Anyone have an official source for the Acting Ensign Uniform...?

[WAMTNG]

As you may know, it has become accepted that this monstrous turtleneck is the official Starfleet Acting Ensign uniform:

However, I have been unable to find an official source for this explanation. It certainly isn't given any on screen credence, and the script for "The Battle" (where it first appears) doesn't even mention the uniform.
Any leads on where this behind-the-scenes titbit came from appreciated!

 

[jackoverfull]

As far as I’m concerned I’ve always considered it a sweater. He changes in something more resembling of a uniform in season 2, by the way.

 

[somebuddyX]

Has it? I just thought it was Wesley's dope ass looking sweater. Maybe someone on the internet just made up some bullshit and people ran with it.
I would legit wear this baby, but as a hoodie.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Maybe it is just a grey sweater, but the department color trimming around the shoulders is a Velcro add on and THAT part is the uniform?

 

[Doug Otte]

Why would anyone think it's a uniform (aside from Timelord's valid point about the trim mimicking the three primary uniform colors)? Wesley wasn't in Starfleet yet.

 

[Tosk]

Hrm. Personally, I don't really consider him uniformed officially until he starts wearing a commbadge. Even if that's a ridiculous line to draw.

 

[WAMTNG]

Well, interesting - because I've heard this circulated for quite some time as a behind-the-scenes rumour, but the crowd here seem to think it's merely supposition. But if you check season one, you will not see him on duty without this (putative) uniform after "The Battle", when it first appears. I'm agnostic until I find a legitimate source, but I find this on the more plausible side of the rumour mill, personally.

 

[jackoverfull]

I don’t think you see him off duty without the sweater either.

 

[WAMTNG]

I don’t think you see him off duty without the sweater either.

Touché! But off the top of my head, there's certainly "Angel One":

...not that this is anywhere near enough to resolve this ambiguity, of course!

 

[jackoverfull]

That was to do some odd thing in the holodeck, wasn’t it?

 

[WAMTNG]

That was to do some odd thing in the holodeck, wasn’t it?

Aye, skiing. That's why it's not in any way decisive. But as far as I can tell, this is the only other outfit after "The Battle" we see him in until Durinda Rice Wood takes over costumes at the start of Season 2 and provides the nifty Acting Ensign uniform that you mentioned above.

As I say, I was hoping I might track down the source of the rumour, but it's proving elusive (and possibly fallacious). I keep looking for interviews with Bill Theiss that might bear on it, but no joy.

 

[Tosk]

For what it's worth, the book "Star Trek Costumes" by Paula Block and Terry Erdmann refers to it as "Wesley Crusher's colorful first season sweater". There's also a quote from Durinda Rice regarding season two (when they introduced the newer, non-rainbow costume), "Wesley started to come into his own then [...] He had his own uniform."

Funnily, she also says that "Had I been able to redo all the uniforms, they might have looked a little bit like Wesley's, I think." Whether or not that would have included the weird "partially connected belt" thing he had going on in the back is anyone's guess.

 

[Orphalesion]

I never thought much about it until somebody pointed out that the stripes correspond to the division colour

I don’t think you see him off duty without the sweater either.

We don't see many of the characters in civilian/off duty garb in season 1 though.
I could be wrong, but isn't Troi the only one? (that glittery thing in Haven) Well, the only one besides Wesley's knitted sweaters early on.
If I'm not mistaken the others are always in uniforms or holodeck costumes (though there cold be some sleep wear)
I think it wasn't until Season 3 that we saw main characters in off-duty clothes with any regularity.

 

[jackoverfull]

We don't see many of the characters in civilian/off duty garb in season 1 though.
I could be wrong, but isn't Troi the only one? (that glittery thing in Haven) Well, the only one besides Wesley's knitted sweaters early on.

possibly. Star Trek hasn’t often been big on showing civilian clothing.

 

[WAMTNG]

We don't see many of the characters in civilian/off duty garb in season 1 though.

Well, I certainly wouldn't call this in uniform!

Nor this for that matter!

I know, I know, you expressly excluded holodeck clothes, but dang doesn't Brent Spiner look dashing in this pic!

Anyway, your general point still stands. The wardrobe department in season one only ever dresses the cast differently when there is a story-reason for it. In later seasons, we see many more examples of situations where someone is not on duty and is dressed in 'civvies'. Budget may have been a factor here...

 

[Orphalesion]

Anyway, your general point still stands. The wardrobe department in season one only ever dresses the cast differently when there is a story-reason for it. In later seasons, we see many more examples of situations where someone is not on duty and is dressed in 'civvies'. Budget may have been a factor here...

Mostly likely for budgetary reasons. That's also why Troi's "clothes" in Naked Now are just random sheets and scarves and why her glittery..thing...in haven is just her regular costume made out of a shinier material.
Really, the dinner scene in Haven is a particularly weird example; Lwaxana gets a new dress and Troi gets a new suit (I guess?), but the rest of the senior stuff are in their ordinary uniforms (not even dress uniforms!) with Tasha and Beverly getting new hairstyles.
Even a lot of the civilian clothing in season 1 we see on guest stars or background extras tends to look like it was made very cheaply (or even pieced together from random things they had lying around) and is often ill-fitting.
By season 3 they had a bigger budget, I think, so it resulted in an overall better looking show.

I think Holodeck clothes, a lot of the time at least, are not effected by that because I can imagine they just used stock costumes, that's also likely true for other situations where something shows Earth's past like the Royale.

 

[jackoverfull]

Well, a lot of season 1 (and two) budget must have gone in the new sets, in any case.

 

[somebuddyX]

Dude in this thread thought the same thing about his getup being a uniform
https://www.reddit.com/r/startrek/comments/c1ojmh/i_just_realized_that_wesleys_uniform_in_s1/

When I first first the thread title here I thought it was implying that something like Lower Decks had made it official that Wesley's sweater was the acting-ensign uniform. I think if they ever did that it should just be his Season 2 uniform but I could see them doing the season 1 uniform too.
I thought it was weird that they walk around in the uniforms in their off hours and even sleep in them, but then I do that sometimes...

 

[jackoverfull]

Well, worf did say something about them being extremely comfortable.

 

[WAMTNG]

I think Holodeck clothes, a lot of the time at least, are not effected by that because I can imagine they just used stock costumes, that's also likely true for other situations where something shows Earth's past like the Royale.

Aye, which is perhaps a reason why they preferred holodecks to feature locations in Earth's history as it made the wardrobe department less grumpy!