New uniforms in season two?

[asp7485]

Hello all,

Obviously, the overall uniform design stayed the same in seasons one and two, but there appear to be some minor differences. Particularly, compare Picard's uniform in those two seasons. The raised black area coming up just on his abdomen seems to be less pronounced in season two. Also, the colors look a little different on all the uniforms. I wonder if they made new ones or modified them for season two somehow?

Just a small observation...anyone else notice?

-Aaron

 

[Christopher]

I don't know about those specifics you mention, but the show did have different costume designers in its first few seasons -- William Ware Theiss (of TOS) in the first season, Durinda Rice Wood in the second, and finally Robert Blackman in the third and subsequent seasons. So it's quite possible that Wood made some revisions to Theiss's designs.

There were a number of changes between the first and second seasons, such as some tweaks to the design of the bridge and a new forehead design and sash for Worf. Not to mention moving Geordi to a new post and replacing the chief medical officer. And of course the abandonment of Deanna's grey outfit and severe hairstyle. It seemed there was an overall effort at the start of the second season to refine things throughout the production, so it's reasonable that costumes would've been included.

 

[CaptainJon]

I don't know if there was any difference made to the colors of the uniforms, but it could possibly be either they used a slightly different material, or maybe it's that the overall color quality of the film changed between the first two seasons, because it's not just the colors of the uniforms that's different, but all the sets themselves.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

It's possible that Stewart had a new uniform constructed for season two for a number of reasons (comfort, etc.), and from the IAW and Christies auctions, we know that it isn't unusual for the principal actors to have had more than one of the same uniform or outfit.

In the defunct Paramount issued Star Trek: The Magazine, Durinda Rice Wood stated that had she been given the chance to redesign the Starfleet uniforms that she'd have made them more monochromatic much like the design she came up with for Wesley's acting ensign uniform. I don't recall her stating much in the way of tweaking Theiss' design, just that she had to create new uniforms for Geordi and Worf in their new department colors. She did, however, state having to come up with something more comfortable and flattering for Muldar.

 

[Christopher]

In the defunct Paramount issued Star Trek: The Magazine, Durinda Rice Wood stated that had she been given the chance to redesign the Starfleet uniforms that she'd have made them more monochromatic much like the design she came up with for Wesley's acting ensign uniform.

Interesting, because that's pretty much the direction they went in First Contact and after.

 

[Ro_Laren]

And of course the abandonment of Deanna's grey outfit and severe hairstyle.

Deanna's hairstyles and outfits were always changing! They changed almost as much as Janeway's hairstyles. The poor women of Trek...

 

[WillsBabe]

Here are a couple of shots from season 1 and season 2 (I'll leave it to you to decide which is which ). There does seem to be some difference to the blocks of the uniform, but that might just be the angle of the photos:

 

[Trekfan21]

I would expect new uniforms for the principals each year. You have weight fluctuations, changes in the body as you age, etc...I don't know how much it was possible to alter the original spandex uniforms.

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

Teh cut does appear a little different in the second season. I think they loosened it up a bit to accomodate the actors, given how active they tended to be in them. Some actors were complaining of back pain due to the spandex tightening down on them when they were standing around between takes; we also freely saw how sweaty the non-breatheable fabrics made some of them.

Mark

 

[Roberticvs]

Stewart mentioned in an interview that the first season uniforms were always "riding up", and that you frequently saw the actors pulling them back down again, even on camera.

 

[Ro_Laren]

Stewart mentioned in an interview that the first season uniforms were always "riding up", and that you frequently saw the actors pulling them back down again, even on camera.

AKA "The Picard Maneuver!"

 

[WillsBabe]

changes in the body as you age, etc

What changes in your body as you age mean you need new clothes?

 

[Trekfan21]

Costumes always have to look good on screen. I doubt by year 2 or 3 that any of the actors could wear the same uniforms they wore for the pilot. As you age, things like bone density and posture change. Weight will fluctuate - and where you gain weight changes as well. Most of the actors put on weight through the course of the series. All of these things may necessitate that you get new clothes or have clothes altered. Spiner and Frakes look very fit in those early season photos, but they were not in the same shape by the end of the series.

 

[asp7485]

It seems that Stewart did a good job keeping up his appearance. He certainly looked fine when "All Good Things..." placed in the spandex uniform again. Obviously, Frakes really let himself go. I once read somewhere that, by season seven, Brent Spiner was the only cast member that didn't need padding under the uniform to enhance his figure. (I remember once seeing the padding Dorn wore under his uniform on a DVD special feature and being very surprised!)

-Aaron

 

[HoundDog]

changes in the body as you age, etc

What changes in your body as you age mean you need new clothes?

Shrinking?

 

[WillsBabe]

Okay, I hear what you're saying about aging and clothing, but I guess I'm not buying it to any great extent. It's probably because I don't really notice that my body's changed that much over the last 30 odd years I've been an adult to make me change the clothes I wear. OTOH, the weight gain is certainly a reason.

 

[RapidNadion]

Body type changes tend to me more extreme in actors in these types of roles, due to the fact that the Hollywood "marketable actor" is typically very lean, toned, cut, or some combination of all three. Remaining cast-able demands that kind of physical upkeep. I'd imagine that once you're cast in a long-term role and have some job security in the form of a contract, it becomes a bit easier to skip workouts, indulge at dinner, etc.

As for the topic at hand: I definitely see the difference in Stewart's jumpsuit (look at the black stomach "arrow" area -- it's a smooth line in the season 1 pic, and it's broken by the zipper in the season 2 pic). But I'd argue that many of the changes you're seeing in costume and set color (aside from obvious things like carpet changes, wall panel swap-outs, etc) are due to lighting, which changed drastically over the course of seasons 1, 2, and 3, and has a phenomenal impact on how costumes and makeup appear on screen. For an example of this, consider how the six-foot Enterprise-D model (actually duck-egg blue) appears silver on screen, and how the exact opposite effect happened to its 1960s predecessor. Lighting is a crucial, yet often overlooked, element of how a show's various pieces come across on the screen.

 

[Snaploud]

Okay, I hear what you're saying about aging and clothing, but I guess I'm not buying it to any great extent. It's probably because I don't really notice that my body's changed that much over the last 30 odd years I've been an adult to make me change the clothes I wear. OTOH, the weight gain is certainly a reason.

Those uniforms are probably a lot tighter than anything you wear on a daily basis. I could be wrong, though.

 

[WillsBabe]

^That's true.

 

[Doug Otte]

Body type changes tend to me more extreme in actors in these types of roles, due to the fact that the Hollywood "marketable actor" is typically very lean, toned, cut, or some combination of all three. Remaining cast-able demands that kind of physical upkeep. I'd imagine that once you're cast in a long-term role and have some job security in the form of a contract, it becomes a bit easier to skip workouts, indulge at dinner, etc.

...that and the fact that, when they're settled into a steady job, they can afford to indulge at dinner, etc. The regular paycheck has a big impact on removing one from the "salad days."

Doug