What was with the switching between uniforms in Generations?

[Warp Coil]

My guess is this: the proposed new Starfleet uniform design that was planned for GEN was also going to make its way over to VOY. At the 11th hour, the decision was made to scrap the new uniform designs. As a result, the decision was made to just carry over the DS9 style uniforms to VOY. So I guess they wanted the TNG crew to use the DS9 style uniforms, too. Unfortunately, because of the last-minute costuming change, they didn't have time and/or money to construct new DS9 uniforms for each member of the TNG cast along with enough DS9 uniforms for all of the extras (they probably had to share them with DS9 and supplies may have been limited). Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner, considered the "stars" of the TNG films, managed to get the new costumes. They managed to fit Frakes into one of Avery Brooks' costumes and LeVar Burton into one of Colm Meaney's. They may not have had jumpsuits that fit properly for Dorn, McFadden and Sirtis. Or perhaps they just didn't want to wear the new style. So they ended up using both uniform designs.

[doubleohfive]

The Green Mushroom wrote:

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That works for me. Voyager just happened to have taken off after that change. Or Janeway decided to go on a power trip and order everyone to change early.

I remember hearing that after the proposed new uniforms were 86ed, they had to scramble. For some reason they didn't want the TNG uniforms in the movie or in Voyager. They settled on the DS9 uniforms but didn't have the budget for tailoring new ones for the TNG cast. Anyone who could fit into an existing DS9 uniform wore one for at least part of the movie. I believe they even went out and said:

• Stewart and Frakes were able to fit into Brooks' or off the shelf uniforms
• Spiner was able to fit into Meaney's or an off the shelf uniform.
• Dorn could not fit into Meaney's costume and they had nothing in his size. The same was the case for Sirtis and McFadden.

What've read/heard over the years conflicts with this. Stewart and Spiner were given uniforms specifically made for them; Frakes wore Brooks' and Burton wore Meaney's. Everyone else wore their TNG uniforms.

In fact, you can easily see that Stewart's is a custom-made, new uniform in the film - he has a unique "belt buckle" thing going on, which was never done before. I originally thought it might just be that his top is a jacket (the way we later saw on Voyager) but it clearly is just a strap of fabric around his waste.

As opposed to Data's, Riker's, and La Forge's.

[Mojochi]

Seeing as how the Voyager/Early DS9 uniform was just a reworking of the TNG cadet uniform, it doesn't bug me much


Do you have any idea how many types of uniforms they've had? I sure as hell don't. It's all over the place

[SchwEnt]

Solely in terms of production, it still makes no sense to me.

They had a re-design as seen on the Playmates figures but scrapped it at the last minute. Okay.

Then they scramble to get DS9 versions (why?) and even then there aren't enough for everyone and they have to borrow from other actors and some cast have to keep their TNG versions. Why bother?

If they can't outfit their cast and there aren't enough to go around, why bother? Why was it so crucial that TNG cast change uniforms, even under impractical production strains, even inconsistently on-screen?

If they were gonna keep some cast in their TNG versions anyway, then just keep everyone in TNG versions. Why would it be a problem? Who would complain or be bothered?

Did they think fans would complain that the crew is wearing the same uniform from the series IN A MOVIE?

[doubleohfive]

Perhaps it was the concern that everything on the series - from the bridge to the uniforms - had been designed for television screens and not cinema screens and thus might show up on cinema screens in a negative light?

Much has been made of how this was the official reason for the redesign of the bridge and the director of photography's lighting of the film. Perhaps the uniform switch (which admittedly in the end turned out to be rather futile) was merely to avoid having people notice coffee stains and fabric runs on the big screen?

[The Borg Queen]

Perhaps it was "casual Friday" and crew could wear whichever style they personally preferred.

[SchwEnt]

doubleohfive wrote:

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Perhaps it was the concern that everything on the series - from the bridge to the uniforms - had been designed for television screens and not cinema screens and thus might show up on cinema screens in a negative light?

Much has been made of how this was the official reason for the redesign of the bridge and the director of photography's lighting of the film. Perhaps the uniform switch (which admittedly in the end turned out to be rather futile) was merely to avoid having people notice coffee stains and fabric runs on the big screen?

Ah, but weren't the DS9 uniforms designed for TV? How is switching one set of TV uniforms for another any better?

[Mytran]

doubleohfive wrote:

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In fact, you can easily see that Stewart's is a custom-made, new uniform in the film - he has a unique "belt buckle" thing going on, which was never done before. I originally thought it might just be that his top is a jacket (the way we later saw on Voyager) but it clearly is just a strap of fabric around his waste.

Actually, I'd say that the presence of the "belt" argues just the opposite - that the uniform was made for someone of greater girth than Stewart and the strap was needed to make the garment appear better fitting!

[The Borg Queen]

But then there would be visible creases down the sides of his clothes where the fabric was bunched up.

[Mytran]

Maybe it was only a little too big? The belt certainly does the job of shaping his waist more.