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Published Mar 5, 2021

You Wear It Well: The Uniforms of Star Trek 

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

StarTrek.com

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

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

Star Trek: The Original Series

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

Star Trek: The Next Generation

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

Into the #Starchive Featuring Captain Picard's Uniform

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

Star Trek: Enterprise

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

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager

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

Into the #Starchive with Captain Janeway's OG Uniform

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

Star Trek: Discovery (Seasons 1-2)

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

Star Trek: Discovery (Season 3)

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

Designer Gersha Phillips Looks Back on Discovery Season 2 Costumes

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

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

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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.

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

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

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

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

The term 'red shirt' gained a negative connotation

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

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

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

Blue denotes a scientific mind

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

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

Golden shirts denote power

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

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

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

What Do the Different Uniform Colors Mean on ‘Star Trek’?

By jason serafino | mar 30, 2023, 3:23 pm edt.

Gene Roddenberry may have dreamed of a perfect future when he created Star Trek , but parts of his vision were firmly rooted in the real world, specifically in the physical makeup of the crew of the Enterprise itself.

Roddenberry, along with the show’s producers, decided to take numerous cues from the United States Navy when creating the official ranks on the show, including a captain overseeing a crew made up of a commander, a handful of lieutenant commanders, lieutenants, and several subordinate roles. But it’s the different colors of the Starfleet uniforms that really tell the story of how the Enterprise operates.

Fans know the basics: an array of blue, red, and gold shirts line the bridge of the ship every episode. Those colors weren’t just randomly picked for the sake of diversity, though. They actually correspond to the ship’s various service roles . The gold shirts are worn by the command division, which includes Captain Kirk, Lieutenant Sulu, and Pavel Chekov. Red uniforms belong to the engineering/communications division, including chief engineer Scotty and communications officer Uhura. The blue shirts are worn by the science/medical staff, including McCoy and Spock .

As with everything in Star Trek , though, it’s a lot more complicated than all of that. In addition to the red shirts belonging to engineers and communications personnel, they are also assigned to the security division. What’s the purpose of the security division on the Enterprise ? Well, they’re usually the supporting characters who are immediately killed whenever the crew is confronted by a new enemy. This is something of a running gag for fans of the franchise, as whenever one of the “Red Shirts” is seen on screen, you know they’re not long for this world .

Also, those gold shirts worn by Kirk and crew might not have been so gold after all. According to an interview with Star Trek ’s costume designer, William Theiss, the idea was for the show’s uniforms to be red, blue, and green. In fact, on the set, Kirk’s outfit certainly looked to be an avocado (or lime) green, but the end result was a little different when the studio lights finally hit the uniform.

“It was one of those film stock things,” Theiss said, “it photographed one way—burnt orange or a gold. But in reality was another; the command shirts were definitely green.”

This might come as a surprise to Trek fans until you remember that Kirk actually did wear green on a few occasions, including the times he was in formal dress and his seldom-seen alternate green get-up, seen in the clip below.

These alternate uniforms were all the exact shade of green Theiss describes, but they were made from a different material than the standard Enterprise shirts and apparently had no issue retaining their natural color scheme when lit on set. The gold shade may have been a production mishap, but the color has since entered the Trek canon as the official hue of Kirk and his command staff. So, in the Star Trek universe, Kirk wears gold; in the real world, though, the bridge of the Enterprise was designed with a completely different color palette in mind.

It gets more confusing when you look at the later Trek series, like The Next Generation , which had the command staff in red and operations in yellow—basically the reverse of the original series. Then, of course, the movies switched costumes and colors with nearly every entry, including the powder blue monstrosities worn in Star Trek: The Motion Picture .

Roddenberry’s eye for detail was unique for sci-fi TV at the time, and everything on the Enterprise had a specific purpose. Despite some production fumbles, ill-fated redesigns, and inconsistencies later on, the colors that make up Starfleet’s uniforms tell a story that many viewers probably never even noticed.

A version of this story originally ran in 2016; it has been updated for 2023.

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The Long History of Star Trek Uniform Fashions

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

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

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

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

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

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

Late 2250s, Type A

INT. Starfleet Command, Wardrobe Design Division

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

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

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

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

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

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

Late 2250s, Type B

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

Officer: You changed your mind.

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

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

Designer: Oh, but the jumpers.

Officer: I’m sorry?

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

Officer: That’s not how replicators wor—

Designer: JUMPERS, ENSIGN.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3180s, Type B

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

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

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

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)

Star Trek: Discovery’s Uniforms, Decoded

Starfleet uniforms get a dramatic redesign for Star Trek: Discovery. Here's how to tell an executive officer from a security lieutenant.

Star Trek has a long tradition of color-coded uniforms that signify in which divisions Starfleet personnel serve. Perhaps most memorably, on The Original Series command division was gold, science and medical were blue, and operations, engineering and security were red. Naturally, that approach continues on CBS's franchise revival Star Trek: Discovery , with some notable alterations.

RELATED: Every Star Trek TV Pilot, Ranked

Set a decade before Kirk, Spock & Co. set off on their five-year mission, the new show eschews the bright colors of The Original Series , and opts instead for uniforms more akin to those of Enterprise , the 2001-2005 drama that took place about a century earlier, during the early days of interstellar travel. The color piping on the blue fitted jumpsuits corresponded with each of the divisions of the beloved 1960s television series, but designated ranks with silver pips displayed on the right chest, rather than on the sleeves.

"We looked at Enterprise ," executive producer Akiva Goldsman recently explained , "we looked at The Original Series , at that point in canon, and we tried to pull across the color palette."

However, Discovery trades in the Skittles rainbow for something a little more subdued (albeit a lot more metallic), with gold, silver and bronze, a little closer to the divisional designations used in the unaired 1965 pilot "The Cage."

"We are looking at doing the red, blue and gold shirts," said costume designer Gersha Phillips. "We've come up with a system where we're doing a foiled compression panel and delta panels that we're putting in on the jackets that tell that same story of the departments."

As with The Original Series and its prequel Enterprise , the Starfleet uniforms of Discovery use gold to designate the command division, which traditionally encompasses officers and crewmen in command (of course) and control functions. That includes captains, executive officers, helmsmen and navigators.

RELATED: Star Trek: Discovery Will Push Boundaries, Drop F-Bombs, When Necessary

On Star Trek: Discovery , First Officer Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) and Captain Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) notably wear gold accents.

Instead of the blue of The Original Series , silver is used on Discovery to specify the sciences division, which covers Starfleet officers and crewmen in scientific and medical research and control functions. Those can include a wide range of departments and duties, from sensors and research to surgery and medics.

On Discovery , science officers Saru (Doug Jones) and Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp), and medical officer Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) notably wear silver accents.

The largest division of most any Starfleet crew, operations encompasses such functions as engineering, security, communications and tactical. On The Original Series operations personnel wore red, which gave rise to the term "redshirt," meaning a stock character who dies soon after being introduced. However, on Discovery , operations officers and crew are designated by bronze accents on their blue uniforms.

RELATED: Star Trek: TNG's "Sarek" Is Required Viewing Before Discovery

On the new series, operations personnel include security officer Lt. Ash Tyler (Shazad Latif) and Cadet Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman).

Ranks and Division Badges

The color coding of the Starfleet uniforms on Star Trek: Discovery continues with the metallic badges, which correspond to the gold, silver and bronze of each of the divisions. What's more, those badges display the division insignia as seen on The Original Series : the stylized star for command, a "ringed planet" for sciences and a spiral for operations.

But there's a twist, with ranks on Discovery indicated with pips, akin to those of Star Trek: The Next Generation , only here displayed on the badges themselves: four pips for a captain, three for a commander, and so on.

In the United States, Star Trek: Discovery debuts Sunday, Sept. 24, at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on CBS, before moving to the CBS All Access streaming service for subsequent episodes. In Canada, the series debuts on CTV and Space at 8:30 pm ET, with its second episode set to air immediately after on Space — subsequent episodes will air Sundays through Nov. 5. Internationally, the series will stream on Netflix.

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Star trek: kirk's iconic uniform color was a mistake .

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Do Star Trek's Uniforms Change for Different Environments?

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Contrary to what fans believe, Captain James T. Kirk did not wear a gold uniform in Star Trek: The Original Series .   It has become common knowledge over the years that Starfleet in the TOS era color-coded their uniforms gold, red, and blue, with gold representing Command, red for Engineering and Security, and blue for Science and Medical. But the gold uniforms worn by the original Star Trek cast , namely Kirk, Sulu, and Chekov were, in reality, mistakes. Yet the gold color scheme later became official  Star Trek canon.

After The Original Series , the gold design of the command uniforms was further cemented into Trek lore in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode “ Trials and Tribble-ations .” In that episode, Dr. Bashir is confused about the uniform conventions of the era after traveling back in time to the original Enterprise, but is set straight by Chief O’Brien and Captain Sisko. It marks the first time that the original gold uniform code is mentioned in dialogue and is a nod to fans "in the know," who would often engage in the gold vs. green debate. The gold appearance of the TOS uniforms had been officially retconned into the franchise.

Related: Star Trek Generations: Why Only Some Uniforms Changed to DS9's

The reason for the retcon was that the Command uniforms had never actually been gold at all in The Original Series thanks to a trick of light and early color television.  Star Trek premiered in 1966 , just after the color television transition of ’65, when most networks began switching their broadcasts to at least 50% color. Desilu Productions, the studio producing Trek for NBC, wanted to capitalize on this and demanded a color palette of bright, primary colors. In accordance with this directive, William Ware Theiss, the designer of the original Starfleet uniform, chose a distinctive palette for the crew: a bright cherry-red, a steel-toned blue, and lime green. The red and blues of the on-set fabrics maintained their color on the film stock of the day. But the green uniforms appeared gold on screen through a combination of studio lighting, velour material, and the film stock used.

Further evidence of this original, green design can be seen in Captain Kirk’s occasional use of a wrap-around tunic in place of the standard-duty uniform. The prop department had created that particular piece out of different fabric and, as a result, it appeared on television screens true to color: a bright green. Eventually, the gold uniforms became canon as Star Trek fans, none-the-wiser, began recreating their own uniforms based on the color template they knew at the time. Once the fan conventions began, the design for lime green command uniforms was all but forgotten.

This green/gold color confusion wasn’t the only uniform color snafu in the history of Trek , however. Star Trek: The Next Generation had its own error on display for fans to notice from its very first episode. It seems as if, in the 24th Century, Command and Operations colors had inexplicably switched, with the Captain and first officers of the USS Enterprise-D now wearing red, and the engineers and security staff now donning a mustard-like gold. There was no “in-universe” explanation for this. The simple reason for the switch was that series leads Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes looked better in red, showing, once again, that sometimes, canonical details happen because of off-screen practical challenges.

Next: Star Trek Voyager's Uniforms Created a Plot Hole

• SR Originals
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)

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Star Trek: UNIFORMS

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

But fear not!  Our partners at Hero Within offer the best in costumes and uniforms from 'Star Trek' and other fandom realms.  And if you order from them and mention The Federation, they make a donation to our organization.

Do Star Trek's Uniforms Change for Different Environments?

• Starfleet uniforms in Star Trek have evolved over the years, but they still maintain the iconic high-contrast color scheme.
• Recent Star Trek productions have introduced rapid changes in uniform designs, with specific variants for different environments and missions.
• Despite the bold colors, Starfleet officers are always recognizable, with modern shows showcasing advanced technology for immediate uniform adjustments.

Do the Starfleet uniforms on Star Trek change depending on the different environments that Star Trek characters go to? There have been multiple variations of the Starfleet uniform in every Star Trek show , and the most famous Starfleet uniforms evolved from the easily-recognizable contrast of a dark lower half and brightly colored top popularized by Star Trek: The Original Series . Similar iconic styles and color schemes were used on Star Trek: The Next Generation , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , and Star Trek: Voyager , only swapping the red and gold associated with the command and operations divisions after the long run of the militaristic "Monster Maroon" Starfleet uniform.

Recent productions of Star Trek see the Starfleet uniforms undergoing rapid changes on a fairly regular basis, with a new Starfleet uniform seemingly issued every few years or so. Even after slight deviations, Starfleet keeps returning to the high-contrast uniforms that always seem to come back in fashion, with a particularly sharp 32nd-century Starfleet uniform in Star Trek: Discovery . There's no mistaking a Starfleet officer when you see one, but the bold colors that make Star Trek uniforms work so well on television could theoretically pose a problem in real-world situations, when away missions take Starfleet officers to unknown environments.

Star Treks Starfleet Uniform Colors: What They Mean & Why They Changed

Voyager's garrett wang wonders why star trek's uniforms don't change, neither starfleet nor star trek's aliens have camouflage uniforms.

On The Delta Flyers podcast, Star Trek: Voyager 's Harry Kim actor Garrett Wang pauses during a discussion of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, episode 1, "The Homecoming", to point out one of the major differences that Wang noticed between real-world military uniforms and the uniforms seen throughout Star Trek. This detail isn't limited to Starfleet's standard uniforms, since other Star Trek species seem to do the same thing. Read Wang's quote and listen to The Delta Flyers , starting at the 48:21 timestamp.

Garrett Wang: "One thing I've noticed about all of Star Trek that is not consistent with modern military organizations is that depending on the environment, the uniform changes color. But yet, in Trek, it's always the same. For instance, here they're in the quarry, they should've had stone gray Cardassian uniforms, but if our military goes to the desert, they have desert camo. But you don't see that on Star Trek. Whether it's Cardassian, or Starfleet, or Klingon, no one ever changes their fatigues. It's always the same."

Star Trek Uniforms Do Have Environmental Variants

Starfleet officers wear uniform variations when they need to.

Historically, Star Trek characters did wear the same Starfleet uniform on away missions and on starships, no matter what awaited the away team on unexplored planets. But that detail began to change when the 90s era of Star Trek introduced variant Starfleet uniforms designed for specific environments, like a gray rock climbing uniform in Star Trek: Voyager season 3, episode 16 "Blood Fever", or a lightweight Starfleet uniform designed for desert environments, seen in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 7, episode 2 "Shadows and Symbols". Both Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager included Starfleet standard-issue EV suits for hazardous conditions like space walks.

While they weren't tailored to a specific environment, per se, racing variants of the Starfleet uniform were worn by Lt. Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill), Lt. B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson), and Ensign Harry Kim (Garrett Wang), in Star Trek: Voyager season 7, episode 3, "Drive".

The modern era of Star Trek expanded the possibilities for Starfleet uniforms designed for specific environments. Nearly every new Star Trek show featured extravehicular, field operations, athletic, or combat-ready versions of the Starfleet uniform. As an animated series, Star Trek: Lower Decks ran with even more variants, including specialized uniforms for rain, swamps, wetsuits, and skydiving. Most impressively, Star Trek: Discovery 's 32nd-century technology allowed for immediate uniform adjustments according to planetary conditions, including hazard gear. While it was rare for Starfleet uniforms in any era to completely blend in with the environment, the characters on Star Trek were undoubtedly protected from harsh environments in style.

Source: The Delta Flyers season 10, episode 1, "The Homecoming"

Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Discovery, and Star Trek: Lower Decks are all streaming on Paramount+.

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Star Trek (The Original Series Command Gold Uniform Adult T-Shirt

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• Officially licensed Star Trek product
• Cool Command Gold print
• 100% cotton
• Available in adult, youth, and juniors styles/sizes

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This adult T-shirt is an officially licensed product from Star Trek (The Original Series). The shirt features our cool Command Gold design printed on 100% cotton. This is based on the uniform worn by Captain Kirk and other members of the command ranks in the original Star Trek television series. Also available in youth and juniors sizes.

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• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 7 x 2 inches; 5.6 ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ CBS261-AT
• Department ‏ : ‎ mens
• Date First Available ‏ : ‎ May 17, 2009
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B002A6L3RQ
• #391,219 in Women's Novelty T-Shirts
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Spock Spock | Uniforms | Star Trek Shop

Star Trek: The Original Series Deluxe Spock Uniform

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Suit up for duty with this fresh Star Trek: The Original Series Deluxe Spock Uniform and you'll look and feel as good as new! Made of 100% polyester, this pullover shirt with a v-neck and raglan cut sleeves will keep you cool while you’re making the crucial decisions you never get credit for! It’s also got an embroidered Starfleet emblem and metallic ribbon sleeve stripes, because what’s the point of being out in space if you can’t have some seriously far-out, from the next galaxy type-a style? Live long and prosper, indeed!

PRODUCT DETAILS:

• 100% polyester
• Pullover shirt has V-neck and raglan cut sleeves
• Embroidered Starfleet emblem and metallic ribbon sleeve stripes
• Original series style, finally available in our century!

Ordering Information

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

ST-TOS-R888983-SM

Star Trek: The Original Series Spock Dog Costume

ST-TOS-R580267-L

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