dress uniform star trek

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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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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The Long History of Star Trek Uniform Fashions

The debate over whether or not Starfleet is a military organization, a scientific one, or a messy, often contradictory combination of both has been a part of Star Trek since it began. One thing that we can always be certain of though? It loves a wardrobe shakeup . With Discovery ’s upcoming season adding yet another uniform, here’s a look at four centuries (give or take an eight-century gap along the way) of Star Trek fashion.

Enterprise may have been one of the more recent Treks , but it gave us our earliest possible look at Starfleet fashion, in the years leading up to the Federation’s founding. These blue jumpsuits might feel like a precursor  to what’s to come, but the thin shoulder straps of colors for Command, Operations, and Science divisions would rotate in and out of Starfleet for centuries to come.

Star Trek: Beyond might take place in an alternate universe, but because its story briefly touches on the ancient mission of Idris Elba’s Captain Edison (who eventually gets transformed into the villainous Krall), the uniforms depicted there are actually from before the moment the “prime” Trek universe splits into the “Kelvin” timeline, making them an evolution canonical to Enterprise and beyond. These draw a lot of inspiration from Enterprise ’s uniforms, with the blue jumpsuit now grey and the division color swatches significantly larger.

The same goes for the uniforms seen on the U.S.S. Kelvin in the opening of the 2009 Star Trek reboot —these were the uniforms being worn at the point of the timeline split, making them a part of both Trek timeline’s histories. A much more radical break from the century before, these replaced jumpsuits with universal black pants and a colored long sleeve shirt: dark blue for Command, dark gold for Operations, and grey for Sciences.

At this moment in history, whoever’s in Starfleet costuming just had a bunch of ideas they wanted throwing out, presumably much to the chagrin of the poor officers who had to update their wardrobes multiple times in the next few decades. First up, this retro throwback to the blue jumpsuits of the earliest days of Starfleet, this time in a two-piece uniform, but with a major change: division colors saw an overhaul in a similar vein to the uniforms immediately preceding this look. Gold became the color for Command, with metallic bronzes and silvers for Operations and Sciences, respectively.

Shortly after the Klingon-Federation war, Starfleet was in the process of sending out a second updated division color change, because the best time for sweeping updates is just as you’re recovering from a nearly devastating intergalactic war. Maintaining the suits of the 2230s design, these introduced bold new color schemes in place of the navy blue and metallics: black trousers and skirts for the first time, matched with jackets that predominantly featured the classic, bright yellow for Command, Red for Operations, and a navy blue for Sciences.

Late 2250s, Type A

INT. Starfleet Command, Wardrobe Design Division

Officer: We just sent out the new color division jackets to the flagships, is it really necessary to have such a radical overhaul so soon?

Designer: Yes, it’s how I get paid. Everyone wears jumpers now! And we love beige, beige is very in on Vulcan right now.

Officer: Hang on, we’re keeping the gold and the blue and adding beige, won’t that be difficult to differentiate?

Designer: No one cares, those nerds are down in Engineering and never on the bridge. Also, the blue is baby blue now, the dark blue clashes too much.

Officer: Sure, fine, what—wait, hang on, you get paid for this? We live in a post-scarcity society!

Designers: ASKING QUESTIONS DOESN’T SOUND LIKE SENDING NEW UNIFORM DESIGNS TO THE REPLICATORS, ENSIGN.

Late 2250s, Type B

INT. Starfleet Command, Wardrobe Design Division, Three Days Later

Officer: You changed your mind.

Designer: I changed my mind. It was foolish to follow Vulcan fashion trends, and I miss my colors. We’re back, baby, let’s get that red in there!

Officer: Okay, I’ll get these recalled by Command in the hour, any schematics that have gone out to the flagships will have to be withdraw—

Designer: Oh, but the jumpers.

Officer: I’m sorry?

Designer: The jumpers are good! Let’s keep them. Oh, and the ladies get miniskirts now. Lovely. I have all this fabric that needs using up and we can’t just go back to the jackets.

Officer: That’s not how replicators wor—

Designer: JUMPERS, ENSIGN.

It’d take another decade-plus, but Starfleet merrily marched back into the land of beige with this highly customizable variant. Robbing the divisions of much in the way of color difference—there were variants in white, beige, and grey, and they were non-division specific—these uniforms had a wide arrange of alternates. They could come as one-piece jumpsuits or two-part trousers and tunics, they could have standard, high-necked, or flared collars, medical and operations officers even had the option to have a wide-collared wraparound tunic for good measure instead. Probably to make up for a lack of color!

Fast-forwarding an entire generation, the Starfleet of TNG ’s era decided to go back to big, bold colors—and a lot of black accents. The classic colors returned, but which division got them changed: red was now the color of Command, gold for Operations, and blue for Science. While this style of uniform would persist for two decades, it did feature some updates over that period that evolved, but didn’t outright replace the original design: most notably there was the transition from a one-piece jumpsuit to a two-piece collared jacket and trousers, but it also introduced a gender-neutral miniskirt option called the “Skant” .

This itself has a lot of similarities to the evolved 2350s look, but instead of division colors taking up the majority of the arms and torso, they were relocated to the shoulders. Instead of the continuing collar on the jacket for rank insignias, these uniforms added a grey, high-necked undershirt that would have rank pips displayed on it. It’s also here you begin to see more of a delineation in the Science and Medical-specific division colors, with the blue slowly being replaced with a sea-green reminiscent of the early Sciences uniforms.

Never let it be said that something like an existentially threatening war got in the way of Starfleet fashion. Just as the Dominion War was breaking out, Starfleet once again issued an updated uniform design, borrowing heavily from the jacketed uniforms of the 2350s and ‘70s. There were some major twists though, primarily in the jackets: division-specific shoulder patches were replaced with two-toned, padded black-and-grey variants, with the grey undershirts now being swapped to reflect the division colors.

After two decades of a similar design ethos, Starfleet went into a much more animated overhaul here. Double-breasted tunics replaced the prior jackets, and now their colors were once again more evocative of the original 2350s designs: predominant use of division color on the arms and torsos, broken up by black shoulders and collars. Further breaking up the divide between black and division color this time however was a white band cutting across the arms and chests, carving out the “classic” shape of prior uniforms.

Someone at Starfleet Design couldn’t make their mind up though, and by the end of the decade we were back to colored shoulders, evocative of the decade’s previous design in shape, but now broken up across the torso and neck area. The jackets were lengthened across genders, too, creating a more dress-uniform look.

This period was apparently what one might describe as a wave of 2360s nostalgia, because this uniform update feels very much evocative of that period, albeit with some small design tweaks. The grey undershirt is now a solid black, while the colored division shoulder pads—featuring a subtle hexagonal design for texture—now extend to include a collar over it, and rank pips displayed on the chest rather than the neck.

Fast forward nearly eight hundred years , and we get to miss out on an awful lot of Starfleet uniforms. But we do get a glimpse of the very futuristic fashion of the 32nd Century in Discovery , and the future is...very grey. The most businesslike of all the uniforms we’ve seen so far, this tunic maintained division delineation through a large stripe running vertically down an officer’s right side—now adding specifically white for Medical personnel, on top of the red, gold, and blue for Command, Operations, and Science.

Interestingly enough, security officers, usually roped in with Ops, get their own uniform variant, presumably because tactical maneuvers in a bulky suit were annoying. Featuring a dark blue honeycomb-padded section across the arms and upper torso, this variant was filled out with a similarly grey-toned jumpsuit.

3180s, Type B

Last week’s Discovery season four trailer, meanwhile, gave us a much brighter variant on the uniforms, while also evoking the classic 2250s Type B design. The previous suit jackets remained, except now they were predominantly based on division colors—the former “stripe” now being black, with trousers to match.

Since we’ve not seen the season yet, it’s hard to say if these replace the other uniform entirely or are actually used on starships compared to Federation HQ—and how long they’ll last remains to be seen. But Star Trek history tells us that there’s always a wardrobe update just around the corner, so don’t be surprised to boldly go back into the wardrobe soon enough.

For more, make sure you’re following us on our Instagram @ io9dotcom .

How Star Trek Brought Its Most Underrated Uniform Back

Costume designer Bernadette Croft reveals how she rebooted the look from “The Menagerie” for Strange New Worlds .

In November 1966, Star Trek aired a game-changing story. In its only two-part episode ever, “The Menagerie,” Spock goes on trial for mutiny, leading to a memorable courtroom storyline that retroactively established the Captain Pike backstory. For the occasion of the courtroom drama, the entire crew rocks their dress uniforms, which introduced a fancy variant of the famous Starfleet uniform. And now, in Strange New Worlds , that classic dress uniform is back.

“We actually call the formal dress uniforms on Strange New Worlds , ‘The Menagerie uniforms’,” costume designer Bernadette Croft tells Inverse . “It’s our colors and our fabric, but we’re really leaning into the nostalgia.” Ahead of Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 2, “Ad Astra per Aspera,” we caught up with Croft to discuss these the new/old dress uniforms, the fairytale vibe from last year’s “The Elysian Kingdom,” as well as a secret very retro uniform she and her team created, that fans barely noticed. Spoilers ahead.

Kirk and Spock in their dress uniforms in "The Menagerie."

Number One’s trial in “Ad Astra per Aspera” is deeply meta on a canon level. Several of the beats of this episode will remind Trek fans of Spock’s trial in “The Menagerie,” an episode that essentially gave birth to Strange New Worlds in the first place. When Gene Roddenberry decided to repurpose footage from the rejected 1964 pilot episode, “The Cage,” and use it as an extended flashback in “The Menagerie,” the idea of Captain Pike, Number One, and Spock on the Enterprise pre-Kirk became possible.

Tonally, “Ad Astra per Aspera” isn’t much like “The Menagerie,” but considering Spock stole the Enterprise in the previous episode, “The Broken Circle,” the argument that Strange New Worlds is doing its best to be a 2023 update of the 1960s show is strong. For Croft, that aesthetic has to come across in the costumes. Though, because Strange New Worlds comes chronologically after Discovery Season 2, influences from that series are felt, too.

“It’s kind of like a fusion of both shows,” Croft explains. “The trim around the neck and down the center front to just have more detail. We also did a collar decal. That hides the zippers. I learned that trick from [costume designer] Gersha Phillips on Discovery . Our dress uniforms also have that heroic silhouette, with a bit more power. It's also kind of the same silhouette as our normal staff uniforms. Their rank is on their shoulders, and that's in cadence with the Admiral uniform. People have reacted well to it. It seems the fans think it’s a pretty good update.”

The Vulcan judge and Captain Batel during the big trial.

In 1964 and 1965, Star Trek: The Original Series used velour for the uniforms in the first two pilot episodes: “The Cage,” and “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” Because Discovery Season 2 and Strange New Worlds take place after “The Cage,” the uniforms are somewhere between 2254 and 2265. But, what about before that? What did the uniforms look like when Captain Pike served under Captain April in the 2240s? If you look closely at a photograph in Pike’s quarters in the Season 1 finale, you’ll see the answer. In the photo, Pike and April are rocking very velour, retro Starfleet uniforms. But, Croft reveals this wasn’t a Photoshop trick.

“It was so funny because it was a last-minute request. We didn't have much time at all,” Croft explains. “But yeah, with the picture in the frame, we were’ like ‘we gotta do The Cage.’ We obviously checked with our showrunners and producers to make sure that the uniform makes sense for April and Pike to be wearing. Usually, we tweak things. But this time we were like, let’s just do that velour look. We found this olive velour fabric locally, and we whipped that together.”

The photo in 'Strange New Worlds,' and the '60 inspiration.

As Emmy season approaches at warp speed, Bernadette Croft is hopeful that the world beyond eagle-eyed Star Trek fans takes notice of the work of her amazing costume team. Specifically, the Season 1 episode, “The Elysian Kingdom,” is eligible for a costume Emmy. In that episode, the entire USS Enterprise was transformed into a fairytale world, thanks to a telepathic alien who read the memories of Dr. M’Benga’s daughter, Rukiya. And, as a result, the entire crew gets costumes that feel worthy of an entire sword and sorcery fantasy series.

“Because the world was from Rukiya’s imagination, I got to tap into that feeling of being a kid and how vibrant your imagination can be,” Croft explains. “So, for Christina’s [Chong] dress, I designed her dress the way I would draw princess dresses as a kid. It was exaggerated and had a life of its own when she walked around the halls of the Enterprise .”

Christina Chong in “The Elysian Kingdom.”

The range that Croft demonstrated in the costumes from “The Elysium Kingdom” in Season 1 is on full display in Season 2. From updated Klingon armor to new elegant gowns for the Vulcans to some very big surprises later in the season, the eye-popping costumes of Strange New Worlds are at least part of the reason to watch. Like the ground-breaking costumes of William Ware Theiss for the 1960s Star Trek , Bernadette Croft is pushing the envelope, not so much to make a show that is futuristic, but one that treats the realm of this corner of the Star Trek franchise, less like science fiction and more like historical fiction.

“We take all sorts of inspiration,” Croft explains. “Sometimes it's a retro-futuristic world and we have to lean into fashions and silhouettes from the past. But other times, we’re going further into history. Our team needs to show that they're about to embark on this adventure. What does the weather look like in that society? How does the clothing take on the work that society is doing? And I think the costume is such an important visual storytelling tool.”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streams new episodes on Paramount+.

This article was originally published on June 22, 2023

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Star Trek: UNIFORMS

Though we do have some costumes and uniforms in our gift shop at Federation Headquarters, we do not offer them online.  Why?  Well, because many costumes have sizing issues that result in returns.  Some manufacturers' sizes run small.  Others may run large or have a bad fit in one place or another.

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Published Jan 28, 2015

FIRST LOOK: Officer's Formal Mess Dress Uniform

The Officer's Formal Mess Dress Uniform was first introduced in Star Trek: Insurrection , and it brought a refreshing departure from the robe-length uniform ensemble formally in use throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation . Now, ANOVOS—utilizing production and screen-used pieces—is gearing up to make high-quality Formal Mess Dress Uniforms available to fans. To do so, ANOVOS has replicated the two-tone cream and gray waist-length jacket that features replicated piping and decorative details. These details and waist-length Mess Dress Tunic lent to a striking formal uniform that was a distinctive departure from the black and gray-mauve duty uniforms that debuted in Star Trek: First Contact and were used throughout the subsequent TNG feature films.

Details include:

• Waist-length, fitted Mess Dress Tunic constructed from production and screen-used pieces.
• Fabric color matched to production samples.
• Two-tone outer shell featuring cream and gray style as worn by Starfleet officers ranked Commander and below.
• Designed to be worn with high-waisted pant.
• Replicated decorative piping detail.
• Hidden zipper construction front.
• Mandarin collar with color-specific division piping.
• Color-specific division band at cuff.
• Built-in shoulder padding.
• Fully lined for maximal comfort.

The Officer's Formal Mess Dress Uniform will sell for $299.95 and should be ready in the near future. Keep an eye on StarTrek.com for details about availability, and visit ANOVOS to pre-order and for details about their other Star Trek replica costumes and props.

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Starfleet uniform (2250s-early 2270s)

• View history

A group of officers in Starfleet uniforms, 2265

Officers in different division colors, 2259

The different division colors and uniform varieties, 2267

Starfleet had 4 types of uniforms that were used from around the mid- 2250s to the early 2270s . The general tailoring of these uniforms was a "tunic and pants" design and was worn by Starfleet service people. This design was maintained throughout this period, but with changes in collar, rank insignia , and revised colors for Starfleet divisions and departments. ( TOS : " The Corbomite Maneuver ")

In the 2250s, a previous uniform design was also being used concurrently with this one at least until 2258 . ( DIS : " The Vulcan Hello ", " Brother ", " Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2 ")

All uniforms of this era were made of an organic, algae -derived fabric called xenylon . ( TAS : " The Terratin Incident ") In addition, they had built-in temperature controls to accommodate for cold weather environments. For example, upon beaming down to the surface of Sigma Draconis VI , Captain Kirk instructed his landing party to set their " suit temperatures to 72[° Fahrenheit ]. " ( TOS : " Spock's Brain ")

These uniforms were drastically replaced in the 2270s, with a change of many uniform variants sometime after 2270 . ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture )

• 1.1.1 High collar variant
• 1.1.2 Seamed variant
• 1.2.1 Variants
• 1.3.1 Skant variant
• 1.3.2 Wraparound tunic
• 1.3.3 Outpost variant
• 1.4 Cadet's uniform
• 2.1 Medical uniform
• 2.2 Lab coat
• 2.3 Short-sleeved tunic
• 2.4 Surgical gown
• 2.5 Medical gloves
• 3 Flag officer uniform
• 5.1 Heavy jacket
• 5.2 Field jacket
• 5.3 Winter jacket
• 5.4 Utility jumpsuit
• 5.5 Environmental suit
• 5.6 Galley vest
• 5.7 Hazard vest
• 5.8 Protective suits
• 5.9 Combat uniform
• 5.10 Body armor
• 6.1 Pajamas
• 6.3 Sportswear
• 7.1.1 Equipment belt
• 7.1.2 Life support belt
• 7.2.2 Knit cap
• 8.1 Station personnel insignia
• 8.2.1 Type A
• 8.2.2 Types B and C
• 8.3 Rank insignia
• 8.4 Epaulet
• 9.1.1 Type A
• 9.1.2 Type B
• 9.1.3 Type C
• 9.2 Background information
• 9.3 Apocrypha
• 9.4 External links

Standard duty uniform

This style of uniform lasted from before 2254 , to provisionally at least 2268 . ( DIS : " The Vulcan Hello ")

This uniform was used by the crews of the USS Enterprise , the Antares and officers visiting Deep Space Station K-7 . ( TOS : " The Cage ", " Where No Man Has Gone Before ", " Charlie X ", " The Trouble with Tribbles ") In the late 2250s, this uniform design had been somewhat phased out, but it made a resurgence briefly around the mid 2260s . By 2267, it only saw occasional use and was for the most part replaced by newer variants. ( TOS : " Friday's Child ", " Dagger of the Mind ")

The standard duty uniform consisted of dark gray or dark blue trousers and a division-colored top, following the color code below. The previous Earth Starfleet-style of wearing a patch based on assignment continued, but the patch was moved to the chest. Rank was displayed by sleeve stripes. ( TOS : " The Cage ") The top's collar was initially designed with a mock turtleneck appearance but many of them came straight up on the neck later on. ( TOS : " Where No Man Has Gone Before ")

High collar variant

One uniform style had a cowl neck collar and closed with a zipper down the back. This uniform also had black trousers similar to the regular uniform. This variant was mostly worn by women at the time. ( TOS : " The Cage ", " Where No Man Has Gone Before ")

Seamed variant

A command division officer in a duty uniform in 2265 (left)

A variant worn by certain personnel included a closing seam radiating from the side of the neck. ( TOS : " Where No Man Has Gone Before ")

This style, in use by 2254, is a simplified evolution of a variant of an earlier uniform . It did away with the zipper and collar, and was designed to be more causal and comfortable. ( DIS : " Brother "; SNW : " Strange New Worlds ", " Among the Lotus Eaters ")

In 2254, at least some officers on board the Enterprise used this uniform, although it only went into wide use around 2259. ( SNW : " Among the Lotus Eaters ", " Strange New Worlds ") By 2265, the crew of the Enterprise had abandoned this design to briefly revert to the original version before adopting a new version the next year . ( TOS : " Where No Man Has Gone Before ")

Some officers wore variant versions of the uniform with black tunic sides, sleeves and shoulders in addition to division colors. Additionally, officers of either gender could wear a skant or jumpsuit version of the uniform. ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ", " Spock Amok ")

All three division colors: sciences blue, operations red, and command gold

This style is a further simplified evolution of the previous version from 2259. It was initially put into use on some starships by 2265 , but other starship crews or individual service members continued to wear the older style until 2268. ( TOS : " Charlie X ", " Dagger of the Mind ", " Friday's Child ", " The Trouble with Tribbles "; TAS : " The Counter-Clock Incident ")

As with earlier Starfleet uniforms, the divisions were distinguished by color, and were generally described as gold (or green) for command, red for operations (engineering/special services), and blue for the sciences. ( TOS : " Dagger of the Mind "; DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations ")

Into the 24th century , scholars of Starfleet history will note the division colors of this era. Miles O'Brien and Benjamin Sisko told Julian Bashir of the different practices when, in posing as "contemporary" Starfleet officers during an unplanned visit to 2268, the doctor, admitting he was no historian , initially did not understand why the captain wore a "gold" uniform and the engineer a red one, as the uniforms of his career conformed to a different standard. ( DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations ")

The standard duty uniform consisted of a tunic and pants worn with standard issue black leather boots.

The duty uniform top was a long-sleeve, division-colored tunic, with a closing seam from the collar to the left shoulder. ( TOS : " The Corbomite Maneuver ", " Charlie X ") Furthermore, tunics typically bore rank insignia , displayed as sleeve stripes, and an assignment patch on the left breast was worn by all personnel. The tunics had either a black collar with a V-shaped bottom, or were collarless, allowing for the wearer to instead wear a black undershirts. Though generally worn under the short-sleeved tunic and jumpsuit uniform tops, they were not strictly required for everyday wear. ( TOS : " The Naked Time ", et al.) The black boots rose above the calf and zippered along the inside. ( TOS : " Charlie X ", " Obsession ", " Wink of an Eye "; DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations ")

Black pants were worn that ended in length midway down the shank of the boot and terminated in a one-inch-wide flare, similar to the style worn by sailors on old Earth.

Skant variant

Crew members could choose between a standard uniform tunic with pants, or a one-piece uniform that continued down into a miniskirt over matching high cut shorts, worn with black hose and boots, though this uniform was mostly worn by females at this time. Skant uniform tunics also had a large open collar, the seam closed right at the assignment patch. There were two variations of the skant tunic: one with a black collar and another version which had the collar colored the same as rest of the tunic. ( TOS : " The Man Trap ", " Charlie X ", " The Naked Time ", " What Are Little Girls Made Of? ")

Some later variants of the skirt uniform seem to have been two-piece uniforms. ( TAS : " The Lorelei Signal ")

Wraparound tunic

Similarly to type B, Captains had a choice of more casual clothing to wear when on duty. Both Christopher Pike and James Kirk favored a green wrap-around tunic. Kirk favored two variations of a green wrap-around tunic, the first with rank stripes spread across the left and right shoulder, and the second with sleeve rank stripes like the standard uniform. Unlike the standard uniforms, the assignment patch was used as a fastener near the waist. Charles Evans wore a beige version of this uniform with a cream colored undershirt. Evans' uniform didn't have any rank insignia. ( TOS : " The Enemy Within ", " Charlie X ", " The Doomsday Machine "; ENT : " In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II "; SNW : " Spock Amok ", " Charades ")

Outpost variant

The uniforms worn by some outpost personnel, as opposed to starship and starbase personnel, varied in form of having a shinier fabric, with a dull beige color worn over a standard black undershirt, and lacked rank insignia on the sleeves. ( TOS : " Balance of Terror ", " Arena ")

Cadet's uniform

Starfleet cadets who were serving at outposts and starbases wore a uniform that consisted of a tunic top made out of a reflective gray material with a black V-shaped collar and black trousers. A a ten-pointed star patch insignia was worn on the left breast. These uniforms had been introduced by 2252 and were still in use by 2268. ( TOS : " Shore Leave ", " The Trouble with Tribbles ", " Wolf in the Fold ")

In the late 2250s, cadets assigned to starships wore standard duty uniforms. In place of the standard officer badge, a cadet badge was worn on the left breast indicating Academy year, similar to those used in the previous uniform style . ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ") By the mid 2260s, cadets still wore the same badge but sported a unique uniform, consisting of a two-tone long sleeve top and black trousers and boots, with the shoulders and outer half of the sleeves colored to indicate division. ( DIS : " Through the Valley of Shadows ")

Medical attire

Medical uniform.

In the 2259 variant, medical personnel wore special uniform colors – light blue for doctors and white for nurses . ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ")

A lab coat could be worn by the chief medical officer for consultations with patients. The short-sleeve coat was worn over the standard uniform. It appeared in pale blue with the ship's decal on the upper breast. ( TOS : " Where No Man Has Gone Before ")

Short-sleeved tunic

A medical short-sleeved tunic

A short-sleeved "smock" tunic was often worn by medical personnel. It appears to have been made from a fabric similar to that of the jumpsuits and gave the user more free use of their hands than the standard long-sleeved tunic. ( TOS : " The Corbomite Maneuver ", " The Naked Time ", " Mudd's Women ", " The Changeling ", " Journey to Babel ")

Surgical gown

Nurse Chapel and Doctor McCoy wearing surgical gowns

A long-sleeved surgical gown was worn during surgery. ( TOS : " The Naked Time ")

Medical gloves

White or blue medical gloves could be worn during medical procedures or laboratory work. ( SNW : " Charades "; TOS : " The Naked Time ")

Flag officer uniform

From 2259 to about 2265, flag officers wore blue-gray uniforms with golden epaulets. ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ")

Dress uniform

Starfleet dress uniforms of this period were typically worn for diplomatic or court functions.

A Starfleet officer in a dress jacket in 2254

In the early 2250s , a dress jacket, edged with gold trim, with matching epaulets, was worn over the standard issue uniform top and pants. ( TOS : " The Cage ")

This version was in use in the late 2250s . ( SNW : " Ad Astra per Aspera ")

A new version of the dress uniform was introduced in the mid-to-late 2260s. ( TOS : " Court Martial ", " The Savage Curtain ")

Doctor Leonard McCoy was not especially fond of the entire hoopla that went along with meeting dignitaries, including the " dress uniforms, spit and polish, " going on to describe his dress uniform's affect on him: " I feel like my neck's in a sling . " Later, during the arrival of the Vulcan delegation, he asked Spock to review how to do a Vulcan salute ; upon his attempt to replicate it, he said " That hurts worse than the uniform. " ( TOS : " Journey to Babel ")

Fully dress uniform consisted of a tunic with a Nehru collar worn with standard pants and boots in the male version and a miniskirt with a back collar, similar to the standard skant uniform but with a longer skirt and gold piping along the collar, for the female version. Variations on each uniform's style depended upon rank:

• Lieutenant dress uniforms bore an assignment patch, with a thin gold piping around the collar (and running down the front of the high-collar version) and their rank stripes;
• Lieutenant commanders wore the tunic with similar piping, but decorations were worn in lieu of the assignment patch and rank stripes for lieutenant commanders and above;
• Commanders had a much thicker braid around the collar;
• Captains had additional piping down their shoulder seams;
• Commodores and above had an additional gold piping running the length of their sleeve.

A kilt and sporran was also optional dress uniform attire. ( TOS : " The Savage Curtain ")

Heavy jacket

A heavy jacket , in blue-gray, was standard issue for landing parties during the early 2250s. A utility harness was worn underneath, and is where the individual's laser and communicator were held. ( TOS : " The Cage ", " The Menagerie, Part I ", " The Menagerie, Part II ")

A variation of this heavy excursion jacket remained in use on an individual basis as late as 2266 . It consisted of a black mock turtleneck with a ribbed collar and a blue-gray jacket with a split cowl collar. It was paired with black pants and black boots. An insignia was worn on the left breast. It also featured five brass or gold decorative studs on each shoulder. ( DIS : " Through the Valley of Shadows ")

Field jacket

Lieutenant Commander Una Chin-Riley in a field jacket in 2259

This black leather jacket, worn over the standard issue uniform, was used by landing parties during the late 2250s. It was often worn with a pair of black gloves. ( SNW : " Ghosts of Illyria ")

Winter jacket

Robert April in a Starfleet arctic jacket

Winter jackets were black heavy jackets with an emblem shoulder patch on the left side. ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ")

Utility jumpsuit

In the mid-2250s, work coveralls, with assignment patch embroidered on the breast, were issued in all division related colors. Instead of the brighter colors of the duty uniform, they were in muted colors of olive (command), khaki (operations) and blue-gray (sciences). ( TOS : " The Cage ")

Later, everyday work jumpsuits were usually worn with no assignment or rank patches visible (even if the jumpsuit was worn by a senior officer). Duty jumpsuits came in a division color. Some versions had embroidered writing and insignia on the left breast. The jumpsuit had medium length sleeves and was worn open in the front, sealing at the waistline. A standard black undershirt was worn underneath, in contrast with jumpsuit uniforms of the previous style with division-colored undershirts. The jumpsuits came in red (operations), green or brown (command), and blue (sciences). ( TOS : " The Naked Time ", " The Enemy Within ", " Mudd's Women ", " Balance of Terror ", " Dagger of the Mind ")

When Technician Fisher beamed aboard with an unknown magnetic ore on his jumpsuit in 2266, he was instructed by Montgomery Scott to " decontaminate that uniform. " Later, while explaining a subsequent transporter malfunction , Scott made note of said substance on Fisher's "suit". ( TOS : " The Enemy Within ")

Later that year, when the stowaway Simon Van Gelder was discovered aboard the USS Enterprise , wearing such a jumpsuit, it was simply stated that he was " someone in engineering uniform. " (" Dagger of the Mind ")

Environmental suit

Galley vest

Workers in the ship's galley , such as the galley chef , wore a tan colored vest over their uniform. ( TOS : " Charlie X ")

Hazard vest

A hazard vest, seen in beige, was in issue for excursions or technical personnel, such as during maintenance work on the shipboard atmospheric system . Sometimes the hazard vest was worn in conjunction with protective gloves and head cover, and could be worn over the uniform tunic or the uniform undershirt alone. ( TOS : " The Corbomite Maneuver ", " The Man Trap ", " Dagger of the Mind ")

Protective suits

At least four types of protective suits were available for the wearers' protection. They were relatively flexible in design and were suitable for hazardous environments. ( TOS : " The Man Trap ", " The Naked Time ")

Combat uniform

Black uniforms with division-colored sleeveless undershirts were worn in combat situations, often under body armor. They were usually worn without armor by medical and science personnel during the Klingon War . ( SNW : " Under the Cloak of War ", " Hegemony ")

Protective tactical gear with flashlights on the shoulders could be worn in combat situations over the uniform. It was mostly black, with a division-colored breastplate and worn over the black combat uniform. ( SNW : " Lost in Translation ", " Hegemony ") Some personnel, like special operations officers, wore a version with a black breastplate instead. ( SNW : " Under the Cloak of War ")

Casual wear

Starfleet crewmembers wore black regulation pajamas to bed, consisting of either long-sleeved or short-sleeved shirt and pants or boxers. ( SNW : " Ghosts of Illyria ")

Cadet Uhura wearing a durag

Crewmembers could also wear a cloth with Starfleet insignia tied around the top of the head to protect their hair during sleep. ( SNW : " Ghosts of Illyria ")

Athletic wear was available for use during sporting or other leisure activities. Several varieties were issued, in various colors from black to red. ( SNW : " Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow ", " Charades "; TOS : " Charlie X ")

One set included red leggings, black socks, a tunic, and a belt. The belt was colored, possibly indicating a certain ranking within a sport. Another option was a red unitard. The assignment patch was placed on the left breast of the tunic, and on the left side of the leggings or unitard. ( TOS : " Charlie X ")

Accessories

Equipment belt.

Equipment belts were worn with the standard duty uniforms, often by security personnel to carry laser pistols or phaser pistols . ( TOS : " Where No Man Has Gone Before ", " Miri ", " The Galileo Seven ", " Arena ", " The Savage Curtain "; DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations ")

Life support belt

A uniform hat in 2254

Officers had an optional service cap that could be worn along with their uniform. ( TOS : " The Cage ", " The Menagerie, Part I ")

Spock wearing a Starfleet knit cap

A regulation beanie knit cap with a Starfleet delta badge could be worn along with the uniform. ( SNW : " Charades ")

Embellishments

Station personnel insignia.

Commander Pelia wearing a Starfleet station personnel insignia with an additional medal

In 2259 , while conducting an inspection and upgrade of the USS Enterprise 's systems, Commander Pelia 's Starfleet delta badge was mounted on a black trapezoid with curved corners and a gold border. ( SNW : " The Broken Circle ")

Assignment patches

Starfleet personnel of this era wore an assignment patch on their left breast. These patches varied in design by the service person's posting. An icon representing the wearer's division or department was located in the center of many of these patches. ( TOS : " Charlie X ", " The Omega Glory ", " The Tholian Web "; DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations "; ENT : " In a Mirror, Darkly ", " In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II ")

Until 2266, it was not uncommon to see personnel with a mismatched uniform color and assignment patch icon. The following uniform color / assignment patch icon combinations have been seen: command / operations, operations / sciences, sciences / operations, and sciences / command. In addition, security personnel circa 2254 wore blue uniforms with a unique insignia resembling a squared-off letter C. By 2265, this insignia was dropped in favor of the standard operations insignia. ( TOS : " The Cage ", " Where No Man Has Gone Before ")

Types B and C

A screw operations division officer wearing an unknown department insignia

According to an anything but canon account, one operations division officer wore a uniform with a division insignia with a depiction of a Phillips head. ( VST : " Skin a Cat ")

Rank insignia

Throughout this uniform 's use, rank was indicated by cuff stripes of various styles. In the 2250s , enlisted personal had no rank stripes and all commissioned officers wore a single gold stripe. Chief petty officers wore a specially-patterned stripe. By 2265 , the system remained unchanged, except that captains would wear two stripes. ( TOS : " The Cage ", " Where No One Has Gone Before ")

In the type B uniform style, the cuff stripes generally matched the division color – gold stripes for command division officers , red stripes for operations division officers, and blue stripes for sciences division officers. Medical officers ' ranks were indicated by silver stripes. In this system, each rank had its own insignia instead of one for all commissioned officers. ( DIS : " Brother "; SNW : " Strange New Worlds ", et al)

In the mid 2260s , the rank system was updated. Full-width stripes were replaced by a slightly more intricate design while half-width stripes became dotted. ( TOS : " The Corbomite Maneuver ", et al)

Uniform epaulets (2250s)

In 2254 , at least one Starfleet uniform Starfleet bore an epaulet, possibly indicative of rank. ( TOS : " The Cage ")

Appearances

• " The Cage "
• " Where No Man Has Gone Before "
• " The Corbomite Maneuver "
• " The Man Trap " (recycled footage)
• " Charlie X "
• " What Are Little Girls Made Of? " (image on bridge monitor)
• " The Menagerie, Part I "
• " The Menagerie, Part II " (archive footage)
• " Catspaw " (recycled footage)
• " Wolf in the Fold "
• " The Trouble with Tribbles "
• DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations " (archive footage)
• DIS : " If Memory Serves " (archive footage)
• LD : " Strange Energies " (image on viewscreen )
• " Children of the Comet " (image)
• " A Quality of Mercy " (image)
• SNW : Every episode
• " Holiday Party "
• " Holograms All the Way Down " (hologram)
• TAS : Every episode
• " Trials and Tribble-ations "
• " What You Leave Behind " (flashback)
• " In a Mirror, Darkly "
• " In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II "
• ST : " Ephraim and Dot "
• " No Small Parts " (image on PADD )
• " Kayshon, His Eyes Open "
• " We'll Always Have Tom Paris " (hallucination)
• " Reflections " (images on cutout)
• " I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee " (on action figure)
• " Parth Ferengi's Heart Place "
• " Kobayashi " (hologram)
• " All the World's a Stage "
• " Farewell " (photograph only)
• " Seventeen Seconds " (photograph only)
• " No Win Scenario " (photograph only)
• " Skin a Cat "
• " Walk, Don't Run "

Background information

In the original pitch for the series, Gene Roddenberry generalized the uniform design, stating "Crew uniforms are ' naval ' in general appearance, attractively simplified and utilitarian. Again, surprise variations are possible here too."

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 in the TNG-era films by Robert Blackman ).

The "Type A" uniform was in use only for the two Star Trek pilots, with the tunics appearing in several later episodes ( see above ) and the matched pants having been worn by extras in several early first season episodes, with the new updated tunics.

Although the "Type C" command division uniform tunics looked gold on most color TV sets, the costumes were actually lime-green. [5] This issue was made light of in an in-joke from the first draft script of DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations ", in which Department of Temporal Investigations agents Dulmur and Lucsly – just prior to leaving space station Deep Space 9 – asked Benjamin Sisko one final question: what color had Kirk's uniform been. Sisko, having seen Kirk in both a duty uniform and wraparound tunic, simply answered, " Green. " The greenish hue of the command tunics can be seen more clearly in the third season, when the fabric used for the tunics was changed from satin velour to a double-knit fabric that reflected the set lighting differently. The dress uniforms, made of a silk material, were always clearly green by comparison, and some darker green jumpsuits and wraparound tunics that were more clearly seen seemed to confirm that all the "gold-to-green" variations were part of the same color scheme. The so-called "beige" Type A uniforms which originated with " The Cage " were ironically a much more yellow color, but likewise appeared beige or pinkish under the lights.

The Type C first appeared in " The Corbomite Maneuver ". Chronologically, the Type C uniforms first appeared in late 2265 in the flashback scenes in " Dagger of the Mind " and the recording of Dr. Leonard McCoy's visit to Capella IV in " Friday's Child ".

With a few exceptions, all women in the Type C uniforms wore the skirt variant. One uniform seen on extras in TOS Season 1 was a woman's gold command uniform with pants. It was created for a scene in " Charlie X " where a pretty crewwoman was transformed into an old hag, who might not have looked appropriate in a skirt uniform. It also made an appearance in " The Man Trap ". In regards to the collars on female uniforms, blue-collared uniforms were seen in TOS and TAS on Nurse Chapel, and red-collared uniforms were seen in TAS. Female gold command uniforms were rare on both series and were never seen with colored collars.

This uniform style was last seen in TAS : " The Counter-Clock Incident ", although it was later recreated for DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations " and ENT : " In a Mirror, Darkly ".

Engineering officers in the 2250s ( Crew )

Female officer dress ( Early Voyages )

In the IDW comic series Star Trek: Crew , engineering officers were depicted as wearing a Type A red uniform, with a red collar, alongside the beige uniforms as depicted in "The Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before". In particular, these uniforms were depicted as only being worn in engineering, rather than elsewhere on the Enterprise , suggesting that since the engineering section of the Enterprise was never depicted during this era of TOS, such uniforms could have actually existed side-by-side with the beige Operations uniforms, thereby continuing the red division color established in Enterprise .

In the Marvel Comics series Star Trek: Early Voyages , an alternate Type A female duty uniform was depicted as a short dress with a high-necked collar, similar to the variant worn by Nurse Chapel during the late 2260s .

Starfleet officers in the late 2230s

The alternate reality Starfleet uniform introduced in Star Trek were based on the Type C design, though the timeframe of that film, and its sequels, has them in use when the previous uniform design and the Type A were being used. Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness , Issue 2 depicts the alternate reality version of this uniform already in use by 2239 , suggesting that in the alternate reality the previous uniform and Type A were never adopted at all, unless they were used briefly after 2233 .

External links

• Starfleet uniform (2240s-2265) at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Starfleet uniform (2265-2270) at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Starfleet uniform (2245-2265)  at Spike's Star Trek Page
• Starfleet uniform (2265-2270)  at Spike's Star Trek Page
• 22nd and 23rd century Starfleet uniforms  at Ex Astris Scientia
• 3 Ancient humanoid

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki

A friendly reminder regarding spoilers ! At present the expanded Trek universe is in a period of major upheaval with the continuations of Discovery and Prodigy , the advent of new eras in gaming with the Star Trek Adventures RPG , Star Trek: Infinite and Star Trek Online , as well as other post-57th Anniversary publications such as the ongoing IDW Star Trek comic and spin-off Star Trek: Defiant . Therefore, please be courteous to other users who may not be aware of current developments by using the {{ spoiler }}, {{ spoilers }} OR {{ majorspoiler }} tags when adding new information from sources less than six months old (even if it is minor info). Also, please do not include details in the summary bar when editing pages and do not anticipate making additions relating to sources not yet in release. THANK YOU

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Dress uniform

• View history

A dress uniform is a type of uniform usually worn for special events such as a first contact situation or as formal wear for a wedding .

• 2 Types of dress uniform
• 4.1 References
• 4.2 External links

History [ ]

Captain Jonathan Archer wore an Earth Starfleet dress uniform during the inauguration ceremonies of both the Coalition of Planets in 2155 and the United Federation of Planets in 2161 . ( ENT episode : " These Are the Voyages... ", ENT novel : The Good That Men Do , ST reference : Federation: The First 150 Years )

Due to time travel , Jean-Luc Picard had to take Archer's place and wear his uniform for the COP founding ceremony in an alternate timeline . ( ST video game : Star Trek Timelines , Convergence Day event)

James T. Kirk , Spock , Leonard McCoy , and Christine Chapel wore dress uniforms during their visit with Imperator Dykranus of Zeta-Atez in the year 2273 . ( TOS - The Newspaper Comics, Volume 1 comic : " Heads of State ")

The senior staff of the USS Enterprise -E donned dress uniforms in 2375 for a meeting with the Evora . ( TNG movie & novelization : Insurrection )

Starfleet performed a welcome ceremony for the return of the long-lost USS Voyager in late 2377 , where the ship's crew got to wear the latest style of dress uniform. ( VOY novel : Homecoming )

The Enterprise -E crew did the same for the wedding ceremony between Commander William T. Riker and Lieutenant Commander Deanna Troi on Earth in 2379 . The Starfleet musicians and waiters wore a special gray version of the dress uniform. ( TNG movie & novelization : Nemesis )

Types of dress uniform [ ]

• Starfleet dress uniform

Gallery [ ]

Appendices [ ]

References [ ].

• Court Martial
• The Menagerie
• Coming of Age
• Lonely Among Us
• The Ashes of Eden
• Progress (eBook)
• The Motion Picture
• Move Along Home
• The Trellisane Confrontation
• The Cry of the Onlies
• Enemy Unseen
• Sanctuary (novel)
• Mudd in Your Eye
• No Man's Land
• Old Wounds (novel)
• Last Full Measure
• Insurrection
• Death's Angel
• The Sorrows of Empire
• Our Dearest Blood
• Action of the Tiger
• Dragon's Honor
• A Time to Hate
• Shadowed Allies
• The Forgotten War
• The Heart of the Warrior
• Sons and Daughters
• Rules of Engagement (episode)
• Murder on the Enterprise
• You Are Cordially Invited
• Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges
• The Children of Kings
• Indistinguishable from Magic
• Revelation and Dust
• Husian Gambit
• A Bright Particular Star
• No Time Like the Past (novel)
• The Missing
• Foul Deeds Will Rise
• Acts of Contrition
• Crisis of Consciousness
• Captain to Captain
• Enigma Tales
• Where Giants Tread
• Collateral Damage
• By Order of the Empire
• To Swiftly Go...

External links [ ]

• Dress uniform article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• Dress uniform article at Wikipedia , the free encyclopedia.
• 1 The Chase
• 2 Preserver (race)
• 3 Totality (Andromeda)

Screen Rant

Star trek points out what’s off about discovery’s starfleet uniforms.

The Trill Jinaal makes an offhand remark about Star Trek: Discovery's 32nd-century uniforms that pinpoints something different about the costumes.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery, Season 5, Episode 3 - "Jinaal"

• The 32nd-century Star Trek: Discovery uniforms are formal but modern.
• Starfleet uniform evolution incorporates designs with division colors and rank insignia.
• The most practical and stylish Starfleet uniforms for missions are the red tunic and TNG later season styles.

Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) hosts an 800-year-old Trill consciousness named Jinaal Bix in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3, "Jinaal", who points out something odd about the 32nd-century Starfleet uniforms. Written by Kyle Jarrow and Lauren Wilkinson and directed by Andi Armagian, "Jinaal" sends the USS Discovery crew to Trill for the next clue to finding the Progenitors’ technology. Jinaal leads Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) on a dangerous journey to prove their worthiness and retrieve the next clue.

Jinaal tells the Starfleet Officers, “ I love what you’ve done with the uniforms. A little formal, though .” Indeed, Star Trek: Discovery ’s 32nd-century uniform designs are a departure from previous Star Trek shows, embracing a more formal and stylized look. Attempting to maintain and develop the uniform continuity of the Star Trek multiverse timeline yet also deliver something fresh, Discovery 's season 4 and 5 outfits are reminiscent of the "monster maroon" uniforms in the Star Trek: The Original Series movies. Discovery 's 32nd-century outfits incorporate modern technology and are significantly different from the uniforms in other Star Trek series.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

What’s off about star trek: discovery’s 32nd century uniforms, the uss discovery crew's blue uniform changed to grey in season 3.

Star Trek: Discovery 's uniforms were originally an sleek update of Star Trek: Enterprise 's blue jumpsuits. At the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 3, Discovery 's crew donned tailored grey uniforms with colored stripes denoting rank that drew comparisons to the uniforms showcased in Star Trek: The Motion Picture . Already an odd choice, Discovery ’s updated uniform design incorporated a stiffer, thicker fabric and featured a division color swatch down one side. Discovery' s grey uniforms appeared unnecessarily formal, seemingly more suited to a political environment than the bridge of a Starfleet starship.

Starfleet's chronological evolution of uniform designs is a fascinating study.

Starting with season 4, Star Trek: Discovery 's uniforms switched to the franchise's traditional color-blocking. Discovery 's newest uniforms feature a black stripe down one side with the standard black pants and boots. The asymmetrical tunics denoted division - red for command, blue for sciences, white for medical, and gold for operations. While a clear improvement on Discovery season 3 style, the current Star Trek: Discovery uniforms are still not generally among fan-preferred uniform designs, and they haven't proven popular with cosplayers. Starfleet’s chronological evolution of uniform designs is a fascinating study, with designs veering regularly from the early blue jumpsuit style to primary color jumpers and jumpsuits to more formal jackets with undershirts and pants – and back again.

Which Starfleet Uniform Is Best For Star Trek Missions?

Starfleet's command gold transitioned to command red between the 23rd & 24th centuries.

Though each iteration of Starfleet’s signature style offers something valuable, it can be argued that some designs are certainly better and more appropriate for their purposes than others. Somewhat subjective, each Star Trek uniform design updates and expands on previous versions. Undoubtedly, the early Star Trek: Enterprise blue jumpsuits offer the most practicality (and come complete with pockets), though perhaps not the most interesting or aesthetic overall design. The slightly ill-fitted designs from Star Trek: The Original Series and early seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation offer a more standardized look to Starfleet’s finest but a little less practicality. The same can be said of Star Trek: Discovery ’s options for each season.

With a view to Star Trek missions, however, two clear front-runners emerge based on practicality: the red Star Trek: The Original Series movie uniforms and Star Trek: The Next Generation' s uniforms from seasons 3-7. Iconic, sleek and practical, these designs provide a good balance of functionality and style, offering a clear representation of Starfleet along with a comfortable and immediately usable ease of movement . However, Star Trek: Discovery' s black away mission uniforms offer a rugged balance to the more formal style of the current season 5 Starfleet uniforms.

Star Trek: Discovery is available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

Odyssey Dress Uniform

• VisualEditor
• View history

The Odyssey Dress Uniform is the dress version of the official Odyssey Uniform .

Color Guide [ | ]

Officer Dress Uniform

Included Items [ | ]

The Starfleet Odyssey Dress Uniform unlock includes the following:

• Odyssey Dress Standard uniform jacket
• Odyssey Dress Tactical uniform jacket
• Odyssey Dress Operations and Engineering uniform jacket
• Odyssey Dress Sciences and Medical uniform jacket
• Odyssey Dress Belt
• Odyssey Commbadge variant 2

Notes [ | ]

• The infobox image contains the "Loose - Starfleet Academy" uniform pants, which are not included in the Odyssey Dress Uniform unlock.
• 1 Delta Recruitment
• 3 Playable starship