indicative of how different Starfleet is in the 32nd-century era of Star Trek: Discovery , which would naturally have different protocols following crises like the Temporal Wars and the Burn.

During Star Trek: Discovery season 3, Burnham and Discovery's crew were integrated with the 32nd-century Starfleet.

Captain Burnham and the crew of the USS Discovery know of Red Directives despite being time-traveling transplants from the 23rd century. This is likely because, during Star Trek: Discovery season 3 , Burnham and Discovery's crew were integrated with the 32nd-century Starfleet. Discovery's crew gained new uniforms and tech like personal transporters, and their ancient Crossfield Class starship was upgraded with detached nacelles and programmable matter. Discovery 's crew got up to date on current Starfleet protocols , especially Burnham following her promotion to Captain.

What Star Trek: Discovery’s Red Directive’s Rules Are

A red directive can't be questioned.

Star Trek: Discovery' s Red Directive might be the most severe and uncompromising protocol seen in Starfleet yet. The mandate for Star Trek: Discovery season 5's Red Directive comes from the United Federation of Planets itself, and Starfleet Officers were kept in the dark about the actual details of their mission. Not only did Captain Burnham not know what her actual mission was, but Dr. Kovich had the authority to withhold vital information from the head of Starfleet, Admiral Vance .

Admiral Vance authorized Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) to break into the secure Federation database to learn the truth about the Red Directive.

The imperative of a Red Directive is that the mission must succeed and anyone and anything can be sacrificed to make it so. Lethal force is also authorized and is a first resort. Star Trek: Discovery season 5's Red Directive is indeed a jaw-dropper. With Captain Burnham searching for the technology of the Progenitors, the Ancient Humanoids introduced in Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "The Chase" who created all humanoid life in the galaxy, whoever controls the Progenitors' secrets can decide the course of life itself. There can't be bigger stakes for Star Trek: Discovery season 5's Red Directive.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is streaming on Paramount+