why does star fleet have so many uniform changes

[chaos42]

its something that constantly bugs me, all the uniform changes. I don't understand the constant desire by the production crew to keep changing them as it makes little sense. DS9 we saw 3 different uniforms used through out its run. and now picard did it as well with another 2 uniform styles that were unneeded. and barely used as the main characters aren't in uniform most of the time.

Why do these people feel the need to keep changing uniforms. I don't mind if its a slight style thing like with the discovery enterprise crew uniforms ill take that because its been decades, and its an update to a cheap 60s show. i kind of want a series set during the wrath of kahn through the era just before tng so they can't change uniforms as that was in the read overcoat days.

[J!!]

Giving each series a unique visual identity helps to differentiate them from one another in the mind of the audience.

[GreyICE]

In universe or out?

In universe uniforms come out of the replicator. Unlike 20th century organizations, Starfleet has no central logistics to distribute uniforms because of that. Each ship could potentially set their own uniform, and even swap them around.

Out of universe, oh boy the various problems they've had with those uniforms. Oh boy. There's lots of good stories. They rip, they pull tight in places you don't want to pull tight, the shirt tends to ride up. Don't even ask how they got 7 of 9 into that contraption, she's basically wearing a full prosthetic chestplate underneath it.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

And then out out of universe, in real life, you get uniforms that may for the most part be updated in fashion like cars do.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

Also also as Chuck has pointed out, Star Trek First Contact showcased the post dominion conflict uniforms. Much more suited towards a more militaristic operation as opposed to a scientific one.

I really don't have an answer for why DS9's initial uniforms were mostly black. My guess being to set a more streamlined tone for the show centering on interspecies politics instead of one faction with individual roles.

[GreyICE]

I really don't have an answer for why DS9's initial uniforms were mostly black. My guess being to set a more streamlined tone for the show centering on interspecies politics instead of one faction with individual roles.

Memory Alpha gives us this:

The thing that interests me is the reversal on The Next Generation. Starfleet uniforms have a very dignified and ennobling kind of appearance with that very vertical, perfectly done, military-esque kind of structure. In Deep Space Nine, we've taken it in another direction. It's very utilitarian. It's a cross between a NASA jumpsuit and a mechanics jumpsuit. They're very loose fitting and they have those t-shirts, and some people roll up their sleeves so they look like men at work. I like the notion of a kind of looser and more accessible design. There's something about the dignity that was just so wonderful in The Next Generation, but it's a little bit standoffish. There's a kind of propriety about it, and now we've got these guys who kind of open their jackets and their shirts and push their sleeves up and get down to it. It's a very hands-on existence. It's fascinating to me".

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Starfleet_uniform_(late_2360s-early_2370s)

[Beastro]

Why do these people feel the need to keep changing uniforms.

This question loses some of its spirit because so many ask the same fucking question about all the uniform changes the US military branches have been doing over the past twenty years.

Thank God they retired this one recently:



I hear the major push for it was that a sailor died falling into the ocean and drowned before they could find him because he was so well camouflaged. That then raises the entire question as to why the hell they were wearing sea cammo at sea in the first place (Because the other branches had cammo uniforms, that's why).

[chaos42]

the problem i have is that while i understand they want a new uniform for each series some times the constant changing of uniforms in universe makes little to no sense

look at what we have now there are the discovery uniforms and the new versions of the classic tos -plus the cage pilot uniforms then the red over coats then the 2 different tng then the ds9 voyager then the grey shoulders of late ds9 and first contact onward then we have the picard series with 2 more
and the last 2 make little sense as the past one which picard wears during the romulan evac. flash back is very different from the evolution of the uniforms we have seen.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

Perhaps the producers have woven a web that they cannot untangle this time.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

I really don't have an answer for why DS9's initial uniforms were mostly black. My guess being to set a more streamlined tone for the show centering on interspecies politics instead of one faction with individual roles.

Memory Alpha gives us this:

The thing that interests me is the reversal on The Next Generation. Starfleet uniforms have a very dignified and ennobling kind of appearance with that very vertical, perfectly done, military-esque kind of structure. In Deep Space Nine, we've taken it in another direction. It's very utilitarian. It's a cross between a NASA jumpsuit and a mechanics jumpsuit. They're very loose fitting and they have those t-shirts, and some people roll up their sleeves so they look like men at work. I like the notion of a kind of looser and more accessible design. There's something about the dignity that was just so wonderful in The Next Generation, but it's a little bit standoffish. There's a kind of propriety about it, and now we've got these guys who kind of open their jackets and their shirts and push their sleeves up and get down to it. It's a very hands-on existence. It's fascinating to me".

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Starfleet_uniform_(late_2360s-early_2370s)

Well that's something.