I think that was more a rationalization created among the fans. Patrick Stewart did do camera tests in a gold uniform, and it was decided he didn't look good in the gold uniform, so they swapped the purposes of the red and gold.
Different Coloured Uniforms
- Thread starter Sparkle Fabulosa
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I think that was more a rationalization created among the fans. Patrick Stewart did do camera tests in a gold uniform, and it was decided he didn't look good in the gold uniform, so they swapped the purposes of the red and gold.
I thought that might be the case, thanks.
I'd like to understand the colourings of the TMP uniforms (granted not everyone's favourite, but I've always liked them).
We saw blue, beige, white and brown used by officers onboard the Enterprise, but these colours had nothing to do with their departments--they were signified by the Starfleet Deltas. As such we generally saw command division officers seemed to all be in blue, but that is the only uniformity. Medical, science and engineering officers wore either blue or white (whilst medics and engineers also had the option of duty-specific attire). Bridge officers wore blue or beige (Ilia and Sulu). Then in the rec room scene there were also personnel in brown.
I remember reading the brown was for non-bridge personnel, but haven't found anything that identifies the reasoning behind the other colours. Anyone any thoughts?
We saw blue, beige, white and brown used by officers onboard the Enterprise, but these colours had nothing to do with their departments--they were signified by the Starfleet Deltas. As such we generally saw command division officers seemed to all be in blue, but that is the only uniformity. Medical, science and engineering officers wore either blue or white (whilst medics and engineers also had the option of duty-specific attire). Bridge officers wore blue or beige (Ilia and Sulu). Then in the rec room scene there were also personnel in brown.
I remember reading the brown was for non-bridge personnel, but haven't found anything that identifies the reasoning behind the other colours. Anyone any thoughts?
DS9, VOY, and TNG went by this usually -->
Red --> Command
Yellow --> Engineering / Security
Blue/Green --> Sciences / Medical
ENT and TOS went by this usually -->
Red --> Engineering / Security
Yellow --> Command
Blue/Green --> Sciences / Medical
I'm with you; it's hard to put a consistent system together based on what was seen. Behind-the-scenes material suggests that blue-gray was for senior officers, but that only works if Lt. Ilia and a couple of ensigns were senior officers, while lieutenant commanders Sulu and Uhura were not.
I'm somewhat color-blind so I don't always trust my eyes for differences in color, but it seems like there is an in-between color, like Di Falco wore, that is darker than the Sulu/Uhura beige and lighter than the "enlisted" brown.
Looking at HD screenshots of the rec room scene, you come to the following conclusions:
Another thing just to mess with your head is in the scene at the tram station in San Francisco then there is also a dark grey/black uniform as well which, according to behind the scenes info, was for 'shore personnel'.
Unless the Enterprise has thirty-odd departments needing senior officers, then the blue-grey uniforms aren't just for them.
There do seem to be a couple of uniform colours close to one another, a lighter "tan" colour and a darker "beige", then the non-commissioned brown as well.
Another thing just to mess with your head is in the scene at the tram station in San Francisco then there is also a dark grey/black uniform as well which, according to behind the scenes info, was for 'shore personnel'.
We also shouldn't forget that Uhura wore command gold early on in TOS.
There are MANY departments on Naval and civilian maritime ships. Whether they all need their own color is a separate issue. You can designate department assignment with uniform color, stripes, vests, metal pins or anything else you want to have.
How many departments a ship has depends on the size and the type of ship it is. A Cruise ship might have a Casino Department, but not a Survey Department. A Survey ship would have a Survey Department, but almost certainly no casinos.
Navy Ships can have:
Administrative
Aircraft Maintenance
Air
Chaplain
Combat Systems
Communications
Deck
Dental
Engineering
Legal
Maintenance
Medical
Navigation
Operations
Public Affairs
Reactor
Safety
Supply
Training
Weapons
And others beside. No science or survey departments as they are warships, and not research or survey vessels. In civilian ships Deck, Engineering and Sterward's Departments are basic to every ship, esp Deck and Engineering. How many additional departments all depends. A smaller vessel might not have a Safety "Department" for instance, but there might be someone, maybe the 3rd Officer or 3rd Mate, who is the Safety Officer. That may not be their only job. You might need to wear different hats.
How many departments a ship has depends on the size and the type of ship it is. A Cruise ship might have a Casino Department, but not a Survey Department. A Survey ship would have a Survey Department, but almost certainly no casinos.
Navy Ships can have:
Administrative
Aircraft Maintenance
Air
Chaplain
Combat Systems
Communications
Deck
Dental
Engineering
Legal
Maintenance
Medical
Navigation
Operations
Public Affairs
Reactor
Safety
Supply
Training
Weapons
And others beside. No science or survey departments as they are warships, and not research or survey vessels. In civilian ships Deck, Engineering and Sterward's Departments are basic to every ship, esp Deck and Engineering. How many additional departments all depends. A smaller vessel might not have a Safety "Department" for instance, but there might be someone, maybe the 3rd Officer or 3rd Mate, who is the Safety Officer. That may not be their only job. You might need to wear different hats.
Wonder if footage of that screen test exists still. The TNG Season One Bluray set had costume and makeup tests, but Stewart was already wearing the wine-colored uniform.
didn't at some point they use turquoise for science and blue strictly for medical in TNG?
^ No, that was just due to some of the blue uniforms becoming faded from over-washing.
A blue uni that is worn by a regular, such as Beverly, would be more faded than one worn by somebody who's never worn it before (i.e. alt-Picard in "Tapestry"), because a series regular would have their gear washed over and over again - and so it would fade of course. But a "brand new" science character would have a uniform so fresh that it looks like a different color.
So they might appear to be different, but blue is blue.
A blue uni that is worn by a regular, such as Beverly, would be more faded than one worn by somebody who's never worn it before (i.e. alt-Picard in "Tapestry"), because a series regular would have their gear washed over and over again - and so it would fade of course. But a "brand new" science character would have a uniform so fresh that it looks like a different color.
So they might appear to be different, but blue is blue.
Some people say Teal for the VOY and early DS9 uniforms.
I've never seen any difference in the colours or understood why Sciences and Medical would need to be identified by separate colours. The likes of Security and Engineering/Operations however, since they are very different disciplines, would make more sense for a little colour differentiation. To me anyway.
When you're wounded, you want a medic, not an astronomer.
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