Favorite Starfleet Uniform Design

Make no mistake: all the female crewmembers in The Cage and Where No Man Has Gone Before wore pants.

 

I liked the Enterprise uniforms, because they are similar to the NASA ones and seem more practical, work-man like, fitting for the first starship to venture out - though aesthetically, I prefer the later DS9 uniforms, with the grey shoulder section. However, I prefer Vulcan robes and uniforms to Starfleet overall. My favourite Starfleet uniform is the black leather, Section 31 uniform.

 

About armoured soldiers - the security guards of the first few movies wore fairly goofy helmets and body armour.

The Elite Force videogames had cool gear for the Voyager/Enterprise-E Hazard Team. It wasn't armour, but a lightweight exoskeleton forcefield suit.

 

Mirror ENT uniforms, but not the female ones.

 

FC/DS9.

I don't get the Nor the Battle to the Strong/Siege of AR-558 black shirts, though... if the point of a black uniform is to make soldiers less visible to the enemy, then why would they have the division colored yoke and standard shirt under it? Seems to me that the red stripes in a ground battle would just make it easier for the enemy to target and snipe the Starfleet unit's commanders.

 

I guess they were intended to be more like some kind of 24th Century padded flak jackets, worn over the standard black jumpsuit (at the time with branch colored shoulder yoke and gray undershirts).

From a physics point of view it probably doesn't make sense but I guess you could argue that it's some sort of ablative armour that absorbs and dissipates hits from energy weapons...? I guess maybe it would be the usual trade-off between full protection and flexibility and manoeuvrability. Equally, perhaps there are practical reasons why personal scale energy shields (like those from Dune) wouldn't work in the Trek universe - or maybe it's the fact that passive protective clothing cannot be detected by scans but active systems like shielding give off an energy signature that can be picked up by an enemy...?

As to the design and appearance - it's really VERY simple and I strongly urge you not to over-think this one: these are costumes from a TV show and the production staff just wanted to keep something of the Starfleet "corporate look" for these additional uniform elements (like the branch colored stripes on the non-standard uniform variants used in Voyager at around the same time).

Let's face it, in a time of tricorders and long-range scanners camouflage and concealment (at least as we currently understand it) is a pretty redundant concept.

 

The original velour uniforms used in the first two years of TOS, followed by Theiss's uniforms for TNG.

 

I liked the more practical uniform approach with "Enterprise", but they were just a bit too drab...

I used to like TWOK uniforms, but they're such an odd departure--no other ST uniforms conceived look like them. Also, what's with the button connector on the back? While the more formal design looks impressive next to TOS uniforms, they just don't seem practical enough as duty uniforms.

I voted FC. I like that style, and could see them adding pockets to the trousers to complete the look. You've gotta have pockets!

 

Mid-Late "Deep Space Nine" and "First Contact". Quite militaristic, in line with Starfleet's primary duty - to defend Federation. Early DS9-era uniforms are second, TOS uniforms being third, and 29th century Starfleet uniforms 4th. Section 31 uniforms are 5th (Section 31 is still part of Starfleet, and uniform is nice, but too much leather. If they wanted leather, they would better use jackets). Enterprise uniforms are close 6 th. Classic TNG era uniforms are worst ones, and Captain Picard seem to agree with me, althought for different reasons.

EDIT: Tos uniforms 2266 model.

 

You've left out Generations' uniform... not a huge difference from late TNG but I just liked them more. Also really liked mid-late TOS and, subsequently, of course, the 2009 movie uniforms [man those look comfortable]. The Voyager uniforms also look very comfortable...

 

^^Generations used a mixture of the TNG seasons 3-7 uniforms and the DS9/Voyager ones. Unless you're referring to the concept design unforms which were abandoned at the last minute, but can be seen on the action figures.

 

Hmmm, no, I think I liked the ones that were in the movie. Although honestly why I haven't a clue.

 

TWOK uniforms, with the Enterprise jumpsuits being a close second.

 

my favorite is Picard's jacket as seen in Season 5(?)

 

The VOY uniforms

 

My favorite Trek uniform doesn't exist.

If it did exist, it would be the TMP uniforms with the following changes.
- Two pieces (separate pants and shirt)
- TOS color scheme, but a little more “vivid”.
- Short sleeved
- Rank insignia on the epaulettes like Kirks short sleeve variant.

I'd also retain Kirk's short sleeve variant as the "Captain's uniform", as well as his Admiral's uniform for whenever Admirals are on the show.

 

VOY's, just think they look the coolest.

 

I have always been a fan of the uniforms from ST2-ST6.

 

1st: FC/Late DS9 (and the matching dress uni) they were a good balance between the futuristic style we came to expect and a more military look.
2nd: ENT, great balance between current military and the future, as well as the most practical.
3rd: TWoK Classical military styling, good for formal functions but not everyday.

In response to comments on the uniforms seen on AR-558, the novels expand on these calling them Surface Operations Blacks (convenient acronym, there). Elias Vaughn also mention that they have energy and shrapnel dispersal layers and that the coloured yoke has been removed for exactly the reason stated earlier, to prevent a units command officers being picked off.

 

One of the few things I liked about the Abrams movie was the updated TOS uniforms.