VOY: Bride of Chaotica

[McAvoy]

Uniform changes in the real world does happen more often than people think. Not the dress uniforms, they usually stay the same. The Navy for a long time played around with the idea of getting rid of the cra ker jack uniform.

But the working uniforms, the camos, etc they are changed more often than you think.

US Navy went from the classic light blue work shirt, dark pants dungarees with white sailor hat to similar color scheme but now with a lighter material. During this time they also went from basically spray painting the rank, name and branch on the uniform to stitched patches and the command ball cap. Then within ten years the US Navy discarded that whole uniform style to the 'aquaflage' that you see now. But from when they were introduced back in 2009 to now they have undergone some improvements.

Summary: the US Navy went through three major uniform changes on one type from 1999-2009. Not including small changes and additions.

You are going to make me go back thirty years. USAF Just leaving olive drab uniform behind for jungle camo BDU's. Sewn on tags to a velcro patch for your rank etc. To desert camo BDU all in four years?

As to the Enterprise crew wearing different uniforms on the ship. Barksdale did not come around and toss new uniforms to everyone at once. They phased out old uniforms. So as you picked up a new uniform you might still have a jungle BDU and the new desert BDU.

Yep. Uniforms change alot in real life.

Anyway, Trek changing uniforms is one of least problematic things for me. Actually having two types of uniforms during the TNG and DS9 days wasn't even an issue because of the number of different uniforms Starfleet could have.

Seems like they were transitioning to that uniform. Then dropped it shortly afterwards for the First Contact uniform which stuck. Even then that isn't out of the realm of possibility in real life either. Voyager is an oddball though, as they should have transitioned the moment they regained contact with Starfleet on a regular basis.

Something something energy consumption.

Something something holodecks.

[stryke]

Something something holodecks.

I did appreciate Lower Decks attempt to make some sense at that.

I also do wonder what the ven diagram of how much someone cares about Trek uniforms and how much someone sees Starfleet as a military looks like.

[CharlesPhipps]

Something something holodecks.

I did appreciate Lower Decks attempt to make some sense at that.

I also do wonder what the ven diagram of how much someone cares about Trek uniforms and how much someone sees Starfleet as a military looks like.

I imagine it's more being enormous nerds about lore than being a military.

[Nealithi]

Uniform changes in the real world does happen more often than people think. Not the dress uniforms, they usually stay the same. The Navy for a long time played around with the idea of getting rid of the cra ker jack uniform.

But the working uniforms, the camos, etc they are changed more often than you think.

US Navy went from the classic light blue work shirt, dark pants dungarees with white sailor hat to similar color scheme but now with a lighter material. During this time they also went from basically spray painting the rank, name and branch on the uniform to stitched patches and the command ball cap. Then within ten years the US Navy discarded that whole uniform style to the 'aquaflage' that you see now. But from when they were introduced back in 2009 to now they have undergone some improvements.

Summary: the US Navy went through three major uniform changes on one type from 1999-2009. Not including small changes and additions.

You are going to make me go back thirty years. USAF Just leaving olive drab uniform behind for jungle camo BDU's. Sewn on tags to a velcro patch for your rank etc. To desert camo BDU all in four years?

As to the Enterprise crew wearing different uniforms on the ship. Barksdale did not come around and toss new uniforms to everyone at once. They phased out old uniforms. So as you picked up a new uniform you might still have a jungle BDU and the new desert BDU.

Yep. Uniforms change alot in real life.

Anyway, Trek changing uniforms is one of least problematic things for me. Actually having two types of uniforms during the TNG and DS9 days wasn't even an issue because of the number of different uniforms Starfleet could have.

Seems like they were transitioning to that uniform. Then dropped it shortly afterwards for the First Contact uniform which stuck. Even then that isn't out of the realm of possibility in real life either. Voyager is an oddball though, as they should have transitioned the moment they regained contact with Starfleet on a regular basis.

It is Voyager, but one reason not to transition the uniforms is the whole replicator power shortage thing that made them install a kitchen. The uniforms might be too low a priority to keep up on. They probably also introduced a laundry on the ship so the old uniforms lasted longer.
Of course now I am imagining a MASH like episode where Neelix over starches Janeway's undies.

[Madner Kami]

They wear the appropriate uniforms for when they left the Alpha Quadrant and unless they meet up with Starfleet for real and in persona, there's just no pressing need to update their dress code.

That the US is changing their uniforms like others proverbially change their underwear these days, is kind of an abberation though. You always had small evolutionary steps when it came to uniform changes, but larger changes generally take more time, historically speaking and usually were caused by paradigm-shifts or equipment changes (e.g. the switch from fancy pants to Napoleonic uniforms or roman army fatigues and armor or the evolution from the tricorn to bicorns or the appaerance of the tricorn in the first place).

[McAvoy]

They wear the appropriate uniforms for when they left the Alpha Quadrant and unless they meet up with Starfleet for real and in persona, there's just no pressing need to update their dress code.

That the US is changing their uniforms like others proverbially change their underwear these days, is kind of an abberation though. You always had small evolutionary steps when it came to uniform changes, but larger changes generally take more time, historically speaking and usually were caused by paradigm-shifts or equipment changes (e.g. the switch from fancy pants to Napoleonic uniforms or roman army fatigues and armor or the evolution from the tricorn to bicorns or the appaerance of the tricorn in the first place).

Well part of the US changing uniforms is part of the paradigm shift you are talking when they went from a flat olive or whatever color like in WW2 to forest camp to the various interactions of digi camo. Though camo variations and improvements would count as incremental improvements.

I am not well versed with other countries and their uniform changes so I could assume that if their changes are few and far in between, then we could also assume the US does it mainly because the US military budget is gigantic.

So before Disco, the uniform changes I had no problem with. Hell even the first season of Disco wasn't that big of a problem either with the idea that they would eventually go to SNW/TOS uniforms.

Even the short lived TMP uniforms could have been around for awhile. There is a large time gap IU between TMP and TWK. About fifteen years.

[Madner Kami]

The TMP-uniforms can't have been around for even 10 years. The USS Bozeman vanishes in 2278 and Frasier's crew is clearly wearing the Wrath-uniforms, marking the earliest known appearance of that uniform. The last time we see the TOS-uniform is in "Turnabout Intruder", which happens in 2269. So it's 9 years or less.

[Deledrius]

The answer to why so many uniforms is very simple: it gives each show a separate visual identity, so that the audience can tell at a glance which show they are watching.

Personally, I think that's a good enough reason to suspend a bit of disbelief.

I think giving each show a separate visual identity through uniforms solely for that reason is a contradiction. A minor one in the grand scheme, but it's telling on the behind-the-scenes attitude toward the franchise. Ironic considering they want to build it into a "Cinematic Universe".

If the audience can't tell what show they're watching, I don't think putting shirts that say DISCO on them is going to help that sort of deficiency.

[McAvoy]

The TMP-uniforms can't have been around for even 10 years. The USS Bozeman vanishes in 2278 and Frasier's crew is clearly wearing the Wrath-uniforms, marking the earliest known appearance of that uniform. The last time we see the TOS-uniform is in "Turnabout Intruder", which happens in 2269. So it's 9 years or less.

Yeah I said that not really knowing when Frazier's ship showed up.

[Madner Kami]

The TMP-uniforms can't have been around for even 10 years. The USS Bozeman vanishes in 2278 and Frasier's crew is clearly wearing the Wrath-uniforms, marking the earliest known appearance of that uniform. The last time we see the TOS-uniform is in "Turnabout Intruder", which happens in 2269. So it's 9 years or less.

Yeah I said that not really knowing when Frazier's ship showed up.

To be fair, we could assume that Frasier's uniform is an outlier and simple continuity error. If that were the case, the TMP uniforms could have been around from 2270 to 2085.