William Wear Theiss: In & Out of Uniform

I submitted this new item to Trek Today but it never got put up. Anyway, before it's completely stale...

A few weeks ago my article about the life of Star Trek's TOS & original TNG costume designer, William Ware "Bill" Theiss was published put up by startrek.com (link or click on picture)

Star Trek’s space couture is universally recognized, but the man who pioneered them is virtually unknown. Startrek.com aims to correct that with its publication of William Ware Theiss: In & Out of Uniform. It is a detailed account of the life and work of Star Trek's seminal costume designer. The piece fills in many details of his background and career, including how he came to work on Trek and why he didn't design the costumes for The Motion Picture.

The piece was written with the input of Theiss's longtime friend, the late Dorothy Fontana, as well as his colleague Andrea Weaver, who worked women's wardrobe during Star Trek's 2nd and 3rd season, and on a number of other TV and film in the years after Trek's cancellation. ​

The article had a hard 2000 word limit so there's a lot I had to skim or leave out, but I think it's as comprehensive a look at his life as is possible now, almost 30 years after his passing.

Oh yeah, and it has some @Serveaux in it.

 

Very interesting and very informative.

 

Thanks Maurice! Great stuff!

 

Thanks Maurice I really enjoyed your article.

I'm glad Bill was recognized for his work on "The Big Goodbye" because I enjoy all of what he did in that season as well as on TOS.

 

Here's another Theiss photo (from Making of Star Trek, I think) along with some more info.

https://forgottentrek.com/william-ware-theiss-a-stitch-in-time/

 

Great article. I was wondering about all the velour in TOS and Lost in Space just the other day.

Shame about the word cap. I’d have read even more.

 

That article is largely cribbing from this longer article, as indicated at the bottom:
Text from “Bill Theiss: The Lost Interview – A rare discussion with the celebrated Star Trek TOS Costume Designer,” Star Trek, Prop, Costume & Auction Authority, 4 May 4, 2008

 

I thought it was familiar. And sure enough, it was.

 

"How do you like them Gene?"

 

A good William Wear Thesis.

 

Roddenberry : "Where's the miniskirt?"

 

It's a shame that he's not wearing the calf-high go-go boots, too.

 

Very interesting.
Spelled "Wear" in the thread title. Unless pun intended.
Keep keepin the faith! Good work.

 

I can't help wondering how many actors felt, when they saw their costumes, that Ware might be 'ware, short for Beware.

 

The dude's thinking*, "I think I'm doing the best 'concern acting' of the bunch, but all I'm doing is channeling my feeling uncomfortable-yet-strangely-compelling in this goofy thing. Will it ride up with wear? Why couldn't it have been blue cuz I feel that way right now? Maybe gold since this red blends into my skin tone almost too well. Sheesh, how long until I'm out of camera range? Just keep looking anywhere except at the camera. And why can't I stand on the pool table and do go-go dancing to Jefferson Starship songs? Now there's something built on rock and roll! Hmm, I just remembered I had beans for dinner. Do I speak up? No way, that'll require a retake and we've already been through sixteen of those."


* probably... I ain't no mind reader, I ain't no cold reader, I ain't even speed reader on a yellow/orange day because that's Gary Gnu

 

These attempts at humor result in a scant number of laughs.

 

"skant", surely?

Besides, I was hoping to see Theiss out of uniform so there's a bit of a tease too...

(I don't think anyone is mocking you, the article was a good read and had a lot of great info!)

 

I'd wear it. Cause I got fantastic legs.

In fact, this is the one uniform I've been meaning to add to my collection. I have much love for the Skant.

 

IMO, the brilliant and influential futuristic costumes in the last act of Things to Come (1936) provide an object lesson for how to do a male skant in sci-fi. Most of the costumes for the men are definitely shorts-like, but in one notable case, the father of the male astronaut, the look is definitely that of a short dress for a man, with the signature broad sweeping shoulders and cape.

You can see the father saying good-bye to his son around 1:26:10 in this video (he also appears in an earlier scene):



Sorry, I don't have a picture to post.

Riff Raff and Magenta wear costumes fairly clearly inspired by these at the climax of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Now, the Things to Come costumes obviously have too many flourishes to be prototypes for Starfleet costumes as we have come to understand the overall aesthetic, but in their own realm, as costumes for metropolitan leaders that are evocative of Roman togas but in the future, I think they work perfectly.