Every time I see Picard or Riker or anyone else tug on their shirt when they stand up or start walking, it makes me want to stand up and pull my shirt down. 

I think every Starfleet uniform costume is uncomfortable to some degree, especially the jumpsuit ones which tend to be very tight. I remember reading somewhere that the early DS9/VOY uniforms were the worst (tight around the shoulders and prone to giving the actors atomic wedgies when sitting down).
It was (iirc) the elastic nature of the material the costume were made of, they constantly pulled downward on the actors shoulders. It took a slight but ongoing effort just to stand up straight.I remember an interview with Patrick Stewart where he described having back problems from how tight the early TNG uniforms were. In fact I think he took some kind of labor action to get them to change.
I think the most comfortable uniforms that have ever been made for a Trek production have to be the "aboard-ship" uniforms from '09 and Into Darkness. They appear to be just military-style boots, black trousers, a black under-shirt, and the colored uniform tops. They look like the only uncomfortable thing with them is when the actors put on their utility belts.
http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121213193906/memoryalpha/en/images/c/c0/Operations_uniform%2C_2258.jpg
By the 24th century, we'll probably have elastic materials that fit like a second skin and are so unobtrusive, you'll feel as if you're barely wearing anything at all. Unfortunately, the costumers of Trek TNG had to work with late-20th-century fabrics.It was (iirc) the elastic nature of the material the costume were made of, they constantly pulled downward on the actors shoulders. It took a slight but ongoing effort just to stand up straight.I remember an interview with Patrick Stewart where he described having back problems from how tight the early TNG uniforms were. In fact I think he took some kind of labor action to get them to change.
The same thing was true for the ENT uniforms. The black undershirt was more or less a sleeveless bib (Montgomery was once interviewed while wearing it between takes).I think every Starfleet uniform costume is uncomfortable to some degree, especially the jumpsuit ones which tend to be very tight. I remember reading somewhere that the early DS9/VOY uniforms were the worst (tight around the shoulders and prone to giving the actors atomic wedgies when sitting down).
On the other hand, Colm Meaney (Chief O'Brien) is said to have prefered them, having had long experience with the various (apparently even less comfortable) TNG versions, and seeing the early DS9 ones as being relatively less restrictive in those particular areas.![]()
I remember reading somewhere, and please someone correct me if I'm wrong, that the DS9/VOY versions and the First Contact ones were likely built in 'hero' variants. In other words, they look quite bulky, like they've got several layers underneath etc, but more likely than not the costumes may have been sewn with false undershirts into the collars etc, to make them easier for the actors to act in. Only when the action in a script actually required a character to take off the top shirt was a "full" version substituted.
IIRC, Bruce Greenwood hated the original Star Trek XI uniforms (the original trousers were heavy dark brownish-gray biker pants that he found not very comfortable). In Star Trek XII, they were replaced with more conventional dark gray trousers made of a lighter material.I think the most comfortable uniforms that have ever been made for a Trek production have to be the "aboard-ship" uniforms from '09 and Into Darkness. They appear to be just military-style boots, black trousers, a black under-shirt, and the colored uniform tops. They look like the only uncomfortable thing with them is when the actors put on their utility belts.
When I used to do a bit of acting fifteen years ago now, it was always standard practice in the theater for the costumes, especially the more elaborate ones, to be sewn to look good but not be terribly practical beyond simple wearability. For example, I once played a gunslinger in a play, and the costume was a one-piece that looked like the full thing. It looked like I was wearing all the regalia: the vest, undershirt, chaps etc, but in reality it was all sewn into this one-piece that simply slipped on over my regular clothes. The only 'practical' part of the costume was a duster jacket that was worn over the top of the one-piece (which also helped disguise that it wasn't a full outfit). Smoke and mirrors, the power of illusion, did the rest in the minds of the audience.The same thing was true for the ENT uniforms. The black undershirt was more or less a sleeveless bib (Montgomery was once interviewed while wearing it between takes).I think every Starfleet uniform costume is uncomfortable to some degree, especially the jumpsuit ones which tend to be very tight. I remember reading somewhere that the early DS9/VOY uniforms were the worst (tight around the shoulders and prone to giving the actors atomic wedgies when sitting down).
I remember reading somewhere, and please someone correct me if I'm wrong, that the DS9/VOY versions and the First Contact ones were likely built in 'hero' variants. In other words, they look quite bulky, like they've got several layers underneath etc, but more likely than not the costumes may have been sewn with false undershirts into the collars etc, to make them easier for the actors to act in. Only when the action in a script actually required a character to take off the top shirt was a "full" version substituted.
They had front zippers.The TNG ones especially the first two seasons have to rank the least favorable. When I was a kid I used to think about how in the world did they make it to the rest room having to zip the back of that down.
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