star trek uniforms over time

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Star trek: every starfleet uniform & history explained.

From the colorful tunics of Kirk and Spock all the way to the grey bodysuits of the 32nd century, we're breaking down every Starfleet uniform.

Star Trek's utopian idealism may be eternal, but Starfleet's fashion sense is in seemingly constant flux. Virtually every iteration of the franchise has featured a new uniform for its Starfleet heroes. Sometimes they come off more like superhero costumes, sometimes they seem like strict military wear, and many other times they're somewhere in between. From Captain Kirk's gold tunic to the sleek blue body suits of Star Trek: Discovery , there's no shortage of iconic Starfleet uniforms.

There's rarely an in-universe reason given for the constant costume changes in Star Trek , though the real world reason has always been to keep the franchise looking fresh and sleek, and often to echo real world fashion sense, as well as trends in sci-fi costuming.  Gene Roddenberry's original vision for  Star Trek  has gradually evolved as the series has grown and developed — it's only natural that the look of the franchise, including the iconic Starfleet uniforms, would change as well.

Related: How New Star Trek Shows Avoid A Classic Voyager Trope

The following discussion is a rundown of the primary Starfleet uniforms only; there are scores of variations, like dress uniforms, admiral uniforms, and away team gear. Bearing that in mind, these are all the iconic looks of the Starfleet uniform through the years.

Star Trek: Enterprise

As was appropriate for the prequel series about humanity's first forays into deep space, Star Trek: Enterprise featured economical, functional blue jumpsuits. Colored piping on the shoulders indicated which division each crew member was a part of - gold for command, red for operations, and blue for sciences. Rank insignia were displayed on the right shoulder, with an assignment badge on the left sleeve. Unusually for Star Trek uniforms, these featured plenty of 21st century details like zippers and pockets, sometimes making Captain Archer and crew look like the galaxy's most sophisticated janitors.

Star Trek (2009)

Featured briefly in the opening scene of J.J. Abrams first Star Trek film - with Thor's Chris Hemsworth as George Kirk - these uniforms were something of a middle ground between the look of Enterprise and Star Trek: The Original Series . The jumpsuits were now replaced by tight fitting spandex, but still in fairly muted colors, with blue for command, gold for operations, and grey for sciences. Rank insignia was displayed on the cuffs of the sleeves.

Related: Discovery Officially Makes J.J. Abrams' Star Trek Movies Canon

Star Trek: Discovery

A massive departure from what came before and what would follow, Discovery's all-blue uniforms featured a jacket and pants with striping down the sides, as well as chunky black boots. The striping on the shoulders indicated divisions - gold for command, silver for sciences, copper for operations - and the Starfleet badge worn on the right breast featured both a division symbol and rank pips. This uniform was in service at the same time as a slightly modified version of the classic TOS uniform.

Star Trek: The Original Series

Perhaps the most iconic uniforms in all of Star Trek , The Original Series' uniforms were also perhaps the simplest. These uniforms consisted of a colorful tunic, black undershirt and black pants with black boots. Command classes wore either gold or green tunics, operations wore bright red, and sciences utilized a baby blue. Rank was displayed on the cuffs of the sleeves. This uniform also offered numerous slight variations, like Dr. McCoy's short sleeves and Captain Kirks' wraparound tunic, while most female crew members wore a skirt variation.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

A completely new look was introduced in Star Trek: The Motion Picture . Gone were the colorful tunics of TOS , replaced by muted jumpsuits in Star Trek: The Motion Picture 's   polarizing big screen debut . The variations are almost too numerous to list, but the basic look was a jumpsuit that was either blue, white, or beige, with division patch attached to the chest. The uniform also featured a life support belt, and shoes that were integrated into the trousers, creating some unfortunate footie pajama comparisons. The Motion Picture would be the only Star Trek project to utilize this style of uniform.

Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan

Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan would introduce one of the longest-lived uniforms in Starfleet history. These uniforms consisted of a red jacket, white long sleeved turtleneck and black pants with red piping. It also featured the now-iconic Starfleet insignia on the left breast, as well as new rank insignia on the right shoulder. Minor variations of this uniform would be used for all of the remaining TOS cast films, and even featured in some Star Trek: The Next Generation flashbacks and time travel stories.

Related: Star Trek: Every Mirror Universe Episode

Star Trek: The Next Generation (Version 1)

The debut of Star Trek: The Next Generation saw the next radical reinvention of the Starfleet uniform. The uniform featured a streamlined jumpsuit design, with the pants and shoulders in black, and the torso either red for command, gold for operations, or blue for sciences. The rank insignia were displayed on the collarbone. The Starfleet combadge made its debut with this uniform - the Starfleet insignia doubled as a communication device. The TNG cast infamously hated the spandex costumes, as the way they were designed caused several cast members to have back problems, and they'd be redesigned for the show's third season.

Star Trek: The Next Generation (Version 2)

Featured during seasons 3-7 of Star Trek: The Next Generation , this is perhaps the second most iconic Starfleet uniform after the colorful tunics of The Original Series . The tight bodysuit look was left behind for a gaberdine material, with raised collars and solid black belts added to the look. The rank insignia were moved up to the collar, and the shoulder piping removed. Captain Picard would wear a variation of this uniform in later seasons that featured a grey sweatshirt and a jacket with the two-toned pattern.

Related: Star Trek Reveals The Federation Knows What Happened To TOS' Spock

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Deep Space Nine ditched the formality of the TNG uniforms for something darker and more utilitarian. These uniforms were largely black jumpsuits, with only the shoulders in red for command, gold for operations, and blue for sciences. The Starfleet delta symbol was slightly updated, changing the back piece from an oval to a buckle shape. A grey undershirt was utilized, and it wasn't uncommon to see officers with their sleeves rolled up, something of a visual cue to the grittier, grimier stories DS9 intended to tell. And while tonally different, Star Trek: Voyager would use this uniform for its entire seven year run.

Star Trek: First Contact

The next major evolution of the Starfleet uniform, this version kept the basic shape of the TNG -era uniforms, though with new color variations. The uniform consisted of black pants and a black and grey jacket, with a colored shirt underneath to signify divisions, once again going with red for command, gold for operations, and blue for sciences. The rank insignia remained on the collar, though they were also added to the cuffs.

Related: Star Trek: The Kelvin Borg Ruined Picard's Most Iconic Moment

Star Trek: Lower Decks

Utilized concurrently with the uniforms introduced in First Contact -  as seen during the first season finale's heroic USS Titan moment - the Lower Decks uniforms are something of a middle ground between the look of the TNG movies and TNG the series. The division colors from TNG were maintained, though a new delta symbol with no backing was used. The uniform consisted of an angular dress shirt with black pants and boots.

Star Trek: Picard (Version 1)

The Starfleet uniforms featured in Star Trek: Picard's flashbacks were predominantly black with colored shoulders to indicate division, still utilizing the division colors established in TNG , and with the rank insignia still on the collar. The delta insignia first seen in Deep Space Nine and First Contact was still in use as a combadge.

Related: Star Trek Theory: Worf Replaces Data In Picard Season 2's Story

Star Trek: Picard (Version 2)

Extremely close to the look of the original DS9 uniforms, the Starfleet uniforms of Star Trek: Picard's relative present were, again, mostly black, with standard TNG division colors on the shoulders and collar. The delta symbol was updated to the version glimpsed in the possible future seen in the TNG series finale "All Good Things," and the rank insignia was moved to the chest.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3

Star Trek: Discovery 's relocation to the 32nd century brought with it yet another new Starfleet uniform. This time the uniform is largely grey, with a stripe down the left side of the uniform signifying division - red for command, gold for operations, and blue for sciences, and white for medical. The combadge is now an oval shape, and is not only a communication device, but a holographic tricorder and personal transporter as well. The rank insignia are displayed on the combadge, while captains wore additional rank insignia on their shoulders.

Next: Star Trek: Every Major Character Who Died & Was Better For It

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)
• 3 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

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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Den of Geek

Why Star Trek Uniform Colors Changed From the Original Series to Next Generation

The uniforms on Star Trek have changed over time, but for reasons that make a lot more sense behind the scenes than on the Enterprise bridge.

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Even if you don’t know an El-Aurian from an Illyrian, even if you can’t tell the original Enterprise from the Enterprise-D, you’re probably familiar with one of the fundamental rules of Star Trek : redshirts always die.

Unlike many of the popular misconceptions about the series (Kirk doesn’t actually chase women, for example), the redshirt stereotype does have grounding in the show. Over the course of three seasons in The Original Series , 26 characters wearing red tunics died, as opposed to 15 wearing gold and blue combined. But that trend stopped with the Star Trek movies, and continued to fall away with The Next Generation and the spinoffs that followed.

Why, you ask? Because the costume colors signify a crewman’s role on their particular ship, and the color scheme changed between TOS and TNG .

Although some Trekkies hate to admit it, Star Trek didn’t really have much in the way of canon in its first few episodes. Leaving aside the infamous grinning Spock in the original pilot, it took several episodes to decide on the name of Starfleet or the Prime Directive. The same was true of the uniforms, as demonstrated by the luscious green shirt that Kirk sometimes sported.

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By the end of the series, however, the three main colors solidified into the following divisions: those in command wore gold, people such as Kirk and Sulu. Science officers and doctors, namely Spock and Bones, dressed in blue, while everyone else had red shirts. And by everyone else, that includes engineers like Scotty and security personnel, which is why they tended to get killed.

But as is so often the case with all things Trek , the uniforms weren’t entirely what creator Gene Roddenberry had in mind. Most notably, the gold uniforms were actually intended to be green, but read on camera as the color that we know today. During production of the never-released follow-up show, Star Trek: Phase II , Roddenberry wanted continuity between TOS and the new series, not only in terms of the cast, which mixed Kirk and Sulu with newcomers, but also production. In particular, Roddenberry brought back his original series costume designer William Ware Theiss.

However, when production shifted and Phase II became Star Trek: The Motion Picture , Theiss was replaced by Robert Fletcher, who designed costumes for the movie crew through Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home . Fletcher maintained some of Roddenberry’s vision for TMP , which tried to match ’70s aesthetics by giving the crew pastel pajamas. But when Nicholas Meyer took over for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , Fletcher designed military-inspired uniforms to match the director’s naval warfare vision.

Although most Trekkies prefer the Meyer movies, Roddenberry hated the militarization of Starfleet and, equally important, resented the way his franchise was taken from him. So when Roddenberry regained some power for The Next Generation , he sought to right the ship, so to speak, by making Starfleet explorers again. And with it, he brought back Theiss.

For the most part, Theiss succeeded where Roddenberry and Fletcher failed in TMP . The TNG uniforms feel like ’80s versions of the ’60s original, especially after they were revised in season 3. However, with the emphasis on division colors came a confusing switch. Once again, science officers and doctors wore blue, but command now wore red while operations wore gold. Also, there’s the skant, but only Lower Decks talks about that now.

So why did the colors change? Once again, the answer is simple and almost mundane. Patrick Stewart apparently didn’t look commanding enough in yellow, while Brent Spiner , in his pale Data makeup, didn’t look good in red.

Roddenberry and the producers may have also been amenable to these changes because of the public’s changing perception of the aesthetic of Star Trek at the time. It was the massive success of Star Trek IV that gave Roddenberry the green light for TNG , and in that movie the crew wore the same civilian clothes that they sported in The Search for Spock , but during the first three Trek movies, Kirk wore red (as did Spock and the rest of the crew, because everyone wore red in Meyers’ more militarized uniforms).

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So in the eyes of casual fans, the Captain wore red. And even Trekkies had seen enough of Kirk in red that the idea didn’t seem outlandish.

The Trek uniforms have been altered many times since. TNG and Deep Space Nine later limited colors to the shoulders, a look continued in Voyager . The TNG movies then introduced darker uniforms in Star Trek: First Contact , with division colors on the underliner, a look adopted by later seasons of Deep Space Nine .

These stories adhere to the division colors from TNG , but whenever the franchise goes back to pre- TNG era — including the J.J. Abrams reboot movies or Strange New Worlds — the TOS colors come back into play. Even the prequel series Enterprise , in which the crew of the NX-01 wears blue jumpsuits with TOS division colors on the piping. And then there’s Discovery , which began with blue uniforms and a different division color scheme, but that show started out as its own thing, anyway.

Rest assured, writers both official and on the internet have offered in-Universe explanations for the evolution of the costumes. But the best explanation is that Star Trek , as an ongoing story over six decades old, had evolved and mutated over the years, sometimes in ways that don’t make sense. And as long as some unnamed operations ensign gets killed now and again, that’s just fine.

Joe George | @jageorgeii

Joe George’s writing has appeared at Slate, Polygon, Tor.com, and elsewhere!

• Entertainment

Zip me up, Scotty: 50 years of Star Trek uniforms

The colorful uniforms worn by the crew of the Starship Enterprise count as some of the most iconic looks ever. Here's how they've evolved over the past 50 years.

Star Trek uniforms

Ask any cosplayer : One of the most enduring aspects of Star Trek is the famous Starfleet uniform.

The instantly recognizables colors and iconic pointy badge have been adapted for new TV series', movies and games from The Original Series up to the latest Trek adventures Discovery , Picard ,  Lower Decks  and Strange New Worlds . Check out the many outfits worn by the crew of the Enterprise on their continuing mission to explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and boldly look cooler than anyone before.

Star Trek: The Original Series

Originally conceived by costume designer William Ware Theiss, the colorful pop art outfit debuted in 1966 in The Original Series.

Star Trek: The Animated Series

The multicolored uniforms looked great in the luminous cartoon world of The Animated Series.

Star Trek movies

In a series of Star Trek movies, the crew of the Enterprise adopted maroon tunics for the big screen.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

The crew of The Next Generation  saw a new take on the multicolored Starfleet uniform.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Aboard Deep Space Nine , a darker version of the uniforms reflected the darker stories told in this series.

Star Trek: Voyager

Crew members on Star Trek: Voyager  also wore the darker uniform.

Star Trek: Enterprise

Prequel series Enterprise showed us an early Starfleet uniform.

Star Trek rebooted

Stepping outside of the established TV timeline, a new series of movies sleekly updated the iconic uniforms for a new generation of fans.

Star Trek: Discovery

Sonequa Martin-Green (centre) and Michelle Yeoh (right) lead the cast of Star Trek: Discovery on CBS All Access and Netflix. (Disclosure: CBS is CNET's parent company.) 

Star Trek: Picard

Patrick Stewart returns for Star Trek: Picard on CBS All Access and Amazon Prime Video.

Star Trek: Lower Decks

Animated comedy Star Trek: Lower Decks will introduce to a side of Starfleet we don't normally see, with a new twist on the uniform.

Let's look at the development of Starfleet's uniform in chronological order. The earliest version appears in prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise, featuring Captain Archer and his crew in flight suits with colored accents presaging The Original Series and shoulder panels like The Next Generation.

Prequel series Discovery is set shortly before The Original Series, and gives the zip-up jumpsuits of Enterprise a more sci-fi twist with metallic side panels and shoulders.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

By season two of Discovery, we see a nifty combination of various eras of the uniform, which will continue as we return to the starship Enterprise in new series Strange New Worlds.

In 1965, the first pilot episode for The Original Series starred Jeffrey Hunter as Captain Pike, wearing a prototype version of the uniform we know and love.

The pilot episode, The Cage, features colored tunics with ribbed collars.

The womens' tunics boast a stylish pointed collar, and were much less revealing than what would come later.

On away missions, the crew donned special jackets.

Spock and Captain Pike in their blue-grey planet-exploring garb.

For the second pilot the uniform went through some changes. In the episode entitled  Where No Man Has Gone Before , William Shatner and Sally Kellerman wear uniforms in the familiar colors but with a different collar.

Although it's tough to see in the series itself, in the pilot you can see the famous "gold" uniforms were actually lime green. They only appeared gold under studio lighting.

When the series proper began in 1966, the familiar black neckline appeared.

The different colors represent the job each crew member does: Blue is worn by science and medical officers, gold by command officers, and red by security and engineering officers.

The colored shirts are paired with black boots and naval-influenced trousers.

Lieutenant Uhura and Nurse Chapel model the rather more daring version of the uniform worn by women crewmembers.

Other lower-ranked crew members wore color-coded jumpsuits.

Yeoman Janice Rand shows off a Starfleet regulation hairdo.

The Enterprise's lethally high turnover of red-garbed security officers gave rise to the expression "red shirt," meaning a minor character who's pretty much doomed.

Series creator Gene Roddenberry believed clothes would have no visible fastening in the future, so the zips are concealed in the shoulder. Initially, the uniforms were made of velour. 

For the third series, the costumes were made of nylon fabric similar to baseball uniforms -- because the previous velour versions shrank.

The Animated Series made the gold color official.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

The 1979 film  Star Trek: The Motion Picture  did away with the bold colors of the series, adopting new tunics in shades of grey, beige and white.

The new uniforms didn't prove as popular as the iconic shirts from the series, lasting just one film.

The new uniforms were rather snug.

From 1982's Star Trek: Wrath of Khan onward, designer Robert Fletcher put the original crew in tunics that evoked Starfleet's naval tradition, including bell-bottom trousers. 

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

The differing colors for different departments returned on the wrist and shoulder straps, and an undershirt.

The film also saw some warm jackets for away missions.

In 1987 The Next Generation began with the crew in form-fitting spandex jumpsuits. The colors return, but this time it's command wearing red, engineering and security in mustard, and science and medicine once again in blue. 

Unfortunately the futuristic-looking outfits gave some cast members backache, so the spandex only lasted two seasons.

For the third series, Mister Worf and his crew mates donned more relaxed wool gabardine tunics, designed by Robert Blackman.

After the switch to the new uniforms in The Next Generation, lesser crewmembers were sometimes glimpsed in the older outfits. Their poor backs.

In 1993 Captain Sisko and the crew of Deep Space Nine adopted a black uniform with colored shoulders, previously seen in The Next Generation as the uniform of Starfleet Academy.

From 1995, Captain Janeway and the crew of Voyager wore the black uniforms.

Lost in the Delta Quadrant, the Voyager crew didn't keep up with the latest fashion and so didn't make the switch to the grey-shouldered uniform.

When The Next Generation  crew made the leap to the big screen, they donned a new uniform with grey shoulders. The department colors are seen on the undershirt and the rank stripes on the wrist.

Star Trek: Lower Decks follows the escapades of junior officers Starfleet officers aboard the USS Cerritos, wearing a new take on the Next Generation uniform.

Lower Decks is set in 2380, a year after the Next Generation crew's final mission, Star Trek: Nemesis. It seems Starfleet has ditched the black and grey for a return to bright colors, perfect for the palette of a cartoon.

The Lower Decks uniform includes a simplified badge, a line of silver piping and a point at the bottom. The folding front harks back to the movie tunic. 

In Deep Space Nine's fifth season, the DS9 crew switched to the uniform worn by the Enterprise crew in the movies.

Star Trek: Picard sees a return for the beloved Next Generation captain. He's long left Starfleet behind so he isn't wearing a uniform, although those shoulders look pretty familiar. Picard streams on CBS All Access in the US and Amazon Prime Video elsewhere. 

The show features flashbacks to Picard's final days in Starfleet, when TNG-style coloured shoulders were given a striking striped flourish.

In Picard's present day, the more streamlined shoulders have returned, but with a new collar.

This is the admiral's version of the 32nd century uniform.

As Discovery continued, the ship jumps forward to the future where Starfleet's uniforms are grey with subtle colored accents and an oval badge. 

In season 4 of Discovery, the 32nd century uniforms invert their colors for a black stripe on familiar blue, gold and red tunics.

Sometimes our heroes are seen in alternative uniforms.

Captain Kirk occasionally wears a green tunic.

Captain Picard got his own version of the Captain's uniform with this blue tunic and red jacket.

Throughout the movies, the captains wear different variations on the captain's vest.

Doctor McCoy gets in on the action with his medical smock.

Captain Kirk gives a martial arts lesson, complete with Starfleet-issue uniform.

Mister Spock models a spacesuit.

The Discovery crew in a modern take on the spacesuit.

For special occasions, the crew don Starfleet dress uniforms.

A fancy Captain Kirk meets the villainous Khan while wearing his dress uniform.

The dress uniform appeared in different forms throughout The Next Generation. Here's the version worn by the crew for a wedding in the 2002 movie Star Trek: Nemesis .

Counsellor Troi got to wear her own clothes throughout The Next Generation. Troi eventually started wearing the official uniform in later seasons, but she wasn't the only character to appear in their own gear.

Child prodigy Wesley Crusher wasn't officially a Starfleet officer, so he wore an outfit that hinted at the uniform style.

Another youngster in the series, Deep Space Nine's Jake Sisko, got to show off much jazzier duds.

When Voyager rescued Seven of Nine from the Borg collective, she expressed her new freedom with some very tight outfits.

Vulcan officer T'Pol also got to wear her own (very tight) outfits. Most illogical.

The crew of the Enterprise have encountered many other uniforms during their voyages, like these Klingon outfits in The Original Series.

Star Trek the movies

The Klingons underwent a serious makeover for the movies and The Next Generation.

Klingons get a modern makeover in Star Trek: Discovery, influenced by their brief appearance in Star Trek Into Darkness.

The Romulans appeared in uniform in The Original Series.

By the time The Next Generation aired, they too had a striking new look.

Eagle-eyed fans will notice that the uniforms aren't always spot-on, like when Uhura was seen in a command uniform in the episode The Corbomite Maneuver.

Occasionally, the crew have to slip out of uniform, like when a time-travelling Kirk and co had to blend in with 1930s America in The City on the Edge of Forever .

Yes, well, anything to blend in, right?

Some of the best alternative uniforms are seen in a parallel universe in the episode Mirror, Mirror.

The mirror universe is home to a fascist version of Starfleet, complete with evil versions of our heroes -- and their uniforms.

Discovery updated the Terran Empire's uniforms in the mirror universe with striking armor.

In 2009, big screen  Star Trek  reboot reinvented the look of the classic series.

In the films Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness , gold is once again the color of command, with metallic insignia on the chest and sleeves. The V-neck shirts are worn over black undershirts.

The film's prologue showed us this glimpse of an earlier uniform, styled somewhere between the blue-ish flightsuit of Enterprise and the colored shirts of The Original Series.

The new films also feature planetside uniforms that nod to the lines and colors of 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture .

In the 2016 film Star Trek Beyond , the uniforms are subtly altered, with more built-up shoulders and slightly darker panels down the sides.

The neckline nods to the rounded collar of later Next Generation uniforms.

The new films continue the tradition of skin-tight outfits with this diving uniform worn by Lieutenant Uhura.

Star Trek Beyond also sees the crew don blue and yellow jackets when escaping the ship.

The new films recognise that the original Starfleet uniform is one of the most iconic movie or TV costumes ever.

With more Trek on the way, here's to another 50 years of cool uniforms!

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Star Trek | A History of Starfleet Uniforms From Fashion Disasters to Gender Equality

From miniskirts to spandex and shoulder pads, Star Trek uniforms have always kept one eye on today’s fashion as well as tomorrow’s.

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It’s all too easy to assume that Star Trek – aka that same TV series which is primarily set in the future, ranging from the mid-22nd century ( Star Trek: Enterprise ) to the 32nd century ( Star Trek: Discovery ) – is as far removed from contemporary fashion trends as… well, as the M-33 Galaxy is from Earth. Which is, in case you’d forgotten, very very far away. Indeed, with M-33 positioned some 2.7 million lightyears away from its previous position in the Milky Way, it would take Enterprise some 300 years to travel home from there at maximum warp.

As ever, though, it seems to assume really is to make an ass of you and me. Because Star Trek – and by which I mean every single iteration of that iconic Starfleet-issue jumpsuit – has always been incredibly on-trend. Every. Single. Iteration.

As Harriet Hall, fashion expert, Lifestyle Editor at The Independent , and feminist author of She: A Celebration of Renegade Women , tells me:

“Even in a futuristic series like Star Trek , contemporary trends and styles are used to inspire the costumes.”

She adds: “This helps to create a ‘believable’ and ‘relatable’ sartorial basis for the future, allowing viewers to better immerse themselves in it.”

Star Trek: The Original Series Uniforms

With Hall’s comments in mind, it makes sense as to why the women of Star Trek: The Original Series decided to boldly go where no other woman on mainstream TV had gone before. By which I mean, of course, that they – in William Shatner’s words – frequently donned the “shortest skirts on television”.

“The 1960s marked the beginning of youth culture and the separation of teenagers and young adults from their parents’ generation in terms of interests, music, and clothing,” explains Hall.

“This feeling of liberation and independence through a rejection of the stringent conformity of their parents’ generation became known as ‘The Youthquake’. And, in the fashion world, this was reflected in a ‘bubble up’ approach to fashion, where trends no longer trickled down from the catwalk; instead, teenagers opted for identity-shaping styles which could be easily made at home using simple patterns.

Further Reading on Star Trek and Identity

Star Trek | Trill as Trans: Trek's Evolving Attitudes Toward Gender Variance

From TNG’s ‘The Host’ to DS9’s Jadzia Dax, and Discovery’s Adira and Gray Tal, Trill has been used as an imperfect allegory for the Trans experience.

“At the vanguard of this was British designer Mary Quant, who made simple mini-shift dresses inspired by the carefree styles of children’s wear – complete with little Peter Pan collars and bold graphic prints. And her Kings Road boutique, Bazaar, quickly became the locus for trendy young women wanting to express their sexual liberation through incredibly short miniskirts and thigh-high boots.”

In the years since the series first aired, of course, it’s become all too apparent that NBC requested the show’s female stars were decked out in revealing costumes – a revelation that has prompted many to look back on the series with barely-concealed scorn for its hyper-sexualization of women.

However, it’s worth noting that Nichelle Nichols – who played Nyota Uhura in the series – has publicly dismissed those that have suggested she was forced into wearing anything unusually short or revealing. Indeed, much as Hall has explained already, Nichols told the BBC that she was already “wearing [very short mini skirts] on the street. What’s wrong with wearing them on the air? I wore ’em on airplanes.

“It was the era of the miniskirt. Everybody wore miniskirts!”

While the women of Star Trek: The Original Series donned simplistic Quant-like tailoring and thigh-high hemlines, the men – Shatner included – donned brightly-colored and extremely skintight nylon shirts and charcoal slacks.

“It’s all about the subtle detailing here,” says Hall, noting that the men’s Mod haircuts were likely inspired by those worn by the decade’s most famous heartthrobs: The Beatles.

“Look at those slight V-necks and that gold trim,” she continues. “These were used to inject a more futuristic twist and a slightly ‘other’ aesthetic to the Starfleet uniform so that it doesn’t feel too grounded in reality.”

Star Trek: The Next Generation Uniforms

If you thought the Starfleet uniforms of the Star Trek: The Original Series series were revealing, take another gander at the costumes worn in Star Trek: The Next Generation .

Crafted from spandex, these one-piece suits were famously made to be one size too small – ostensibly for a smoother line on camera – and with no pockets. Which, when you’re seeking out new life and new civilizations, is about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

“We hated our space suits,” Geordie LaForge actor LeVar Burton famously declared. “As much as they call it a stretch fabric, spandex in that configuration doesn’t give all that much. It hid nothing .”

After two seasons of misery, the costume designers eventually swapped the spandex for a more forgiving woolen material. Still, though, they still kept silhouettes tight and shoulders seriously padded.

The result? A sort of inverted triangle silhouette – one which had become synonymous with the 80s.

“This was the same decade in which many women stepped out of the secretarial pool and entered the boardroom,” says Hall, “and they did so wearing bold power shoulders to exert their presence among the male-dominated workplaces.”

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It wasn’t just big shoulders and power dressing that influenced Star Trek: The Next Generation uniforms, though. As Hall points out, the 1980s was “also a time in which dance and aerobics dominated.

“Whoopi Goldberg looks like the ultimate disco queen in her shining crushed velvet and a futuristic hat that we can only imagine would be nothing but impractical in space.”

Meanwhile, the bodycon leotards worn by Marina Sirtis’s Deanna Troi look as if they were pulled “straight out of the popular Pineapple Dance Studio in Covent Garden!”

Close your eyes and imagine that Star Trek: The Next Generation uniform again. I know what you’re thinking; red for command, gold for operations, blue for sciences, raised collars, and rank insignia on the neckline.

So far, so sci-fi, right? But, as Hall points out, these uniforms were a twist on the hyper-tailored Nehru jacket – a style first popularised by the Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru (1947-1964).

“This reflects the increasing globalization of fashion during the 80s,” she says, reminding me that the decade was – thanks to the stock exchange and leaders such as Regan and Thatcher – an era of boom, in which wealth was privatized and many experienced disposable incomes.

“Mind you, Star Trek has evolved the classic Nehru look into something more befitting a gymnast at the 1980 Olympics.”

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Uniforms

We all know that Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is darker and grittier than the other Star Trek shows that came before it, so it makes sense that these hopepunk vibes are reflected in its twist on the Starfleet uniform.

Further Reading on Star Trek & Hopepunk

The Hopepunk Case for Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine has a reputation for darkness, but finding light in the dark is the definition of hopepunk.

More utilitarian than anything worn by the Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation crew, the officers of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine opted for mostly black jumpsuits, with only the shoulders in red for command, gold for operations, and blue for sciences. The material was loose enough that they were able to roll their sleeves up (can you even imagine Miles O’Brien with his sleeves rolled down!?). And they often flashed their dystopic grey undershirts, too.

Commenting on how these pared-down styles reflected contemporary fashions at that time, Hall says: “In the West, the 1990s opened with economic crisis – which led to a recession, unemployment, and rioting. This discontent marked an abrupt end to a decade that saw gluttony from many and people’s attitudes to wealth changed dramatically.

“In the fashion world, this manifested as a staunch rejection of displays of wealth, and dress-down, anti-fashion and inconspicuous consumption became the norm with designers such as Norma Kamala, Donna Karen, Muccia Prada and Calvin Klein all opting for low-key minimalist sportswear… and in much darker colours.”

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Brad wright's conversations in sci-fi (abridged), cgi fridays, star trek | jonathan frakes defends discovery – watch the full video, upcoming events, brad wright: how to recharge your creativity, teryl rothery: embracing mental health as a fandom - part 5, basingstoke comic con collaboration.

15 Times Star Trek Changed Its Uniforms and Why

Star Trek's costumes changed with every series, usually with a lot of thought put into the reasons. Here are 15 times Starfleet's uniforms changed.

It can be quite a mess sometimes, but it's also part of the fun. And like most other aspects of Star Trek , it's undergone a great deal of change over the decades. In some ways, the franchise can be marked solely by the number of times they changed the costumes.

RELATED: 10 Sci-Fi Tropes That Aged Poorly

15 The Classic Original Series Uniforms Took Shape

The uniforms from The Original Series are iconic and set the pace for the rest of the franchise. But they also underwent a few upgrades from the two Star Trek pilots: "The Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before." Most notably, the colors became bolder, which catered to then-cutting-edge color TV.

The Original Series also established the different departments each color represented. Yellow (and green) noted command and helm, blue stood for medical and science, and red was for security and engineering. Eventually, those three colors became emblematic of the franchise as a whole.

14 Star Trek: The Motion Picture Brought the Blands

Star Trek: The Motion Picture arrived ten years after The Original Series was canceled, and the pop-art style of the tricolor uniforms was deemed behind the times. The new uniforms reflected a far more subtle palette. The bright reds and yellows were replaced with softer hues of beige, white, and blue.

It didn't work, causing the crew to fade into their surroundings while badly dating the film in the process. And while The Motion Picture turned a profit, it fell short of the Star Wars- like numbers that Paramount envisioned. The uniforms were dropped in favor of something new.

RELATED: 10 Best Television Universes, Ranked

13 The Wrath of Khan Introduced 'The Monster Maroons'

In their place came "the monster maroons," consisting of dark red tunics over pale-colored turtlenecks. They first appeared in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , which director Nicholas Meyer likened to swashbuckling naval adventures.

The new uniforms reflected that aesthetic, resembling those of 19th-century European navies. They proved far more successful than those of the first film. The original cast continued to wear them for the remainder of their big-screen appearances.

12 Star Trek: The Next Generation Resurrected the Tricolors

The original movies were still in production when Star Trek: The Next Generation made its debut in 1987. Set 100 years after the events of The Original Series , it gave the franchise a chance to resurrect the tricolors for the first time in decades. Red and yellow were reversed -- with red now used by command officers and yellow by engineering and security -- and the new uniforms now resembled one-piece jumpsuits.

Season 3 brought a slight change to the look, with higher collars and a less snug fit. This was reportedly to accommodate the actors who found the original design excessively tight. Other subtle variations were added as the show progressed, such as a removable jacket for Captain Picard.

11 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Went Dark

The arrival of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine necessitated another re-design. With two Star Trek shows running at the same time, different uniforms would provide visual distinction. The tricolors remained, but they moved to the very top of the outfits, with the rest black below the chest. A gray undershirt was worn beneath the top.

The new uniforms were intended as a kind of workaday fatigue: worn on the Final Frontiers' rougher areas like Deep Space 9. Star Trek: Voyager used the same design for its uniforms, as did the feature-length film Star Trek: Generations .

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10 Star Trek: First Contact Brought Out the Grays

Star Trek: First Contact delivered another big change in 1996. The aesthetic of Deep Space Nine 's fatigues was revised. The top of the tunics was now a uniform gray, with the undershirt color-coded to the appropriate department.

Deep Space Nine followed suit starting in Season 5, Episode 10, "Rapture." The move maintained continuity as well as visually distinguishing the show from Voyager (which didn't make the change since its crew was trapped in the Delta Quadrant). They've remained in place with "capital ships" in Star Trek: Lower Decks as well.

9 Star Trek: Enterprise Drew More Modern Inspiration

Star Trek: Enterprise was posited as a prequel to The Original Series, depicting the early days of space exploration and the founding of the United Federation of Planets . With starships of the era cramped and clunky, the uniforms resembled those of submarine crews. Crew members wore blue overalls with colored piping representing the tricolor departments.

The blue proved remarkably durable, considering Enterprise 's unfairly truncated status. It formed the basis for Star Trek: Discovery 's uniforms and also appeared in Star Trek: Beyond . They formed a visual link between the modern world and Star Trek 's hypothetical future.

8 The Kelvinverse Redefined the Classic Universe

2009's feature-length Star Trek was the first franchise effort in five years since the cancelation of Enterprise . It returned to The Original Series uniforms for the reboot. This time, it provided a more modern cut.

That included a better style of fabric, more pronounced delta badges over their hearts and a series of tiny symbols patterned in the uniform itself. Subtle touches helped distinguish them from their predecessors, along with variations such as some women's uniforms losing their sleeves.

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7 Discovery Wasn't Afraid to Show the Metal

The first two seasons of Star Trek: Discovery were set a decade before The Original Series . That gave the uniform design an easy mandate. It had bridged the gap between the blue coveralls of Enterprise and the classic tricolor look of Captain Kirk.

It did so by formalizing the cut and adding metallic piping to the sides. The metal colors matched that of the Delta logo. Gold stood for command, silver for science and medical, and copper for security and engineering.

6 Captain Pike Returned to The Original Series Look

Season 2 of Discovery also brought the core of what would become the Strange New Worlds crew , as Christopher Pike, Mr. Spock, and Una Chin-Riley arrived. They wore protean versions of the classic Original Series look, marked by an asymmetrical collar and subtle metal piping along the shoulders.

It signaled the end of Discovery 's blue phase, though their uniforms needed to make the jump to the 32nd century to find their own look. Meanwhile, Pike and his crew got another slight update once they moved to their own show.

5 Picard Evolved the TNG Outfit

Star Trek: Picard followed the example of The Next Generation -era shows: a uniform design centered around the tricolors. It loosely resembled Deep Space Nine 's fatigues, with the tricolor on top and black beneath. New com badges completed the look.

The design underwent another upgrade in Season 2, which it retained for the rest of its run. It added a tunic fold-over, reminiscent of the monster maroons of the first six feature-length movies. It also simplified the accouterments, making it all less busy.

RELATED: 10 Controversial Star Trek: TOS Episodes That Wouldn't Fly Today

4 Disco Revealed New Uniforms for the 32nd Century

Season 3 of Discovery ended with the crew effectively rechristening a shattered Starfleet. That included a wholesale abandonment of the blue uniforms in favor of new takes on the tricolor.

The season finale provided a brief look at all-gray uniforms with a stripe down the right side in the tricolor configuration (white was added for medical). Season 4 abandoned the gray for new versions of the tricolors, along with a more militaristic cut along the shoulders. Season 5 looks to maintain the same uniform for the series finale.

3 Lower Decks Delivered a Uniform for the Working Class

Lower Decks was set a few years after the end of The Next Generation 's movie run. As such, many crews still wore the gray tops from Star Trek: First Contact and the later seasons of Deep Space Nine . As a support ship, however, the USS Cerritos required a new set of threads.

The uniforms stuck to the tricolor pattern, with a black top and a tunic lined with white piping. Science and medical personnel also wore white boots. The design successfully made the leap to live-action during Lower Decks ' crossover with Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 7, "Those Old Scientists."

2 Prodigy Combined the Old and New

Star Trek: Prodigy followed Lower Decks ' example of bringing the Final Frontier into the world of animation. In this case, the show was aimed at a younger demographic, with a crew of teen-ish prison escapees onboard a starship. They eventually adopted cadet uniforms: black with a skewed gray top.

At the same time, Admiral Janeway pursued the crew in a ship of her own. At this point in the timeline -- 2383 -- Starfleet shifted away from the First Contact grays, back to another variation of The Next Generation tricolors.

RELATED: 10 Forgotten Eras Star Trek Should Explore

1 Strange New Worlds Brought the Uniforms Full Circle

The arrival of Strange New Worlds brought the franchise back to The Original Series era, slightly updated for modern sensibilities. The tricolor pattern remained, with red and gold returning to their original meanings. The cut was more modern as well, though still very much in keeping with the spirit of the iconic originals.

The new outfits also added a few modern touches, such as variants with zippers for improved comfort. Some medical personnel -- notably Christine Chapel -- wore white instead of the tricolors, while women's versions of the outfit trended subtly away from the miniskirts of the 1960s.

The Evolution Of The Star Trek Uniform

Fashion aboard the uss enterprise.

Even leaving aside all the spin-off series and Next Generation films, the Starfleet uniform of the original Enterprise crew has changed considerably over the years. From the brightly coloured and iconic looks of the '60s through the neutral monstrosities of The Motion Picture and back again, this uniform is more than just something for Captain Kirk to shred so he can better show his manly chest. We called our fashion expert, Hello Tailor 's Gavia Baker-Whitelaw, to talk us through the history of the Enterprise style...

Even Star Trek’s most devoted fans wouldn’t dare claim that the original series was a high-budget operation. In among the cardboard sets, guest stars had to wear a selection of costumes that ran the gamut from the baffling (an evil baby in a silver lamé toga; girls in hot-pink fur bikinis) to the plain ugly. In one early episode, an entire alien species is kitted out in a vaguely familiar fabric that one later realises is also used for all the bedspreads on-board the Enterprise.

But in the original series Starfleet uniform, Star Trek struck costuming gold.

The red shirt / blue shirt / gold shirt uniforms are an undeniable classic: simple enough to look good on a small budget, and lacking in the kind of retro-futuristic details that might feel dated forty years on – not to mention that the colour coding can be very useful. The bright colours meant you could pick out characters on the small screen (very small in those days), and it’s easy to figure out that each shirt represents a different department: blue for sciences, gold for command, and red for security and engineering. The concept of the doomed “redshirt” security guy has stretched so far beyond a geeky in-joke that it’s even inspired a popular sci-fi novel - Redshirts by John Scalzi - and a fragrance (“Because tomorrow may never come.”)

The only downside of 1960s (or rather 2260s) Starfleet fashion was the dress uniform: shiny, ill-fitting, and involving more gold braid than anyone but Liberace would feel comfortable wearing. Captain Kirk’s was particularly embarrassing, featuring a lime green jacket and a scattering of futuristic “medals” that made it look like a child had crazy-glued cake decorations to Shatner’s chest. That caveat aside, the Original Series made Starfleet look cool.

Sadly, the old uniforms didn’t make it into the movies. When Star Trek: The Motion Picture went into production in the late ‘70s, the brightly coloured shirts were rejected as too garish, and the miniskirts worn by Uhura and most female crewmembers seemed like a dated relic of the sexist ‘60s. Instead Gene Roddenberry, together with acclaimed costume designer Robert Fletcher, created a Starfleet uniform that is now remembered as the nadir of Star Trek movie costuming mistakes.

Intended to avoid comparisons with military uniforms, the new costumes used “natural” fabrics that went through some sort of Uncanny Valley of costume design, ultimately succeeding in looking as unnatural as humanly possible. In a colour scheme ranging from pale blue to unsettlingly flesh-toned beige and brown, everyone on the Enterprise was shoehorned into an unflattering selection of jumpsuits and surgical scrubs. In one scene, Kirk wore a white tunic that serves the dual purpose of showing off William Shatner’s middle-aged arm hair, and making him look like he’d been moonlighting as an attendant at a health spa.

The end result is distractingly ugly (background extras occasionally looked naked, thanks to their skin-coloured bodysuits), and weirdly impractical. The original colour-coded uniforms were inspired by those worn on the flight deck of aircraft carriers, where extreme noise levels meant personnel had to be able to recognise one other’s function at a glance. Not only was it impossible to tell people’s rank and department using the new Starfleet uniforms, but the supposedly futuristic bodysuits had matching shoes attached to the trousers, meaning that actors had to get an assistant to help them when they went to the bathroom. Happily for all of us, the cast rebelled, and refused to wear the nightmarish fleshbag suits for another movie.

Determined to make a change, Robert Fletcher stayed on as costume designer for the next three movies. The uniforms went back to a more military style for The Wrath Of Khan, with the main cast wearing burgundy jackets with overlapping lapels that they could dramatically rip open if their character was called upon to look tired or stressed out. The change in colour scheme, by the way, was not so much for design reasons as because the new uniforms were actually the old uniforms from The Motion Picture, dyed to a dark red (picked because it was the best dye that actually stuck to the Motion Picture costume fabrics).

Budgetary serendipity struck again, and the burgundy colour, combined with a variety of Naval-inspired turtlenecks, stuck around until the Star Trek movie torch was passed on to Captain Picard and the Next Generation crew. With the exception of the casual-looking suede bomber jackets worn when characters beamed down to an alien planet, the 1980s uniforms didn’t date too badly -- mostly because they largely adhere to what we think of as a traditional military dress uniform. The boxy tailoring is more formal than anything seen earlier in the series, and details like vertical stripes down the side of the trousers are a direct reference to real-world military traditions.

The sets for the 1960s Starship Enterprise are so blocky and low budget that there was no quibble when J.J. Abrams upgraded them for those gleaming, iPod-like interiors. But while many aspects of the old Star Trek universe were abandoned, the red shirts and Spock’s familiar blue uniform were a reassuring nod to long-time fans. And because that uniform is so simple and iconic, very few changes were even necessary. Costume designer Michael Kaplan (who’d also worked on Blade Runner and Fight Club) added charcoal grey undershirts and did away with the cropped trousers and booties of the ‘60s, but aside from that the basic elements remained the same.

The biggest point of contention was the Starfleet minidress. In the ‘60s they were eye candy and in the ‘70s they were dated and sexist, but in the 21st century they’re a fan favourite among cosplayers and convention-goers. The 2009 movie brought them back as an optional uniform, with Uhura wearing a minidress while many other female crewmembers chose trousers instead.

One popular fan theory suggests that *all *the uniforms are unisex. This handily excuses the perceived sexism of the “female” uniform, and is backed up by scenes in The Next Generation where male extras were seen wearing what are clearly Starfleet mini-dresses (not, it has to be said, very often and never, it has to be said, in the case of leading manly men like Riker). Uhura’s personal preference for this style is well-documented, since in Star Trek VI a 60-year-old Nichelle Nichols is seen wearing a customised miniskirt uniform while the younger crewmembers are all dressed in trouser suits.

Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine might have abs of granite, but even they couldn’t carry off the overly bedazzled Original Series dress uniforms. There, the reboot sensibly went for a more sedate charcoal grey number, with Admiral Pike wearing a paler version reminiscent of The Motion Picture (but not, thankfully, *too *reminiscent). Overall, the new uniforms were the most coherent of the series. Black undershirts for everyone, with cadets wearing a maroon version of the officers’ dress uniform, and ribbed turtleneck sweaters inspired by the 1980s-era films. The coolest detail is that the everyday shirts have the Starfleet insignia embossed into every inch of the fabric on a miniscule scale.

Star Trek Into Darkness brings three additions to Starfleet’s rebooted uniform: wetsuits, jumpsuits with windows at the shoulders to reveal the shirt colour underneath, and pale grey dress uniforms that bear an unfortunate resemblance to those worn by officers aboard the Death Star. The wetsuits are intriguing, signalling that either we get to see an underwater action sequence in the new movie (a lot of the posters do show characters looking pretty wet and also pretty, wet), or some other activity that requires everyone to dress like a cross between a Tron character and Captain America. Either way, they fit in well with the movie’s slick aesthetic, and even include a nod to the regular uniforms in the form of colour-coded detailing. Wherever they’re boldly going, at least they’re going in style.

Head to Empire's 10 Essential Star Trek Articles

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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The Long History of Star Trek Uniform Fashions

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 colours 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 colour 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 coloured 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 colours saw an overhaul in a similar vein to the uniforms immediately preceding this look. Gold became the colour 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 colour 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 colour 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 colour 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 colours. We’re back, baby, let’s get that red in there!

Officer: OK, 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 customisable variant. Robbing the divisions of much in the way of colour 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 colour!

Fast-forwarding an entire generation, the Starfleet of TNG ’s era decided to go back to big, bold colours — and a lot of black accents. The classic colours returned, but which division got them changed: red was now the colour 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 colours 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 colours, 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 colours.

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 colours were once again more evocative of the original 2350s designs: predominant use of division colour on the arms and torsos, broken up by black shoulders and collars. Further breaking up the divide between black and division colour 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 coloured 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 coloured 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 manoeuvres 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.

[referenced id=”1685278″ url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2021/04/star-trek-discoverys-season-4-teaser-sees-burnham-take-command/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06/wo41fw9j6b6lbkbnsbll-300×113.png” title=”Star Trek: Discovery’s Season 4 Teaser Sees Burnham Take Command” excerpt=”In the season three finale of Star Trek: Discovery, Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) finally received her much-deserved promotion to captain. But now that she’s in charge, she’s the one who’s going to have to keep the Discovery together…and its crew alive.”]

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 colours — the former “stripe” now being black, with trousers to match.

• Stranger Things
• The Lord of the Rings

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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Why Star Trek's Ever-Changing Uniforms Are More Than Just Style Choices

This post contains spoilers for the season finale of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."

 The first-season finale of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," called "A Quality of Mercy," arrived on Paramount+ today, ending what may be the finest first season in "Star Trek" history (Trek shows all notoriously get off to rocky starts ). The final episode, rife with fan service, sees Captain Pike (Anson Mount) confronting his future self and visiting the "Original Series" era via a magical widget called a Klingon time crystal. Pike's future self — coming from a timeline where a great Romulan war is raging — offers present-day Pike an opportunity to visit a period seven years hence where he will have the opportunity to prevent said war from ever starting. As it so happens, that period is the original "Star Trek" episode "Balance of Terror" from 1966, only with Pike serving as captain instead of Kirk (It should be noted that "Strange New Worlds" takes place nearly a decade prior to the events of "Star Trek").

When Future Pike arrives to tell Present Pike about the possibility of a future timeline, he appears in a red nautical uniform with a pull-across breast flap, an over-the-shoulder clasp, and a small, white collar. This is the uniform first seen in " Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan ," and which persisted throughout the following four Trek feature films. The uniform was a chronology-appropriate reference to the way Starfleet uniforms change over time, and was an instant indicator — in addition to Anson Mount's age make-up — of when exactly this new Pike was visiting from. 

The frequent rotating of uniforms

Sticklers for continuity — and all good Trekkies are likely sticklers for continuity — might point out that the frequent changes of uniform may not make a lot of sense for a military organization like Starfleet. Starfleet is frequently depicted as being devoted to order and fostering its crew's esprit de corps, and devotion to a certain orderly status quo is one of the tenets of the organization. 

It's jarring to a Trekkie's eye to see multiple kinds of uniforms occupying the same bridge at any given moment. In the original "Star Trek," the female officers wore miniskirt uniforms, a sexist trope that "Next Generation" tried to take the curse off of by depicting male officers wearing them as well. While the effort was appreciated, it was too little too late, and a universal uniform was eventually settled on. Especially jarring was the mixture of uniforms seen in the 1994 film "Star Trek: Generations" which featured several characters wearing the color-coded departmental uniforms as they appeared on " Next Generation ," but several others wearing the colored-shoulder-grey-turtleneck uniforms that first appeared on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." Did "Generations" take place during a strange, brief transitionary period in Starfleet when either uniform was okay?

The changes in uniform, while perhaps the most logical thing in terms of continuity, do make sense from a dramatic perspective: A viewer will be able to tell at a single glance what era the characters are living in . Pike wearing a uniform from the classic movies immediately communicates to the uninitiated that he is from a time far away enough for the uniforms to have changed, and to the initiated that he is from close to 27 years in the future when "Wrath of Khan" takes place. 

Keeping it all straight

Ever since the debut of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" in 1993, it became acceptable for multiple "Star Trek" shows to run simultaneously. "Deep Space Nine" overlapped with "Star Trek: The Next Generation" for a time, and then shared " Star Trek: Voyager " airspace for multiple seasons. Since Trek is largely about Starfleet, military vessels, and people in uniform ("Star Trek" is, above all, a workplace show), all the characters in any series have to wear the same thing, especially if they take place in the same timeline the way NextGen, DS9, and "Voyager" did. However, in order to distinguish the three shows, the uniforms were slightly different. 

The NextGen uniforms were the standard, with the DS9 uniforms appearing to be assignment-based; perhaps deep space assignments warranted a new look. The USS Voyager took on that look, and DS9 changed to a uniform with grey shoulders and department-colored collars. The grey-shoulder look would also carry into future NextGen movies. "Voyager" kept the grey-neck look throughout its run, as they were 75 years away from home and couldn't get the orders to change outfits. 

With only the three active Trek shows/movie series running, the uniform shifts were easy to track. This has become more difficult in the Paramount+ era, when the franchise's timelines are splayed all over Trek continuity, and there are more shows than ever shows running simultaneously.

Seven at once

To establish something of a brief timeline of the newer Trek programs: the first two seasons of "Star Trek: Discovery" take place about a decade prior to "Star Trek." "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" takes place immediately after the second season of "Discovery." Meanwhile, " Star Trek: Lower Decks " takes place after the events of the 2002 movie "Star Trek: Nemesis," and characters from NextGen appear regularly. The first season of " Star Trek: Prodigy " takes place concurrently with the third season of "Lower Decks." " Star Trek: Picard " takes place about 18 years after "Prodigy." Then, just to muddy the waters further, the third and fourth seasons of "Discovery" take place in the distant 32nd century.

Now that no one is confused, let us move on. 

Looking over the above list, there would need to be seven distinct looks invented. One for each era of Starfleet, and for each notable ship (it's been established that some ships wear different uniforms than others, again presumably as a way to denote the nature of their assignments). The USS Discovery began with blue/silver jumpsuits and boots, and had to change into a new era's uniforms when arriving in the distant future. "Strange New Worlds" features a subtle update of the 1966 uniforms  (and even then, were updated slightly from their initial appearance on "Discovery"). The crew of the USS Cerritos on "Lower Decks" wear a NextGen-adjacent look, while the teens on the USS Protostar in "Prodigy" have something more akin to Pike's "Khan"-era uniform. "Star Trek: Picard" mostly takes place out of Starfleet's purview, so the uniforms aren't as common, giving the show its own unique, civilian look.

And none of this addresses formal uniforms, standard athletic uniforms, away mission jackets, medical uniforms, etc. etc. etc.

Across the centuries

The above breakdown of "Star Trek's" timeline reveals that Trek, unlike other sci-fi franchises, offers a very distinct, recorded history and chronology. "Star Wars" fashion, in contrast, seems to be weirdly stable over its generations, with only Stormtrooper outfits changing from time to time to denote the era. "Star Trek," in frequently rotating uniforms, creates not just visual variety between its multiple, concurrently-running shows, but a solid, visual timeline of Starfleet history. When Pike shows up in "Khan"-era uniforms, we know when that's from. Thanks to the NextGen episode "Tapestry," audiences know that those uniforms were in use at least until when Captain Picard was a young man. 

The uniforms are also often used to show that time is out of joint. When Kirk finds himself in a dark mirror universe , his outfit is immediately different. When Worf begins slipping between parallel dimensions, the communicators change. When an alternate future is shown in "Future Imperfect" or "All Good Things...," the uniforms serve as the instant indicator that reality has been rent asunder. Costume design is being used to communicate time, place, and mood. There is an efficient brilliance to that. 

Because of the sheer volume of current Trek, it can seem like Starfleet is playing a little fast and loose with their traditions of formality. But the frequent uniform redesigns serve both a story function as well as a taxonomic function, and can serve as guideposts in case the audience gets a little lost or overwhelmed. The uniforms will be the familiar things we can latch onto. 

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Ranking Every STAR TREK Uniform, From The Original Series to STRANGE NEW WORLDS

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Starfleet has had several uniform designs in over 55 years of Star Trek . And we mean several . It’s wild how often Starfleet changes tailors. But while some uniforms have been fashion-forward, others… not so much. Here, we rank all the main Starfleet uniforms seen in the franchise thus far. We are skipping Alt-timeline uniforms , except for the J.J. Abrams Kelvin universe, since it made prominent appearances. And we skipped ones with very brief screen time, such as the U.S.S. Kelvin crew uniforms. So, let’s set phasers to stunning, and talk about some future fashion, ranking from best to worst.

1. Wrath of Khan through Generations (1982-1994)

Costume designer Robert Fletcher designed some of the worst Starfleet uniforms ever for 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Luckily, he got a “do-over” for The Wrath of Khan in 1982, and the subsequent five films . These uniforms are the crème de la crème of Trek wear. Yes, unlike most Starfleet uniforms on this list, they are only one color, maroon. But their design recalls 19th-century nautical uniforms, and so they just look so very regal. Officers must have loved these, because as TNG flashbacks showed us, they stayed in circulation for over fifty years.

2. The Next Generation , Seasons 3-7 (1989-1994)

These are the uniforms most think of when they think of TNG. After seasons one and two costumes were retired (we’ll get into why later), designer Robert Blackman came up with new yet similar uniforms for TNG year three . These had the same color designs as the earlier seasons, but were two-piece jackets and pants combos, and now with a more dignified collar instead of a V-neck. There is something about these that are just simple and classy, and there’s a reason they have remained iconic. Maybe it’s also because we always loved when Jean-Luc pulled down on his shirt in a huff.

3. Picard, Seasons 2-3 (2022-2023)

These first appeared in season two of Picard , and feature prominently in season three . Why do we love these so much? They take the color combo and general aesthetic of the Deep Space Nine/Voyager uniforms, but add the details and front “open flap” of the ‘80s movie uniforms. And it just all works. We kind of wish the black was on the shoulders instead, but hey, it’s ok. These new uniforms rock. Let’s keep them around.

4. First Contact, Insurrection, Nemesis, Deep Space Nine Season 5-7 (1996-2002 )

Usually, we hate gray tones in Starfleet uniforms. But the uniforms introduced in the 1996 film First Contact really are very smooth. And the pop of color in the undershirts/collars keeps them from looking bland and lifeless. Much like the original maroon movie uniforms, these look the most “military” of all the Starfleet uniforms. This fits, as they introduced them in a war with the Borg , and later used them on DS9 when the Federation was at war with the Dominion.

5. Strange New Worlds (2022)

A very recent addition to the canon, the retro-modern uniforms introduced in Strange New Worlds totally evoke the Pop Art colors of the original series. Only with much better fabrics that show much more in terms of details. The little Starfleet Deltas on the shoulders and sleeves? We love that touch. These uniforms prove that the basic concept of the classic ‘60s series still works today if you do them right. Kudos to SNW costume designer Bernadette Croft for bringing that classic style to the modern day.

6. Star Trek (2009) , Into Darkness, Beyond (2009-2016)

Similar to Strange New Worlds , the “retro chic” uniforms of the Kelvin timeline movies were meant to evoke the bright, primary colors of The Original Series . And they really did just that, just as SNW’s uniforms currently do. The only reason that SNW ranks a wee bit higher is that we’re not super crazy about the “shirt over another shirt” thing the Abrams films had going on. Luckily, that was modified for Star Trek Beyond . But other than that detail, we love these.

7. The Original Series, The Animated Series (1966-1969, 1973-1975)

Yes, to modern eyes, these old-school uniforms look kinda cheap. The shirts scream “your Mom’s favorite fabric store,” and instead of a metal badge, it looks like someone slapped a Starfleet Delta sticker on the shirt. But, these bright primary colors instantly grab your eye, and make you think of a fun rainbow-hued future you actually want to live in. So hats off to TOS designer William Ware Theiss, who made these velour uniforms pop on all those tube television sets back in the day. They will live long and prosper.

8. Deep Space Nine Season 1-5, Generations, Voyager (1993-2001)

These uniforms first appeared on Deep Space Nine in 1993, then in the film Generations in 1994 , and finally in Voyager from 1995-2001. Since they were lost in space, Janeway’s crew was stuck with one uniform design for seven years. They are very classic Trek, and are pretty much the TNG era uniforms, only with color on the shoulders and black in the torso. We dig them, and they’d rank higher, except for one thing. The cut and fit of these really make them look like cozy space pajamas. And once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

9. Discovery Season 4 (2021-2022)

We were not big fans of the original early 23rd-century designs, seen on Starfleet officers on Discovery. Star Trek only really got away with “one color” uniform standard one time (see entry #1). But when Discovery jumped to the 32nd century , the crew got some snazzy new uniforms to go with their new home in the far future. These costumes evoke the best of TOS, TNG , with a touch of the classic nautical tradition seen in the original movie uniforms, right on the shoulder. We hope these stick around in season five and beyond.

10. Lower Decks (2020-Present animated, 2023 live-action)

Yes, this is an animated show. But it’s canon, so we are counting them. We are not sure why the U.S.S. Cerritos has different uniforms than the rest of Starfleet, but we must admit, these are kind of cool. Much like the current Picard season three uniforms, they combine classic ‘90s Starfleet aesthetic with a little bit of the classic film uniforms, with the open flap on the shirt. The real reason we know these are good is that on the Strange New Worlds episode “Those Old Scientists,” both Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) and Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) wore the animated uniforms in live-action, and they were quite fetching.

11. The Next Generation Season 1-2 (1987-1989)

During the first two seasons of TNG , creator Gene Roddenberry decided that in the future, no one would want to see wrinkles. Look, he had a lot of wacky ideas. So he had his original series costume designer William Ware Theiss design jumpsuits that looked like spandex. To avoid wrinkles, they came with a foot strap to go over the shoe so that they could pull it taut. This was pure hell on the backs of the cast. Later, they demanded they be changed for season three into two-piece costumes. The basic design is still iconic, but they just look uncomfortable, making these awkward designs rank this low.

12. Discovery Seasons 1-3 (2017-2020)

Discovery’s first two seasons were set ten years prior to TOS, but the leap from these uniforms to what we saw later is head-scratching. While we like the blue hue, the silver piping on them and the accompanying shoes really just make these uniforms look like space tracksuits. It’s as if Starfleet decided to hire Adidas to design for them. When the crew of the Enterprise showed up in season two in classic colors, it just made us dislike these uniforms even more. Luckily, the Discovery crew eventually ditched them for snazzier threads when they landed 900 years in the future in season 3.

13. Prodigy (2021-2022)

Technically, the uniforms used by the kids on the Protostar in the animated series Prodigy are not quite official Starfleet. But these unique uniforms have a cool design overall. We dig the asymmetry in the torso. But we would love them way more if they ditched the grey and gave us some classic gold, red, and blue. Maybe we’ll get there someday. This series is just in its infancy.

14. Picard Season 1 (2020)

We didn’t see that many Starfleet uniforms in the first two seasons of Picard . But the ones we did see didn’t hit the mark. The basic design recalls the old DS9/Voyager uniforms, but there are just too many extra details on the shoulders. They are just a bit too busy. At least for the higher-ranking officers. The lower-ranking officers were ok, the collars are just awkward. Set phasers to “meh.”

15. The Original Series , Pilot Episodes (1965)

Think of these as prototypes. This sweater/pant set was seen first on Captain Christopher Pike in the first TOS pilot “The Cage.” Then again on Kirk in “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” the second pilot. The design is actually kind of snazzy, in a mid-‘60s Mad Men- era way. But the color palette? Just way too muted. They’re just gray/blue and a boring pale yellow. Kind of yawn-worthy. Not awful, but they didn’t last long enough to make an impression. Luckily, when Star Trek went to series, they got much more fun in terms of color choices.

16. Enterprise (2001-2005)

We understand that Enterprise , set only 150 years in the future , was supposed to look more like our own modern era. But man, these Starfleet uniforms really just look like Captain Archer and crew were working as mechanics in a space garage. They are just a tad too real-world looking, and lack any sci-fi fun and fantasy. They’re still better than the Enterprise theme song though. And luckily for them, they are not the lowest ranked on this list.

17. The Motion Picture (1979)

Talk about coming full circle. Robert Fletcher, the same designer who made these lowest-ranked costumes for The Motion Picture , later designed the best uniforms in Star Trek in our estimation, from films II – VI . Much like the DS9/Voyager uniforms, these straight-up look like pajamas. But unlike the ones worn by Sisko and Janeway, these come in boring tones of beige, gray, and white. I’m sorry, Earth tones are Star Wars . We come to Star Trek to taste the rainbow. And Kirk’s regular duty uniform looks like he’s an interplanetary dentist. These made only one appearance, and there’s a reason why. Blow them out the airlock.

Originally published March 1, 2023.

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'Star Trek: Discovery': Timeline and Uniform Changes Explained

A new book seamlessly connects the old canon to the new. 

The very first episode of Star Trek: Discovery — “The Vulcan Hello” — takes place on May 11, 2256. This puts it two years after the events of “The Cage,” the classic Star Trek pilot episode in which Spock yelled a little more, and everyone in Starfleet wore turtleneck sweaters. Because the Starfleet uniforms in Discovery look totally different than the ones from “The Cage,” it might seem like the Star Trek canon is messed up, again. But it’s actually not. A tie-in novel published on Tuesday — Star Trek: Discovery: Desperate Hours — elegantly explains the discrepancies between the newest and the oldest Trek.

Mild spoilers are ahead for Desperate Hours and the first two episodes of Discovery.

Written by longtime Trek novelist David Mack , Desperate Hours is the kind of crossover novel that is just full-on fun. The book doesn’t avoid Captain Pike and the Enterprise crossing paths with the USS Shenzhou at all, it straight-up happens in the first 50 pages. The book is set in 2255, meaning it’s right in between “The Cage” and “The Vulcan Hello.” Spock teams up with Burnham, and Number One from the Enterprise teams up with Lt. Saru, all while Captain Pike gets bossed around by Captain Georgiou. Along the way, Mack fills in tiny details to help explain why the aesthetics of Starfleet seem so radically different between these two ships. The short answer? Starfleet tries out different ship designs and uniform designs simultaneously.

The Shenzhou and the Enterprise Were Built in Different Eras

When Spock beams over to the Shenzhou in Desperate Hours , he makes an internal observation which not only helps explain the ships’ differences but also comments on radical design fads, which occur between decades here on Earth.

It was clear to him that the two ships had been designed and constructed in different eras, according to very different aesthetic standards. Such drastic changes in a short span of time were not unusual among the humans of Earth, though it had proved a constant source of bemusement among their Vulcan and Andorian allies.

Spock’s observation seems connected to architecture and interior design in real life. Does the style or furniture in an American home look the same in the ‘60s and the ‘70s?

Old-School Uniforms Existed Side-by-Side With Discovery Uniforms

When a security team from the Enterprise and a team from the Shenzhou team up on an alien planet, an officer from the Shenzhou , named Gant, makes an insightful observation about the differences between what everyone is wearing.

Gant and his team from the Shenzhou wore dark blue Starfleet utility jumpsuit uniforms with black trim, while the Enterprise team sported pale gold or light blue jerseys over black trousers — a new uniform style that, so far, had been issued exclusively to the crews of Starfleet’s vaunted Constitution -class starships.

Smartly, Mack has isolated the more colorful uniforms of the 2250s seen in “The Cage” to only existing on ships like the Enterprise .

There Are Precedents in Real Life and in Trek Before

While a lot of this retcon might feel a little ridiculous, it’s not crazy to think that in the span of three decades a space-faring organization could make a lot of design changes. The spacesuits of NASA’s Mercury program look pretty different from the Apollo suits, to say nothing of the various styles of the Space Shuttle flight suits. And the space shuttle itself creates a nice metaphor for the differences in Trek ships. Though a sophisticated and multi-purpose spacecraft, the space shuttle no longer flies. In its place are the smaller crafts, which, to a time-traveling historian might look a little less sophisticated than the Space Shuttle.

Two types of uniforms being worn at the same time in 'Generations.'

Star Trek has had more than one uniform style existing side-by-side in other decades. During the Deep Space Nine era, the black jumpsuit seemed to be the uniform of choice for a crew on space stations, while crews of starships continued to wear the more colorful Next Generation pattern. But by the time the film Generations rolled around, we saw the crew of the Enterprise rocking both uniform styles at the same exact time — which means we could get a mixture of Starfleet styles at some point during Discovery , too.

Star Trek: Discovery airs on Sundays at 8:30 p.m. Eastern on CBS All Access.

Star Trek: Discovery: Desperate Hours is out now from booksellers everywhere .

If you liked this article, check out this video on Inverse ’s review of Star Trek: Discovery .

TNG-era Starfleet Uniforms

15 Comments

Is there a way to access the tng two piece uniform analysis at this time, or should i wait for the updated one?

The TNG jacket/trousers resources are coming soon - hopefully in the next few months.

First I will be updating and re-uploading the older TNG resources, and then I have several screen-used TNG jumpsuit examinations to post about.

The TNG jacket/trousers will probably be next in the queue. I've had the opportunity to study two screen-used TNG jackets (Commander Riker and Lieutenant Barclay) and am looking forward to sharing all I learned from them.

Those costume analyses and sewing tutorials will hopefully be worth the wait. 🙂

It seems to have been more than a few months since Jan 2022. 😉

Any updates on the timeline for the TNG jacket/trousers pattern?

Haha, yes it has ... obviously things have been progressing more slowly than expected, but those are next in the queue so hopefully in the next few months! 🙂

Are there any updates on the two piece?

Not yet, sorry. I've been in a prolonged long-distance move but am finally settling in and moving forward again. Hopefully by this summer?

Is it necessary to use spandex, or can a woven fabric be used? Thanks for all you do!

Jumbo spandex was used for the jumpsuits, skants, season 1 admiral uniforms, early formal uniforms, at least one Dr. Pulaski uniform, and season 2 admiral trousers.

Wool gabardine was used for the jackets, trousers, and admiral uniforms from season 3 onward, as well as at least one Dr. Pulaski uniform and the later formal uniforms.

While anyone is obviously free to use whatever they like for their own costumes, personally I wouldn't interchange the two since ("accuracy" aside), they fit and drape in different ways.

Thanks for the clarification. I'm on the bigger side and not sure spandex is the way to go. In any case, I will likely wait until you release the pattern for the jacket/trousers. Thanks again.

Grace, I purchased the pattern from Alex for the Season 1 Admiral, in actuality I have purchased all of Alex's Star Trek patterns he had on his web site BadWolfCostumes.com, I have made,(personally sewn by me), 11 so far. When I started I had zero sewing experience. I watched my wife use a sewing machine and followed Alex's instructions, I have also purchased some books and watched dozens of tutorials on YouTube. Back to the Admiral season 1 jacket. I used super spandex for the black and I used Joann's Sew Classics Bengaline Suiting Fabric, Content: 81% Polyester, 15% Rayon & 4% Spandex, for the red. The secret is a very good walking foot for your sewing machine. Here is a photo on Facebook of me wearing it. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10163558964010646&set=pob.100007781894969

TNG Admiral, thanks for the info. The FB link didn't work, so I can't see the finished product, but I'm sure it looks amazing. Also, kudos to you for teaching yourself a new skill. I haven't purchased any patterns yet. I've been sewing since I was small and have quite a bit of experience with sewing, pattern-making, and tailoring. My intent was to alter the jumpsuit into a jacket and pants, but it appears the pattern was designed for a knit, and not a woven fabric as I would prefer to use. The drape and fit wont be what I need without more customization to the existing pattern than I'm willing to do. Since OCD is coming out with a jacket/pant pattern, I will just wait for that. Thanks. 🙂

I have been asked to make the TNG Skant for my son. I have been sewing forever. Why in the world did they make it so difficult by adding the sort of shorts to the skant? It would have been soooo much easier to make the outfit with an invisible zipper down the back and make a pair of shorts to wear under the skant. If my son wants it authentic, I will dive in, and attempt it, silently, grumbling.

Haha, I know what you mean. I'm no costume designer, but I would've probably made it a proper "skort" with full (basic) shorts attached underneath. But we know Theiss was a brilliant madman who apparently loved asymmetry, so ... 🙂

Hi Alex, I'm making a 1st mock-up of the TNG skant for myself, and I'm stuck at the step where the front vent is sewn down. I simply cannot figure out this step and I'm a long-time sewist. The photo on pg.32 is not making sense to me. I can't tell where the zipper is, nor can I figure out how to orient things to get it in alignment with the picture. Do you have any more photos that break this step into smaller more detailed segments? Thanks!

It is an unusual construction. The current tutorial is my best effort to demonstrate the process, although I am considering making a video walkthrough of these and few other uniforms, depending on interest. In the meantime I do hope it clicks into place for you. 🙂

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Star Trek: Voyager's Janeway Becoming Ripley From Alien Explained By Producer

• Captain Janeway's "Ripley" moments in "Macrocosm" left a notable impact on Star Trek: Voyager.
• Brannon Braga didn't intend to copy Alien with "Macrocosm," instead wanting to create a dialogue-light episode.
• "Macrocosm" allowed Janeway to showcase new action-hero qualities while retaining her core characteristics.

Star Trek: Voyager 's Executive Producer Brannon Braga explained his real inspiration behind the episode where Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) becomes Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) from Alien . Although both Voyager and Alien are science fiction, there are a lot of differences between the Star Trek and Alien franchises. While Alien focuses on blending horror and suspense with its sci-fi elements, Star Trek almost always takes a more optimistic approach to the future. However, there are occasionally Star Trek episodes that take on more of a horror twist .

One such episode was Voyager season 3, episode 12, "Macrocosm," where an alien virus managed to take over the USS Voyager, mutating to grow at least a meter in length and then proceeding to make Voyager 's cast of characters very sick. As the lone un-infected, Captain Janeway was forced to mount a guerrilla attack on the viruses while the Doctor (Robert Picardo) worked on finding a cure. Along with similar premises, "Macrocosm" seemed to take a lot of influence from Alien , especially in how it portrayed Janeway as its heroine.

Every Upcoming Star Trek Movie & TV Show

Star trek: voyagers janeway alien episode explained by executive producer, braga's intention wasn't actually to copy alien.

Despite Janeway's crusade against the viruses in "Macrocosm" often being compared to Ellen Ripley, Brannon Braga, who wrote the episode's story, claimed it wasn't his intention to create a tribute to Alien . In an interview with Cinefantastique around the time of the episode's release, Braga stated that "Macrocosm" actually rose out of a desire to do a solo character story with very little dialogue , and implied that any comparisons between Janeway and Ripley were completely unintentional. Read Braga's full quote below:

"Sometimes Star Trek can be a little high-and-mighty, talky, moralistic. Sometimes it's just time to have fun. The intention actually began, on my part, to do an episode with no dialogue. I wanted to just do a purely cinematic episode with Janeway and a bunch of weird creatures, these macroviruses, viruses as life-sized creatures. Unfortunately it was impossible to do, and I ended up having to put a couple of acts of dialogue in. I just wanted to do something that felt and looked and smelled differently than most shows. It was not an attempt to make Janeway look like Ripley."

Despite Braga's protestations, it is hard not to see the numerous similarities between Janeway and Sigourney Weaver's iconic Alien role in "Macrocosm." Stripped down to her uniform's undershirt and equipped with a large phaser rifle for defense, Janeway embodied the recognizable sci-fi "final girl" aesthetic popularized by Weaver's portrayal of Ripley in the first Alien film from 1979 . Given what a recognizable character Ripley is thanks to Alien 's popularity, it's no wonder that "Macrocosm" became such a memorable episode of Voyager after it aired.

Why Captain Janeways Ripley Moments In Star Trek: Voyager Are Still So Popular

"macrocosm's" version of janeway is still extremely well-liked.

Despite not being one of Voyager 's most popular episodes, Janeway's "Ripley" scenes in "Macrocosm" left an indelible mark on the series. This is likely due to what a departure Janeway's actions and aesthetic were from how she was usually portrayed on Voyager . "Macrocosm" allowed Janeway to be a true action hero , showing that she was able to handle more than just the scientific and diplomatic aspects of being a Captain.

However, Janeway never lost what made her such a popular character in the first place, including her stubborn determination and fierce loyalty to her crew. Her nearly single-handed defeat of the macrovirus perfectly demonstrated how far she was willing to go to make sure everyone under her protection was safe. The macrovirus itself also likely contributed to the episode's popularity , and demonstrated its longevity when it was brought back as part of Star Trek: Lower Decks ' tribute episode to Voyager , "Two-vix." Lower Decks helped remind audiences just how iconic "Macrocosm" was for Star Trek: Voyager season 3.

Source: Cinefantastique , Vol. 29

Star Trek: Voyager is available to stream on Paramount+ Alien is available to stream on Hulu

Star Trek: Voyager

The fifth entry in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Voyager, is a sci-fi series that sees the crew of the USS Voyager on a long journey back to their home after finding themselves stranded at the far ends of the Milky Way Galaxy. Led by Captain Kathryn Janeway, the series follows the crew as they embark through truly uncharted areas of space, with new species, friends, foes, and mysteries to solve as they wrestle with the politics of a crew in a situation they've never faced before.

Cast Jennifer Lien, Garrett Wang, Tim Russ, Robert Duncan McNeill, Roxann Dawson, Robert Beltran, Kate Mulgrew, Jeri Ryan, Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo

Release Date May 23, 1995

Genres Sci-Fi, Adventure

Network UPN

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Writers Kenneth Biller, Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller, Brannon Braga

Showrunner Kenneth Biller, Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller, Brannon Braga

Rating TV-PG

Where To Watch Paramount+

Alien (1979)

Alien is a sci-fi horror-thriller by director Ridley Scott that follows the crew of a spaceship known as the Nostromo. After the staff of the merchant's vessel perceives an unknown transmission as a distress call, its landing on the source moon finds one of the crew members attacked by a mysterious lifeform, and they soon realize that its life cycle has merely begun.

Director Ridley Scott

Release Date June 22, 1979

Studio(s) 20th Century Fox

Distributor(s) 20th Century Fox

Writers Dan O'Bannon

Cast John Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Yaphet Kotto, Veronica Cartwright, Tom Skerritt, Ian Holm, Harry Dean Stanton

Runtime 117 minutes

Genres Sci-Fi, Thriller, Horror

Franchise(s) Alien

Sequel(s) Alien: Covenant, Aliens, Prometheus, Alien Resurrection, Alien 3

Budget $11 million

Denver Broncos introduce new uniforms for first time since 1997

DENVER — The Denver Broncos unveiled new uniforms Monday with their first major changes since 1997. The “ Mile High Collection ” maintains the current helmet logo and features a total of 10 uniform combinations, four jerseys and three helmets.

The collection integrates elements of Colorado’s landscapes, features a new dark blue helmet — a color the team calls “metallic satin” — and introduces a throwback orange uniform that includes the legacy blue “D” helmet, paying tribute to the Orange Crush era and the Broncos’ first Super Bowl appearance in 1977.

Former linebacker Randy Gradishar will become the first member of the Orange Crush enshrined in Canton when he’s inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in July.

Gradishar was featured in a video alongside star cornerback Patrick Surtain II introducing the collection.

The rest of the collection uses the Broncos’ current helmet logo and colors — sunset orange (home), summit white (away) and midnight navy (alternate) — along with metallic satin helmets in navy for both home and away games and white (alternate).

“As we honor the championship tradition of the Broncos, we’re also committed to innovation and growth during such a transformative time in franchise history,” team president Damani Leech said. “Our new uniforms — the Mile High Collection — boldly integrate elements of our past, present and future while paying tribute to Colorado and the Rocky Mountain Region we proudly call home.”

After getting feedback from more than 10,000 fans, team co-owner Carre Walton Penner led a contingent that included Leech and chief marketing officer Hailey Sullivan to Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, to meet with designers.

Among the changes:

— The front helmet bumpers display an orange “5280” to mark Denver’s mile-high elevation.

— The font featured on the back nameplates is a nod to national parks signage located around Colorado.

— The outer neck tag is now a triangle label inspired by the iconography of summit markers found throughout the Rocky Mountain region. The inner neck tag has “Broncos Country” emblazoned across the back along with “5280” embroidered vertically.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl