The Starfleet uniform of the 2250s experienced a slight change due to an alteration of the timeline by the renegade Romulan Nero. As a result of Nero's changes, which included the premature death of George Kirk and the destruction of the USS Kelvin, Starfleet by the mid 2250s was using a different uniform than that which had been seen in the "normal" timeline.

The original uniform of the late 2250s and early 2260s had seemingly phased out as early as 2255, and in its place, Starfleet was using the same "red/gold/blue" shirt design which in the prime reality was not introduced until at least 2266. The rank insignia had also changed slightly, consisting of silver bands on the sleeve, but with a thinner secondary band, rather than the previously used "hashmarks", for the ranks of lieutenant commander and captain.

The Starfleet insignia of this reality was the delta/arrowhead design for all personnel, contrasted with unique insignia for each ship or base in the "prime" reality. The arrowhead design was originally the insignia of the "prime" Enterprise only and was not adopted as the insignia for all of Starfleet until about 2270. (Star Trek)

Contents 1 Duty uniforms 1.1 Medical outfit 1.2 EV suit 2 Dress uniform 3 Academic uniforms 4 Assignment patches 5 Rank insignia 6 Appendices 6.1 Background information

Duty uniformsEdit

The duty uniform consisted of a black undershirt, and a colored overshirt featuring the officer's division color and the Starfleet insignia. The undershirts also featured the arrowhead design present on the overshirt. It was acceptable for cadets and those unassigned to Starfleet to wear a Starfleet undershirt.

Rank stripes were displayed on the sleeves. Black pants and boots were issued with the uniform. Female officers wore either a uniform similar to the standard male uniform or alternatively short-skirted uniform not dissimilar from the prime universe equivalent - which itself had two variations, one with no sleeves and one with full sleeves. Without the sleeves however, these dresses did not display the rankings of each officer on them.

Medical outfitEdit

Some medical officers wore a white overcoat, white trousers or a white skirt.

EV suitEdit

The EV suit was used for operations within unstable atmospheres. The suit was available in all three division colors with a Starfleet insignia displayed prominently in the center of the chest piece and featured breathing equipment, including a helmet and oxygen, for use outside of Class M environments. It could also be equipped with a parachute for orbital skydiving missions.

Dress uniformEdit

Officers and cadets wore a red jumpsuit with a stand collar. For ceremonial occasions, a red jacket is worn over the jumpsuit and the Starfleet insignia was displayed prominently on the collar of the jacket. On some occasions they wore a red cap. Admirals and flag officers wore a separate uniform for ceremonial purposes. Admiral Christopher Pike wore one such uniform when transferring command of the Enterprise to James T. Kirk.

Academic uniformsEdit

Starfleet cadets wore a simple blue-gray jumpsuit with the familiar Starfleet insignia on the left chest and no rank or class insignia. Barracks officers wore a black version of the dress uniform. This uniform is also used by officers serving as instructors at Starfleet Academy. Executive officers wore a silver tunic without any division colors, as well as a cap of the same design with the Federation emblem on the front.

While the caps are never shown in detail in the film itself, footage from the DVD "Gag Reel" includes a shot of three extras in these uniforms, in which the UFP crest is clearly visible.

Assignment patchesEdit

Rank insigniaEdit

Ensign	Lieutenant	Lieutenant commander
Commander	Captain	Admiral

The insignia used in the 2250s consisted of silver bands worn on the lower sleeve of the uniforms of line officers, or gold bands for flag officers. Enlisted personnel and officers holding the rank of ensign wore no rank insignia. As seen with Admiral Pike, Admirals can also wear epaulettes on their shoulders.

Starfleet uniform styles
By era:	22nd century • 2230s • Mid 23rd century-2265 • Alternate reality 2250s • 2265-2270s • Early 2270s • Late 2270s-2350s • 2350s-2370s • Late 2360s-Early 2370s • 2373
By type:	Casual duty attire • Terran Empire uniforms • Alternate Starfleet uniforms • Fictional Starfleet uniforms
Related topics:	MACO uniform and equipment • Assignment patch • Starfleet insignia • Starfleet ranks • Starfleet decorations

Appendices Edit

Background information Edit

The uniforms seen in the film Star Trek were designed by Michael Kaplan. They are quite different from the pilot uniforms seen in "The Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before". It can be assumed that Nero's time tampering had something to do with the shift, although the real-life explanation is that the uniforms seen in Star Trek were intended to associate the audience with the much more familiar Original Series uniforms seen through the late 1960s, in contrast to the pilot uniforms, which were only seen in two episodes. A similar situation arose in "Friday's Child" where Leonard McCoy is shown in a flashback video wearing an Enterprise tunic whereas, historically, he should have been wearing an earlier pilot episode uniform. The filmmakers expressed surprise in Star Trek - The Art of the Film that the classic uniforms were never used in a film.

Kaplan explained in The Art of the Film that he selected red for the dress uniforms because of the strong patriotic feel the color gave. Admiral Pike's dress uniform was based on Admiral Kirk's dress tunic from Star Trek: The Motion Picture.