In the early 2270s, a new Starfleet uniform design was introduced over the previous design, with many different variations. Most were gray, white, brown or beige, and came either in a one-piece jumpsuit or with matching trousers and tops.
These uniforms bore rank insignia on the sleeve or on shoulder tabs. The Enterprise arrowhead emblem was adopted as Starfleet's insignia and was worn on the chest by shipboard personnel and flag officers. Base personnel, like those on Epsilon IX, continued to wear duty badges unique to their assigned base.
Distinctive features of this period included a life-support monitor belt buckle and shoes attached the trousers. This style of uniform was phased out by 2278.
- This was evidenced by the USS Bozeman's crew in TNG: "Cause and Effect".
Department color code
These uniforms indicated department by a colored circle behind the mission patch, according to this color code:
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USS Enterprise/Starfleet Command insignia with color codes |
- White – command division
- Orange – sciences division, scientific research and technical branches
- Green – sciences division, medical branch
- Red – operations division, engineering and maintenance branches
- Gold – operations division (communications branch), command division (helm and navigation branches)
- Grey – operations division, security and services branches
- These uniforms were seen in Star Trek: The Motion Picture only. Parts were recycled into the crew jumpsuits seen in later films and the lab coats of the Regula personnel in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
Uniforms
Service tunic
The service tunic was a two-piece uniform, all one color (either blue-gray or beige), with integrated footwear. The tunic was worn untucked, and had a life-support monitor belt buckle. Rank insignia were worn as sleeve stripes, and an assignment patch showing a division color was attached to the tunic chest.
A variant of this tunic had a high, folded-down, V-neck collar.
Duty jumpsuit
The duty jumpsuit was a one-piece uniform with integrated footwear, all one color (blue-gray or beige for senior personnel, brown or white for enlisted and technicians). Rank was shown by division color epaulet insignia, and an assignment patch (also showing division color) was attached to the chest.
Duty tunic
The duty tunic was part of a two-piece uniform, a shirt worn in substitution for the more formal service tunic. This tunic featured a V-neck collar, and came in short sleeve variations. Rank was shown by division color epaulet insignia, and an assignment patch (also showing division color) was attached to the tunic chest. The V-neck tunics were available in beige and blue-gray, although some officers wore a white tunic with blue-gray pants.
For use in the medical department, a white duty tunic variant with a folded-down collar was used, with a caduceus in place of the assignment patch.
Dress tunic
The dress uniform tunic for flag officers was a two-piece uniform with dark gray pants and tunic of white and dark gray, with a high collar. Rank was shown by both epaulets and sleeve stripes, and a gold Starfleet Command pin was worn on the chest.
Rear Admiral James T. Kirk wore this type of uniform in his assignment at Starfleet Headquarters on Earth, when he was Chief of Starfleet Operations.
- It is not clear if this dress uniform could be worn by lower ranks of officers and enlisted personnel, or if their dress used different gray, beige, or brown color schemes.
- Kirk's dress uniform was originally the model intended be worn by all cast members. The director, Robert Wise, wanted a more monochromatic look, resulting in the version seen on screen. The actual color of this uniform is closer to a loden green than a grey, with white accents.
Excursion jacket
Protective uniforms
Body armor
Starship and base Security personnel wore body armor complete with helmets. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)
Spacesuit
See: Environmental suit
Examples of rank insignia
- This chart represents the rank insignia seen on screen throughout these uniforms' appearance. Production notes indicated that the rank of Lieutenant junior grade might not have been in use during this period. Enlisted ranks apparently had no insignia. No commodore, vice admiral, full admiral, or fleet admiral were seen, and their insignia is conjectural.
Starfleet uniform styles | |
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By era: | 2140s-Early 2160s • Mid 2160s • 2230s • Late 2230s-2250s • 2250s-Early 2270s • Mid 2270s • Late 2270s-2350s • 2350s-2370s • Late 2360s-Early 2370s • 2370s-Early 2380s • Early 2380s • Mid 2380s • Late 2390s • Early 2400s • 29th century • 32nd century |
By type: | Casual duty attire • Alternate & parallel uniforms • Alternate reality uniforms • Fictional uniforms • Terran Empire uniforms |
Related topics: | Assignment patch • MACO uniform and equipment • Starfleet decorations • Starfleet insignia • Starfleet ranks • Terran Empire ranks • Uniform |
Background
Robert Fletcher designed the uniforms and insignia seen throughout the movies. The Enterprise insignia and rank system were originally designed by William Ware Theiss.
George Takei stated that this version of the uniform was not comfortable, and that because of the way it was designed it required assistance to be removed – even for minor things such as using the restroom. He stated that the redesigned uniform featured in the rest of the films with the original series cast was brought about because of the cast's reluctance to film any further films with this version of the uniform.