Why didn't Bashir just replicate a new uniform??

[WraithDukat]

In 'move along home' Bashir is in a panic because he missplaced his dress uniform. Why didn't he just replicate a new one?

Was it:

1. Bad writing.
2. The replicators are Cardassian and weren't programmed to replicate Starfleet uniforms yet.
3. Such casual use of replicator energy is frowned upon as it is considered wasteful.
4. Bashir was just having a slow day.

Thoughts

 

[The Wormhole]

The real world reason was that the dress uniforms worn in Move Along Home were taken from TNG, which at the time hadn't had a blue male dress uniform made. There wasn't room in the budget to make new dress uniforms at the time, so Bashir lost his dress uniform. Though, yes, he should have been able to replicate a new one.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Tuvok says in "Caretaker" that the replicators don't make Starfleet uniforms.

 

[The Wormhole]

Tuvok says in "Caretaker" that the replicators don't make Starfleet uniforms.

That's open to interpretation. I just figured Tuvok meant the replicator in Neelix's quarters wouldn't make a Starfleet uniform since you presumably need a code to get a uniform replicated. And indeed, this is the interpretation the novels have taken.

Though, then you have to oddity of in Broken Link Odo had his Bajoran Militia uniform made for him by Garak.

 

[Timo]

That would probably be simple tradition, as the Militia would originally have been clothed before Bajor got any replicators.

And yes, I can see the replicator in Bashir's quarters being less than capable of producing a Starfleet dress uniform. Heck, I'm not sure this particular replicator could produce a glass of lukewarm water at that point yet! O'Brien's favorite pastime for the entire first season was to grumble about the replicators, which the Cardassians for some reason had considered a priority target for scuttling even when they left stuff like shield generators and thrusters working.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[The Wormhole]

That would probably be simple tradition, as the Militia would originally have been clothed before Bajor got any replicators.

I'm pretty sure even in the early days of the Militia, they weren't purchasing their uniforms from a civilian clothing shop.

 

[Timo]

...What would have been the alternative, in the disorganized early post-Occupation days?

Timo Saloniemi

 

[at Quark's]

The Neelix replicator case has already been mentioned, and I agree with those who say that the replicator itself is probably perfectly capable of replicating a dress uniform, so you would probably need a special code for it. Which Bashir would be entitled to. So what explains that he still didn't ?

Probably overwhelming bureaucracy.

I imagine he would have to fill in a declaration of loss of his previous uniform first, have it countersigned by his immediate superior, send it in triplicate to Starfleet Administrative Central, wait for its receipt which entitles him for a new form requesting a dress uniform replicator code, which again needs to be validated by the Sisko before entering the request, wait for receipt of the code itself, etc. etc. etc. If you have a few days/weeks it's fine but not if you discover your uniform went missing 30 minutes before you're supposed to First Contact some aliens

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

the replicators, which the Cardassians for some reason had considered a priority target for scuttling even when they left stuff like shield generators and thrusters working.

They're valuable to somebody who needs to resupply themselves with food, tools, etc. It's like giving your enemy the keys to one of your supply chains.

I'm pretty sure even in the early days of the Militia, they weren't purchasing their uniforms from a civilian clothing shop.

There's probably a way you can tell official uniforms from replicated by unofficial machine ones.

Though, then you have to oddity of in Broken Link Odo had his Bajoran Militia uniform made for him by Garak.

Perhaps he trusts Garak's tailorly instincts over mathematical precision? He's newly solid and doesn't want to itch or chafe.

 

[Timo]

They're valuable to somebody who needs to resupply themselves with food, tools, etc. It's like giving your enemy the keys to one of your supply chains.

But consider this from the Cardassian point of view. They don't really believe they are going away; they have been given the orders, with little warning, but they fully expect to be back next Tuesday. Coming back would be hindered by the new landlords having working shield generators and torpedo launchers. It would not be hindered much by the Feds having working replicators; to the contrary, the more the Feds repair and refurbish, the better when the Central Command again takes over.

We might plead the chaotic nature of the withdrawal, so that only those charged with sabotaging the replicators did their job well, while those responsible for scuttling the shield generators concentrated on looting instead. Or we might say the replicators never were up to Federation standards to begin with, which is why O'Brien has his work cut out for him when everybody complains about already maxed-out hardware...

There's probably a way you can tell official uniforms from replicated by unofficial machine ones.

I sort of doubt there's a way to tell a replicated X from original, for any value of X. I mean, nobody has yet passed a blind test on such a thing.

Perhaps he trusts Garak's tailorly instincts over mathematical precision? He's newly solid and doesn't want to itch or chafe.

Considering how saggy even hero costumes can look on the characters, we may surmise that while replicators can generate absolutely perfect clothing in terms of cloth quality and so forth, they are not the right tools for taking measurements.

I mean, for all we know, Garak replicates all his products, too. It's just that it takes a tailor to design the product to be replicated, and Garak is the only one accessible to Odo, whereas the Starfleet folks have obtained their sets of measurements from Starfleet tailors (live or machine), to varying degrees of satisfaction, and have no pressing need to go to Garak for new measurements.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[The Wormhole]

Perhaps he trusts Garak's tailorly instincts over mathematical precision? He's newly solid and doesn't want to itch or chafe.

And yet, his first comment is that the uniform itches.

 

[tomswift2002]

In Babel it's mentioned that O'Brien just had replicators on the command level repaired (including a few empty guest quarters located in the area). Maybe by Move Along Home O'Brien had a few more levels repaired but not where Bashir's quarters were.

 

[kkt]

When Dax got married, her mother-in-law-to-be could tell she had replicated the special Klingon candles just by being in the same room with them. Garak seems to have no trouble finding customers who think tailored clothing is better than replicated, and they aren't just coming to him because they're Cardassian sympathizers.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

And yet, his first comment is that the uniform itches.

Yeah, well, it didn't work as well as he'd hoped. Plus, every sensation is new. In time, maybe he'd fit into, like a too-tight pair of shoes.

When Dax got married, her mother-in-law-to-be could tell she had replicated the special Klingon candles just by being in the same room with them.

So Sirella is a candle sommelier?

Replicated material might leave a watermark of sorts to tell which machine it came from, sort of like the grooves on a bullet.

 

[Jayson1]

Might be Bajoran law that it's illegal to replicate things other than stuff like food and water and drinks. If everyone could just turn on their replicators it would impact their economy and we know they still used money.

Jason

 

[Timo]

Sirella is just doing the mother in law thing. There's no need for her to even glance at the candles to be certain that they aren't up to her standards.

Regulating the economy would probably be a binary thing. As long as there is the provisional government, everybody provides for him- or herself and casually guns down tax collectors and other regulators. But if Supreme Ruler Winn gets the caste society running properly again, there is such a stranglehold on everything that what people do won't much impact the economy: replicate or not, you still won't make a profit or gain savings or otherwise get to decide what to do with your money...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Tim Thomason]

According to the Animated Series, Starfleet uniforms are made from a type of algae ("xenylon"). It's possible that, like puppies, this isn't something that can be replicated easily.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

The replicated ones may therefore be made of an inferior material and are less comfortable than the tailored ones.

 

[DocCrusher]

The real world reason was that the dress uniforms worn in Move Along Home were taken from TNG, which at the time hadn't had a blue male dress uniform made. There wasn't room in the budget to make new dress uniforms at the time, so Bashir lost his dress uniform. Though, yes, he should have been able to replicate a new one.

WOW I never knew this! They made it come across as so intentional & like an added bit of interest for the scene. These little irrelevant conversations to the plot are my favourite parts of star trek !! I never realised they were to explain away budget restrictions! wow.

 

[Leviathan]

The Seamstresses Union has had a stranglehold on Starfleet uniforms for 200 years.