TrekCulture breaks down the 10 secrets of Star Trek: The Next Generation uniforms.
The history of Star Trek: The Next Generation is long and complicated but no one really thought the uniforms would be one of the more complicated parts of the show’s lore. From not being allowed to have zippers, to wrinkles not existing in the future and Jean-Luc Picard’s slick as heck jacket from season three or so.
The Next Generation was constantly upgrading or changing their wardrobe.
So thanks to TrekCulture for their work on the video “10 Secrets of the Next Generation Uniforms You Didn’t Know”, because some of these facts were truly unknown to me and many others. While Star Trek is about characters, it’s a show that incorporates other things. The ship is a big part of the situation, but the attire set the tone.
Without a good ship or cleverly designed outfits, you lose part of what makes Star Trek what it is.
The Star Trek: The Next Generation uniforms had an identity crisis.
The uniforms arguably changed more on Star Trek: The Next Generation than on any other series in Trek. Counting the “skants” and Deep Space Nine loaner uniforms used in Star Trek: Generations, as well as the aborted designs or that film, the series saw at least seven variations on the uniforms.
There were the one-piece and two-piece outfits. There were the skirts and unisexual skants. There were the DS9 outfits, the aborted Generation designs, and the eventual navy-inspired jumpers used in First Contact and beyond.
That doesn’t even factor in Wesley’s ensign uniform, Guinan’s frocks, or whatever the heck Deanna Troi wore.
The Next Generation era of uniforms was constantly changing and it showed. The two good things that came out of it were Jean-Luc Picard’s tuck mannerism and the eventual navy-inspired jumpers from First Contact.