Best uniforms.
- Thread starter GreenDragonKnight
- Start date
1. TOS
2. Monster Maroons
most underrated/overlooked…the First Contact/Late DS9 era dress uniforms. Those were fantastic.
I dislike them for the same reason I dislike most of the Disco S1-2/SNW uniforms. They make them too busy with all the extra little details like the delta shield pattern all over them. It’s overdesigning at its finest.
2. Monster Maroons
most underrated/overlooked…the First Contact/Late DS9 era dress uniforms. Those were fantastic.
I dislike them for the same reason I dislike most of the Disco S1-2/SNW uniforms. They make them too busy with all the extra little details like the delta shield pattern all over them. It’s overdesigning at its finest.
The original, or all of them, or some of them? I've only ever seen the original and thought they looked fine except for the pants, which I feel should have been more one solid colour instead of more bits of gold. I wasn't fond of them being around in the late 2250s but only because there's so many other uniforms going on there. But I like thinking they're a follow on from the Kelvin blue uniforms and were around the 2240s and 2250s.
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/m...ision/latest?cb=20220709011803&path-prefix=en
I'll start with the undershirt which used to be softer and puffier. Now it looks like it's made out of plastic. (It looks a little like the engineering suits.) The sleeves look like lizard skin. (Trying to tie them to the SNW uniforms, but they don't have that effect on the SNW TOS unis.) And they lowered the flap by a lot which means that they extended the strap by a lot. Instead of the sharp, precise, tailored look that the uniform had in TOS, it now looks plastic and droopy. It's kind of the progression the uniforms took in the movies due to the age of the costumes and of the actors taken to an absurd degree. It looks like the maroons in a fan film.
It's the uncanny valley of Star Trek uniforms. It's close enough that you know what it should look like but they get the details wrong in weird ways so it looks unnatural.
Those are pretty terrific, aren't they?
Best: STTMP. Worst: ST 2-6. The late great Bob Fletcher designed both!
Ehhh, no. The second photo was no doubt taken on a "special occasion," probably entering or leaving port. They don't dress like that for normal steaming watches. You can bet that everyone in that photo changed clothes as soon as they could after they secured from quarters. Which, BTW, is exactly what happened in STTMP.
This is more like what a normal bridge watch would look like in the '80s:
The first photo is obviously staged, but of course airline pilots dress quite differently from military pilots. Their normal business attire is more like this:
As far as a sense of dignity goes... Dignity follows from a person's character and leadership qualities, nothing to do with the clothes they wear. Below is as great a collection of naval leadership as you'll ever see in one photo. Are they somehow undignified because they not in their dress uniforms with gold stripes and ribbons? I think not.
Ship bridge operations officers doing bridge duty on their ships type officer uniforms, & when the monster maroons were designed, this was the look they were going for, & this was the style most recognized as officers on duty at bridge stations. I realize sensibilities have changed some, but I always thought it was a good look for admirals, captains, & commanders in those movies, that provided a greater sense of dignity to their office.
Ehhh, no. The second photo was no doubt taken on a "special occasion," probably entering or leaving port. They don't dress like that for normal steaming watches. You can bet that everyone in that photo changed clothes as soon as they could after they secured from quarters. Which, BTW, is exactly what happened in STTMP.
This is more like what a normal bridge watch would look like in the '80s:
The first photo is obviously staged, but of course airline pilots dress quite differently from military pilots. Their normal business attire is more like this:
As far as a sense of dignity goes... Dignity follows from a person's character and leadership qualities, nothing to do with the clothes they wear. Below is as great a collection of naval leadership as you'll ever see in one photo. Are they somehow undignified because they not in their dress uniforms with gold stripes and ribbons? I think not.
There are way more uniform variants than those included in the poll, as well as a whole bunch of shows just excluded.
Because the original poster hated them!
If we're ranking the uniforms, mine owuld go like this:
1) The early DISC uniforms. I really liked their design and their understated colour-palette.
2) The ENT uniforms. As much as I hate that show, the uniforms looked damn good for many of the same reason as the DISC uniforms. I also like how utilitarian they looked, just as you'd expect form humanity's early days in space.
3) The early DS9/VOY uniforms. They are pretty much a better version of the TNG uniforms. And I always liked their colour-palette, especially how the science division is closer to green than to blue.
4)The "Monster Maroons". They actually look like very reasonable uniforms. Red is not my favourite colour, but they still look good and I wouldn't mind if they used them for a whole show set during that time period.
5)The TNG uniforms. Even though I wouldn't call them as good as the early DS9/Voy uniforms, they are still a very pleasing design in my opinion and changed the TOS palette to a more elegant/understated maroon/saffron/cyan.
6)The LD uniforms. They are very close to the TNG uniforms, but their brighter colours lose them points.
8) The late DS9/TNG film uniforms. I know I have said several times in this list that I like more understated colour schemes....but Christ black and grey is too colourless for me. I also didn't like that weird ribbed texture they added to the shoulders.
7)The SNW uniforms. Honestly I would have preferred the uniform design Pike and his crew wore during season 2 of DISC. I'm just not a fan of the "our uniform is just a brightly coloured, long sleeved shirt" idea. It reminds me of the Wiggles. Though at least they have some interesting variants, nice away mission gear (the jackets and gloves) and their science division is dark blue. And at least the women get to wear pants or long tunics in combination with pants/leggings.
8) The TOS uniforms. They are just brightly coloured shirts with black pants. As I said it reminds me of the Wiggles. And that horrible, washed out baby blue of the science division is horrible and nobody no-bo-dy ever looked good in that. I get that the bright colours were chosen to advertise colour TVs but that doesn't change how they look. Plus the ridiculous female uniforms that had skirts that barely covered their ass cheeks.
9) The TMP uniforms....what the hell is this beige crap? I get that the movie tried to rip off 2001: a Space Odyssey as much as possible, but basing the new uniforms on those of the flight attendants was not the best idea.
1) The early DISC uniforms. I really liked their design and their understated colour-palette.
2) The ENT uniforms. As much as I hate that show, the uniforms looked damn good for many of the same reason as the DISC uniforms. I also like how utilitarian they looked, just as you'd expect form humanity's early days in space.
3) The early DS9/VOY uniforms. They are pretty much a better version of the TNG uniforms. And I always liked their colour-palette, especially how the science division is closer to green than to blue.
4)The "Monster Maroons". They actually look like very reasonable uniforms. Red is not my favourite colour, but they still look good and I wouldn't mind if they used them for a whole show set during that time period.
5)The TNG uniforms. Even though I wouldn't call them as good as the early DS9/Voy uniforms, they are still a very pleasing design in my opinion and changed the TOS palette to a more elegant/understated maroon/saffron/cyan.
6)The LD uniforms. They are very close to the TNG uniforms, but their brighter colours lose them points.
8) The late DS9/TNG film uniforms. I know I have said several times in this list that I like more understated colour schemes....but Christ black and grey is too colourless for me. I also didn't like that weird ribbed texture they added to the shoulders.
7)The SNW uniforms. Honestly I would have preferred the uniform design Pike and his crew wore during season 2 of DISC. I'm just not a fan of the "our uniform is just a brightly coloured, long sleeved shirt" idea. It reminds me of the Wiggles. Though at least they have some interesting variants, nice away mission gear (the jackets and gloves) and their science division is dark blue. And at least the women get to wear pants or long tunics in combination with pants/leggings.
8) The TOS uniforms. They are just brightly coloured shirts with black pants. As I said it reminds me of the Wiggles. And that horrible, washed out baby blue of the science division is horrible and nobody no-bo-dy ever looked good in that. I get that the bright colours were chosen to advertise colour TVs but that doesn't change how they look. Plus the ridiculous female uniforms that had skirts that barely covered their ass cheeks.
9) The TMP uniforms....what the hell is this beige crap? I get that the movie tried to rip off 2001: a Space Odyssey as much as possible, but basing the new uniforms on those of the flight attendants was not the best idea.
I don’t really care they excluded them. Especially since there is an option for the forgotten ones in the poll and there are so many of them anyway. Seems nitpicky.
The Cage, Phase 2 aka Monster Maroons, FC, ENT, Kelvin, and PIC 2380s would rank among the best, if we are strictly talking main uniforms and not uniform variants (ex. ENT desert uniform).
A nitpick would be pointing out that TWOK-TUC and Phase 2 are not the same thing.
Off the top of my head that’s Season 1/2 TNG uniforms, all the Kelvin stuff, three variants of DSC uniforms, LDS uniforms plus Picard, Prodigy and SNW.
It’s hardly a nitpick (and that’s the kettle calling the pot black in your case) when the last 13 years worth are missing from the poll. The one option that exists doesn’t cover it.
So nitpick, no. Agenda though…? Certainly. It’s beyond tiresome.
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Truest words ever spoken.
Maybe poster didn’t know that? Not every Trekkie has encyclopedic knowledge.
When there are technically dozens of uniforms in Trek (Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians, etc) I’m not going to get upset that the poster did not list them all. Besides, this isn’t that serious. Its literally done for fun.
Whatever you say.
You said it, not me.
But thanks for admitting you have one, I guess.
Yes, certain behaviours I’ve seen from you over the years are.
I always liked to think that Picard's suede/leather jacket is the update to the maroon bomber jacket Kirk wears in The Final Frontier.
Yes, unfortunately. But there are so many different uniforms that it's hard to capture them all. Certainly a lot missing from the poll. I guess treat it as "Best uniform of this list."
Well, the list does have "not on the list".
It does. Just to @Richard S. Ta point that list is as long as the list of thread poll list.
One of the few things I liked about the Kelvan movies were their take on the TOS uniforms.
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The times at sea where that uniform would be worn would be at ceremonies (frocking, award, enlistment), during inspections, and for legal proceedings (like Captain' Mast.)
And no one was ever happy about wearing the whites because ships are messy work environments and it was miracle if the top or pants weren't soiled beyond cleaning by a brush against some random surface.
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Absolutely the case. I'd bet real money that the rest of the crew are manning the rails in their summer whites as well. Afterwards, it'd be khakis and dungarees.
The times at sea where that uniform would be worn would be at ceremonies (frocking, award, enlistment), during inspections, and for legal proceedings (like Captain' Mast.)
And no one was ever happy about wearing the whites because ships are messy work environments and it was miracle if the top or pants weren't soiled beyond cleaning by a brush against some random surface.
09 or Beyond? The purist in me goes for 09, but Beyond is the first if not the only really great update to TOS that still feels like TOS. Although I suppose I'd have to let SNW into that club as well.
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