Star Trek Uniform Pattern

From LoveToKnow Uniforms

If you're in the market for a Star Trek uniform for a convention or party, in today's market you can find a number of Star Trek uniform patterns that reflect the various television series as well as Star Trek movies.

Original Series Star Trek Uniform Shirt

Star Trek Uniform Colors

Much like historical uniforms from the Civil War or World War II, Star Trek uniform colors denote the wearer's branch of service. However, the colors are not consistent from the original series to Star Trek the Next Generation. In the original series, the captain (Kirk) wore gold and the science officer (Spock) wore blue. When an away team beamed down to the planet, the poor security crew member wearing a red tunic was pretty much assured a swift end to his life by the latest monster or other threat awaiting them. Today it is not uncommon to hear people say, "He's a red shirt," when it is likely a character will be killed.

However, by the time The Next Generation aired, Captain Picard and others in command wore red/burgundy uniforms and Engineering wore gold. Here's a breakdown of the various uniform colors based on branch and categorized by series:

The Original Series

Command and helm – lime-green which often looked yellow or gold on film
Science and medical personnel – blue
Operations, Security, Engineering – red

Start Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

When Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan came out, the crew of the Enterprise had new uniforms. The burgundy single-breasted jacket looked much more military in cut than the original uniforms. A colored band was worn over the right shoulder to denote branch and the color of the turtleneck worn beneath the uniform indicated division.

The Next Generation

Star Trek The Next Generation aired for seven years and during that time their uniforms evolved. The original one piece jumpsuit was considered uncomfortable and impracticable for the long hours of shooting and eventually transformed into a two piece version of the same style. The color of the torso and sleeves of these uniforms indicated the crew member's branch.

Red – Command
gold – Engineering
Blue – Science and Medical

A blue lab coat was also introduced when Gates McFadden, who played Dr. Beverly Crusher, turned up pregnant in real life. The lab coat matched her uniform and concealed her "bump". Dress uniforms introduced in The Next Generation were also worn in Deep Space Nine and Voyager. The design is a jacket/tunic with a hem that falls mid-thigh. It is one solid color, depending on the division in which one served.

Deep Space Nine and Voyager

Deep Space Nine ushered in a new uniform style. The open-necked jumpsuit colors were reversed from those on The Next Generation with colored shoulders indicating branch. A purplish-grey turtleneck was worn under the jumpsuit. This series also introduced the Bajoran military uniform. After the release of Star Trek: First Contact, the grey uniform first introduced through the movie made its way to the Deep Space Nine space station.

Star Trek Uniform Patterns

Star Trek uniform patterns were once hard to come by, but today the iconic popularity of the various Star Trek shows amid sci-fi conventions and collectors, finding patterns is not only easier than ever, but today's selection encompasses all the TV shows as well as many of the movies. The crew of Voyager wore the same uniforms as those on Deep Space Nine.