Thoughts on Discovery Starfleet Uniforms (Trailer Edition)

[137th Gebirg]

I never really had a problem with the Cage uniforms later on in life, but when I was very young and TOS was all there was, I think I found the colors of the tunics very...well...boring. I didn't realize The Cage was even a thing until I saw Menagerie, and had already been "spoiled" by the bright, brilliant primary colors of the production series. Not a big deal now that Trek has a long history and diversity of costume design under its belt, but I found Cage uniforms quite "meh" back then...at least until TMP uniforms came along.

 

[sojourner]

The best thing about the Cage uniforms were the away team jackets, echoed very strongly in the movie monster maroons.

 

[Michael]

The best thing about the Cage uniforms were the away team jackets, echoed very strongly in the movie monster maroons.

Also, the Enterprise field jackets. I really liked those. A shame that they used them so seldomly after the pilot.

 

[fireproof78]

Also, the Enterprise field jackets. I really liked those. A shame that they used them so seldomly after the pilot.

The material was a rather odd one, so I don't think there was a willingness to go back to it.

But, I could be misremebering something too.

 

[F. King Daniel]

How long until someone photoshops or fanmakes the Wrath of Khan "monster maroons" in Discovery's blue with gold trim? I bet it'd look pretty cool.

 

[Michael]

How long until someone photoshops or fanmakes the Wrath of Khan "monster maroons" in Discovery's blue with gold trim? I bet it'd look pretty cool.

Challenge accepted:

 

[Nerys Myk]

Challenge accepted:

A better color than maroon. Greatly improves the costume.

 

[Mirror Mirror]

A better color than maroon. Greatly improves the costume.

It was a real world issue. It was the only color that would dye TMP fabric IIRC

 

[Longinus]

Challenge accepted:

Umm... No.

 

[Mudd]

Looks good.

 

[sojourner]

Challenge accepted:

Now do The Cage grey.

 

[Nerys Myk]

It was a real world issue. It was the only color that would dye TMP fabric IIRC

I thought they only used the TMP uniforms for the enlisted and civilian costumes and the monster maroons were all new.

 

[Mudd]

I thought they only used the TMP uniforms for the enlisted and civilian costumes and the monster maroons were all new.

The officer uniforms were new. But, oddly enough, the color chosen for them was based upon being able to get the wardrobe left over from ST:TMP to match them.

That's how tight the budget was - the design had to permit re-use of existing wardrobe to fill out the ranks.

Supposedly Fletcher experimentally dyed samples from ST:TMP three different colors - gold, steel-blue and maroon. The producers decided that the maroon was the best looking of the three.

 

[Nerys Myk]

The officer uniforms were new. But, oddly enough, the color chosen for them was based upon being able to get the wardrobe left over from ST:TMP to match them.

That's how tight the budget was - the design had to permit re-use of existing wardrobe to fill out the ranks.

Supposedly Fletcher experimentally dyed samples from ST:TMP three different colors - gold, steel-blue and maroon. The producers decided that the maroon was the best looking of the three.

I'd hate to see the steel blue and gold then!

 

[Mirror Mirror]

I'd hate to see the steel blue and gold then!

Well, they did look sharp on film. The others may have looked cheap or not filmed well.

 

[137th Gebirg]

It's all in the lighting.

 

[mos6507]

Or you can just ignore the canon because it's not a big deal and just sit back and enjoy the ride.

If it's not a big deal then why talk about how Discovery revolves around a pivotal moment in Star Trek history?

That's the paradox of Star Trek. The moment you plop a show down into existing continuity you can't ignore canon. You're taking advantage of existing canon as the inspiration for your show. Then you have to decide how you are going to thread the needle between leveraging what your predecessors built and factoring in the passage of real-world time and all of the fashion trends that have come and gone.

 

[Mirror Mirror]

The look is indeed no big deal. The look does not change events, it does not change characters or the names of ships or aliens or anything. The look was often imposed by real world limitations. The Look does not define the era or history of the setting.

 

[mos6507]

That depends on how much fandom sentimentality revolves around the look. SW: Rogue One and Episode VII adhered to the look of the original trilogy despite the 70s-isms.

 

[Mirror Mirror]

That depends on how much fandom sentimentality revolves around the look. SW: Rogue One and Episode VII adhered to the look of the original trilogy despite the 70s-isms.

This is a whole other thing. SW was never " the future" it was always its own thing with a set look

Trek on the other hand has had its look rebooted, over, and over, and over and often heavily limited by budget and technology. We are talking about a look that was totally ditched 48 years ago. Something other than a nod here or there or an anniversary episode was written out of the universe. Its not a big deal to anyone but a few die hard fans that really would not have been happy anyhow.