To boldly dress as no one has dressed before… In another universe, that could have been the “Star Trek” mission statement.
Sure, the veteran franchise has spent much of its 60-year lifetime seeking out new life and new civilisations, but it’s also been preoccupied with keeping crews fashionable as they explore the final frontier. It seems that nobody wants to make first contact sporting last year’s jumpsuit.
The sheer volume of uniforms worn on Federation duty is mind-boggling, as Starfleet has turned regular style updates into one of its prime directives. So, as “Trek” celebrates its 60th anniversary, we take a warp-speed tour through the outfits Kirk, Picard, Sisko, Janeway, and the rest have hung in their wardrobes. Make it sew, number one!
The Original Series era
Departments denoted by: Logos in Starfleet delta, color of sweater (Command: Gold/Green, Science/Medical: Blue, Operations: Red)
Rank denoted by: Bands on sleeve cuffs
Although the ranks were lifted directly from the Navy, “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry didn’t want the Enterprise to feel militaristic — this was the enlightened 23rd century, after all, when exploration was more important than war. As such, the uniforms worn by Kirk and co were rather more casual than standard forces’ issue.
By the time the Enterprise started its five-year mission in earnest, the outfits had been through a couple of subtly different evolutionary stages (in pilot episodes “The Cage” and “Where No Man Has Gone Before”) before costume designer William Ware Theiss zeroed in on those now-iconic designs.
They featured sweaters and black pants for the men, peak-’60s minidresses for the women, and all of them were color-coded blue (Science/Medical), red (Operations), or green (Command) to show off the wonders of those new-fangled color television sets.
And yes, we did say green. The command sweaters worn by Kirk, Sulu, and Chekov were actually green in real life, but a combination of studio lights, early color TV tech, and the velour fabric made them appear gold on screen.
The casual wraparound number occasionally worn by Kirk was made from a different material, and hints at the green Theiss originally intended.
The Animated Series later retconned canon to match public perception, making gold Starfleet’s official color of command.
The Motion Picture
Departments denoted by: Flash of color behind badge (Command: White, Science: Orange, Medical: Green, Engineering: Red, Operations: Gold, Security: Silver)
Rank denoted by: Bands on sleeve cuffs
The primary colors were ditched for Trek’s first big-screen adventure, as director Robert Wise and costume designer Robert Fletcher opted for subdued “Space: 1999”-esque pastels.
The loose-fitting, pajama-like uniforms came in an exciting range of light blue and beige (newly promoted Admiral Kirk had his own special design), with departments denoted by a flash of color behind the Starfleet delta logo.
Uniforms came with a built-in fanny pack (a medical monitor, apparently), while engineering and security were given protective clothing. The crew also got jackets to wear on chilly away missions.
The other Original Series movies
Departments denoted by: Color of turtleneck (Command: White, Science: Gray, Medical: Green, Operations: Ochre: Operations, Red: Cadets/trainees)
Rank denoted by: Metal insignia on epaulettes/cuffs
“The Motion Picture” uniforms didn’t last long, as “The Wrath of Khan” director Nicholas Meyer decided he wanted a more militaristic look for his “Hornblower in space” epic. “When I watched the TV show, I never understood why they were all running around in pajamas,” he said, “so I tried to change some stuff”.
The one thing that did remain from the Original Series was the voluminous cut of the pants, albeit enhanced by a natty red stripe down the side. Otherwise, this was a complete overhaul, as Fletcher introduced maroon tunics — arguably more flattering to the ageing crew’s waistlines — over color-coded turtlenecks. The tunic was secured via a matching epaulette that also carried rank-specific insignia.
The “Wrath of Khan” look would remain intact until “Generations” 12 years later, and the design persisted in canon for decades — in classic “Next Generation” time travel episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise”, the doomed Enterprise-C crew still dressed in those maroon tunics, though by the mid-24th century they’d ditched the turtlenecks.
Variations appeared in later original crew movies, including bomber jackets and a vest which — handily for chief engineer Mr Scott — comes with multiple pockets.
The Next Generation era
Departments denoted by: Color of uniform/shoulders/turtleneck (Command: Red; Science/Medical: Blue, Operations: Gold)
Rank denoted by: Metal pips on collar
Loose fits were out as “Star Trek” reached the late 24th century. Roddenberry demanded a future free from the tyranny of zippers and buttons, while returning TOS costume designer Theiss instituted a “no wrinkles” rule for fabrics.
The resulting skintight Spandex suits were a nightmare for the “Next Generation” cast, causing so many back issues that Patrick Stewart’s chiropractor intervened. The suits also had an unpleasant knack of retaining body odor.
They subsequently switched to a two-piece design for the show’s third season, though there were variations. Jean-Luc Picard occasionally stepped out in a bespoke red jacket, Worf donned a Klingon sash, acting ensign Wesley Crusher introduced his own brand of smart/casual to the Enterprise bridge, and Counselor Troi seemingly wore whatever the hell she wanted. Early seasons also featured occasional sightings of men in dress-like skants, intended to be a reflection of a more progressive future.
There was also a color scheme switch, with red worn by command, and gold allocated to operations. Rank was now depicted by metal pips pinned into the collar, and the Starfleet chest badge became a portable communicator.
“Deep Space Nine” made comfort a priority, putting its crew in black jumpsuits with color-coded shoulders to denote department, and rank pips appearing on a light blue turtleneck.
They also turned up in the first “Next Generation” movie, “Generations”, though that wasn’t always the plan. The production had intended to dress the crew in new-look uniforms, but when they didn’t work out, they instead turned out in a selection of “TNG” and “DS9” outfits.
Unfortunately, they didn’t have time to tailor outfits for everyone, meaning that Jonathan Frakes (Riker) and LeVar Burton (LaForge) had to borrow suits previously worn by Avery Brooks (Sisko) and Colm Meaney (O’Brien) in “DS9” — rewatch the film, and it’s clear they don’t fit the actors properly.
When Picard and co returned to the big screen in “First Contact,” they had new uniforms to go with their sparkly new Enterprise-E. The black jumpsuit look remained (albeit in a more tailored form), though everyone now sported the same blue/gray shoulders — the departmental color-coding was instead shifted to the obligatory turtleneck.
This design was quickly rolled out on board Deep Space Nine, though poor old Voyager — trapped thousands of light-years from Earth — had to stick with the old jumpsuits until the crew made it home.
The Enterprise era
Departments denoted by: Colored piping on jumpsuit (Command: Gold; Science/Medical: Blue, Operations: Red)
Rank denoted by: Metal pips on chest
The uniforms in the prequel series were closer to contemporary designs than those from other “Treks”. In fact, you could almost imagine a modern astronaut wearing those blue jumpsuits, well stocked as they were with zippers and pockets. The outfits worn by the admiralty even featured old-school collars and ties.
The departmental color scheme was the same as the Original Series. Slightly incongruously, however, “Enterprise” utilized the same ranking pips as the “TNG” era — Starfleet seemingly ditched this system for a century or so, before bringing it back for the voyages of the Enterprise-D.
The Kelvinverse
Departments denoted by: Color of sweater (Command: Gold/green, Science/Medical: Blue, Operations: Red)
Rank denoted by: Bands on sleeve cuffs
Starfleet uniforms in this alternative timeline were remarkably similar to the original TOS models, though they were given a thoroughly modern makeover.
The classic sweaters from the ’60s now came in two parts, with a colored top sitting over a black crewneck undershirt. Adding to the look, costume designer Michael Kaplan integrated loads of tiny Starfleet deltas into the fabric.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the Kelvinverse trilogy, however, was how many distinct uniform designs there were. There was seemingly something for every occasion, and even the regular crew uniforms went through a significant overhaul for the third film in the series, “Star Trek Beyond”.
The new TV era
Discovery (23rd century)
Departments denoted by: Accents on uniform (Command: Gold, Science/Medical: Silver, Operations: Bronze)
Rank denoted by: Pips on Starfleet delta
When “Discovery” brought “Star Trek” back to TV in 2017, Starfleet had given its couture a major rethink. This time out, the crew wore figure-hugging uniforms that looked a lot like tracksuits, featured Roddenberry-defying zippers, and used shiny, magpie-friendly styling for the obligatory departmental color coding. The design also ‘homaged’ the Kelvinverse look by integrating tiny Starfleet deltas into the fabric.
Strange New Worlds
Departments denoted by: Logos in Starfleet delta/sleeve design, color of sweater (Command: Gold/green, Science/Medical: Blue, Operations: Red)
Rank denoted by: Bands on sleeve cuffs
When the Enterprise’s Christopher Pike turned up in season two, he wore a modern riff on Original Series uniforms, which was subsequently given another update when he returned for “Discovery” spin-off/TOS prequel “Strange New Worlds”. This borrowed heavily from the original Kelvinverse sweater/undershirt design, though with a more pronounced V-neck and tiny departmental logos (rather than Starfleet deltas) woven into the fabric of the sleeves.
Discovery (32nd century)
Departments denoted by: Color of uniform (Command: Red; Science: Blue, Operations: Gold, Medical: White)
Rank denoted by: Pips on Starfleet combadge, collar, and epaulettes
Meanwhile, when the USS Discovery blasted off to the distant future, the crew were introduced to the asymmetrical fashions of the 32nd century.
It was never quite clear why the two halves of the tunic didn’t line up properly, though future Starfleet had, at least, decided to stick with the “Next Generation”-era color scheme. Rank was advertised in at least four different places (shoulders, neck, and chest).
Starfleet Academy
Departments denoted by: Color of uniform (Command: Red; Science: Blue, Operations: Gold, Medical: White)
Rank denoted by (when used): Pips on Starfleet combadge, collar and epaulettes
Similar rules now apply in “Starfleet Academy”, though cadets — like admirals, strangely — wear predominantly gray outfits.
Lower Decks
Departments denoted by: Color of uniform (Command: Red; Science/Medical: Blue, Operations: Gold)
Rank denoted by: Metal pips on collar
And when “Lower Decks” and “Picard” returned to the (more-or-less) “Next Generation” era, the crews’ stylists didn’t break the wheel. The USS Cerritos uniforms were TNG-adjacent, though borrowed heavily from the aforementioned designs that were ditched ahead of “Generations”
They also allowed for some Chief O’Brien-homaging sleeve-rolling.
Picard
Departments denoted by: Color of uniform (Command: Red; Science/Medical: Blue, Operations: Gold)
Rank denoted by: Metal pips on collar
The outfits in “Picard”‘s third season, meanwhile, were effectively the “Deep Space Nine”/”Voyager” jumpsuits given a Kirk-style wraparound update.
As to the fashion future, no one knows what Trek has in store for us. There are no new shows announced yet, and only vague whispers of a new movie in the works. Time will tell, but we can’t wait to see what the 24th century innovations they can bring to the jumpsuit next.
In the meantime, you can check out all of Star Trek on Paramount+.