Voyager Uniforms
- Thread starter Bry_Sinclair
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If I remember well, he got the bridge on nightshifts, during which he played clarinet!
No. I thought the DS9 jumpsuit was an appropriate evolution to the Star Fleet brand of uniforms. I have no idea why Sisko would wear TNG uniforms on Earth; since the outfit was supposed to be outdated, but that's DS9 for ya- nothing ever seemed to make sense after the 3rd season.
It's a military organization and no one got the memo the uniforms are updated??? But this crap started with ST: Generations, and coincidentally the writer of that sh*tty movie became a lead writer and producer of DS9's 4th thru 7th seasons, so I'm not surprised by that lack of organization. It's possible the lack of military experience from the producers is the reason why there's a lack of uniformity. But it's not as if they couldn't hire a consultant for military knowledge?
As for Voyager, the DS9 jumpsuits look great, although it would've been interesting if the crew developed their own sub-culture; making improvements on the by-then dated Star Fleet design.
It seems to me that uniforms in Voyager and DS9 were similar... and much more confortable than those worn in New Generation.
I thought so too, it's a nod to the classic Star Trek jumpsuit pattern seen from time to time in episodes like "This Side of Paradise".
In reality, both were very uncomfortable for the actors to wear. IIRC, Beltran said that because of the foot stirrups and the overall cut of the VOY uniform costumes, they were extremely tight around the shoulders and were prone to giving "atomic wedgies" if you had to kneel in them (Wang split his costume many times during the course of his show).
I can consider it, just like in Star Trek: Generations.
I can consider it, just like in Star Trek: Generations.
Generations showed that both sets of uniforms were in use at the same time, there are 2 possible options:-
The TNG uniform was considered more formal for places like Starfleet fleet headquarters and therefore the uniform of choice on earth, or it was down to the CO's preference as to the uniforms their subordinates used and therefore they preferred the TNG uniforms on earth.
Good thing they got their shit together after the movie First Contact. Can't be respected across the galaxy when CO's were being that uncoordinated.
Uniform organizations will have different uniforms based on task setting and circumstance. DS9's jumpsuits were clearly less formal get your hands dirty work uniforms. Say the equivalent of a uniformed Polo shirt and work pants. Or military in fatigues on duty.
In more formal "business professional" environments personnel would be expected to wear a more appropriate duty uniform. The equivalent of the colarred button down shirt, pressed pants and tie. This is the TNG style uniform. This would likely be the expected dress code when visiting Starfleet Headquarters or the Academy.
And then they have the true formal stuff. The Dress uniforms. We largely only see those on Admirals over the years, with just brief often contradictory uses by the main cast. Thankfully. The early TNG dress uniforms were horribly bad. I think the DS9 Admirral uniforms best captured the formal look without looking absurd.
It can be assumed that the Captain more or less sets the "Uniform of the Day" dress code for their command. Within certain constraints. (Ain't nobody buying into Riker's "naked Friday's") Piccard is at heart a very formal commander steeped in ritual and tradition. Uniform looks and presentation would be important to him. Especially given the Enterprises size and crew compliment. Janeway a more open door one who would allow a less formal more comfortable mode of dress on her much smaller ship. It was a more intimate crew setting. Sisco was a commander in an environment where he expected his crew to be spending their working days rolling up their sleeves and getting filthy. He probably viewed a clean formal uniform as a sign somebody needed more and dirtier work to do.
The strangest thing about Starfleet uniforms was really how overwhelmingly uniform they were. Too uniform in most cases. Especially in situations like the Enterprise. They made an effort early on for some variety with skirts and such but quickly abandoned it. But in a population that large we should have seen a greater spread of task specific modes of dress. Bridge officers would not dress the same as the Engineers or the Medical Staff on a daily basis. And Away Teams certainly would not be clothed the same as shipboard duty officers. The TOS era movies actually did a much better job of capturing this.
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I don't buy that. The Janeway I knew was a CO who had a strict uniform code for star fleet officers. IMO I thought the DS9 uniforms they wore were great looking. DS9 transitioning to the FC uniforms was unfortunate because those uniforms looked more heavier, and less comfortable. I wish they kept their own outfits.
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A strict uniform code does not necessarily equate to needless formality. Under Janeway uniforms were mandatory, and strictly maintained. But in the smaller more intimate setting of Voyager the "Uniform of the Day" was clearly the more comfortable and functional "Work Uniforms". Piccard was a touch more pomp than Janeway.
Janeway was strict. Piccard was formal. There is a difference. And for Sisco if you weren't covered in soot and grease, and possibly still actually on fire you were likely slacking off someplace. It's not like there was ever not something filthy and degrading that needed doing on DS9. (Why do you think Starfleet finally gave up and just hired Rom.)
I don't think they came close to the horrors that were the first season TNG spandex onesies however. The actors loathed those. It's always a shame. The classic TOS uniforms always looked extremely comfortable and livable, once you got past the pirate boots. You would think Trek would have figured out the big rule of "don't force your actors to always wear outfits that require a 3 man wardrobe team to let them pee".
???
There was one only 1 uniform, it's not as if she allowed her crew to be on duty wearing shorts or clothes from the holodeck??? Janeway tended to remain faithful to the DS9 uniform even when Starfleet moved on with the First Contact bland uniforms.
The original TOS uniforms weren't really all that comfortable for some of the actors either. The tunics had a habit of shrinking badly after being washed, and the trousers were often on the snug side for many (during a first season episode, a seam in Kirk's trousers split slightly during a fight sequence). Things got better with the third season TOS uniforms, though.
It's not like Janeway and Voyager were in much of a position to get the Uniform Change Memo's from Starfleet's bureau of Slack's Skirts and Toga's.
But you are still missing my point. Janeway was a stickler for "Proper Uniforming". This means everybody is on the same uniform level. Wearing proper approved, neat clean and presentable Uniforms. Appropriately presenting themselves at all times. But the standard Voyager Uniform of the day was clearly the less formal "Work" or "Duty" DS9 type Uniform. (And we clearly know that that is what those are from DS9 where we see Sisco switch to the more formal or office appropriate TNG style when he visits Starfleet Headquarters). By contrast Piccard likes a bit more pomp and ceremony and attention to tradition in his crew. The Starfleet equivalent of "everybody must wear ties and there is no Casual Friday's". Basically Piccard expects not simply Proper Uniforming but something more akin to Banker's attire, at least among the bridge crew at a minimum. (Except for Troi. I suspect that Piccard long did his best to try and ignore the fact that she was technically a bridge officer for fear she would drive the ship into a planet the first chance she got.) Counter-intuitively Piccard did however allow a broader range in uniforming than Janeway. You did in fact see the shorts and miniskirts on the Enterprise from time to time. And even the occasional mix of Work and Presentation uniforms (at least for Generations /shudder!)
Also one other thing to keep in mind when thinking of Uniforms. Uniforms don't typically change globally all at once. They get rolled out unit by unit. So the Enterprise would likely get the new stuff long before anybody else. Sisco probably only just got the memo to stop wearing the TOS pirate boots when the Dominion showed up.
Given that even in contemporary U.S. military branches there are still "uniforms of the day" depending on station and discretion of the commanding officer, the idea of Sisko wearing the TNG uniform may have been Admiral Leyton's "uniform of the day."
I personally had little issue following DS9's uniforms or any changes. I personally found it quite interesting.
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