Starfleet uniform (2350s-2370s)

Warning! This page contains information regarding Star Trek: Lower Decks, and thus may contain spoilers.

In the early 2350s, the Starfleet uniform was completely redesigned. Closer in appearance to those in service during the late 2260s, the new Starfleet uniform spawned several variants, most notably in 2366, and inspired versions yet to come.

The next major redesign came in the late 2360s, and was used in conjunction with this design for a few years before both styles were completely phased out.

Standard duty uniform[]

Type A[]

Introduced as early as 2353, the standard Starfleet duty uniform in use aboard Starfleet starships, at starbases, and at Starfleet Headquarters on Earth, consisted of form-fitting jumpsuits, primarily black but prominently displaying the wearers' division of service. (TNG: "Suddenly Human", "Encounter at Farpoint")

As with earlier Starfleet uniforms, the divisions were distinguished by color, with red for command, gold for operations, and blue for sciences, but switching the command and operations division colors from the earlier uniform designs, while the science division color stayed the same, with the colors shown on the chest, back and sleeves, as well as in piping along the shoulders, collar, and pant cuffs.

Worn with a Starfleet insignia combadge on the left breast, this uniform also displayed rank insignia – in the form of round pips – below the collar on the right side.

Closing at the front, the Starfleet uniform was adaptable for away team missions, including areas to attach phasers, tricorders or other equipment. While most officers wore the single-piece duty uniform, variants were available, such as the "skant" and medical skant versions.

While an updated version of this uniform was introduced in 2366, the 2350s variation remained in service, usually for lower-ranking personnel. This 2350s uniform disappeared from common use between 2367 and 2370. (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint", "The Child", "Shades of Gray", "Suddenly Human", "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II", "Violations", "All Good Things..."; ENT: "These Are the Voyages...")

A similar uniform design was in use by the Starfleet of the alternate reality by 2379. (DIS: "Terra Firma, Part 1")

Skant[]

Introduced alongside the standard duty uniform jumpsuit, a skirt or "skant"-style uniform was also available to Starfleet officers as early as 2364. Similar to its jumpsuit counterpart, the skant uniform was a short-sleeved dress that could be worn with or without trousers, and included knee high, or shorter, black boots.

It was worn by all genders – though men tended to wear the shorter boots – until it was phased out of service in early 2365. (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint", "Where No One Has Gone Before", "The Child", "All Good Things...") In 2381, Ensign Mariner asserted that "nobody wears those anymore," in response to Ensign Boimler's suggestion that they wear skants to the Command Conference held at Starbase 25. (LD: "An Embarrassment Of Dooplers")

Transitional versions[]

A transitional version, between the Type A and Type B, of the uniform, introduced in early 2366, was designed with two vertical seams down the front of the jacket and dart seams in the underarm areas to create a more tailored look. The male design lacked the waistband found in the final Type B jacket revision. (TNG: "The Survivors") The uniforms were gradually phased out over a few months. (TNG: "The Price")

In 2366, one junior officer wore an unusual hybrid of the two primary uniform designs: a Type A one-piece uniform with division-colored shoulder and ankle piping, but featuring the Type B collar with neckline piping. (TNG: "Sarek")

Type B[]

Beginning in 2366, a new uniform variation was introduced to officers serving in Starfleet.

Retaining the same, distinct two-tone style as before, the newer version featured a higher, more formal collar. Division color piping was relocated from the yoke to the top of the collar, leaving a flat black look. The combadge remained on the left breast. Division colors were retained, with wine-red for command/helm, mustard-yellow for operations/security, and teal-blue for science/medical. Uniforms also came with a division color undershirt beneath the uniform jacket that was tucked into the pants just below the breast. (TNG: "Ensign Ro")

This alteration to the standard duty uniform was introduced to senior officers only at first, but was ultimately trickled down to lower-ranking crewmembers by 2368. Still, while all officers aboard starships wore the same basic uniform, senior officers and department heads generally wore the belted version while other crew members wore the tighter, non-belted versions.

Officers continued to wear this style uniform, even after the introduction of the next uniform redesign, which at first was used only aboard starbases. Still, while the two uniforms were worn in service together (giving officers aboard ship a greater choice of wardrobe), the more formal duty uniform fell out of use aboard starships by 2371. It continued to see use by officers serving at Starfleet Command on Earth or in other diplomatic service as late as 2374. (TNG: "Evolution"; DS9: "Tears of the Prophets"; VOY: "Caretaker")

Captain's variant[]

In 2368, Starfleet had a uniform variant jacket made available to commanding officers in service aboard starships. (TNG: "Darmok", "Unification I", "Cause And Effect", "A Fistful of Datas")

Maternity uniform[]

This appears to be a looser-fitting uniform designed to better accommodate the growth of a crew member while pregnant. (TNG: "All Good Things...")

Uniform undershirt[]

The Type B uniform had a sleeveless undershirt in the wearer's division color, worn beneath the uniform jacket and tucked into the uniform pants just below the breast. (TNG: "Ensign Ro")

Flag officer uniform[]

Type A[]

Sometime before 2358, this uniform was available to Starfleet flag officers.

This uniform consisted of a double-breasted jacket that could presumably be opened like the jacket of the previous style, along with a featureless black belt, pants, and boots. The jacket opening was trimmed in gold, as were the black shoulders and large black cuffs. Gold trim also ran down the back in the same manner that black piping had ran down the back of the previous uniform style. Rank insignia was worn on the right shoulder just above the trim halfway between the jacket opening and the center of the collar, as well as on the cuffs. (VOY: "Coda")

Type B[]

This uniform variant, available to Starfleet admirals and other higher-ranking flag officers as early as 2364, featured a design distinguishing it from the standard duty uniform.

Consisting of a short, burgundy and black tunic, with black trousers, this uniform featured gold braid at the yoke, shoulders and collar. It was also marked by a distinct wedge of black material extending from the right shoulder down to the left waist. (TNG: "Too Short A Season", "Coming of Age", "Conspiracy")

Type C[]

As early as 2365, another admiral's service uniform was available. Consisting of a short tunic top, with gold braid and yoke piping, the uniform was worn with black trousers.

The uniform rank insignia was displayed as a box-shaped insignia with pips inside, on either side of a high collar. (TNG: "The Emissary", "The Measure Of A Man")

Type D[]

With the alteration of the standard duty uniform in 2366, a new wave of uniforms for flag officers and admirals came into service.

This alteration featured a long service jacket and trousers. Similar to the standard duty jacket, the flag officer's uniform was marked by a V-shaped black cutout, trimmed in gold.

The rank insignia were enclosed pips worn on either side of the uniform collar, as well as displayed on both sleeves with four widely spaced, thin gold braid stripes ending at the cuff. (TNG: "The Defector", "Man Of The People")

Type E[]

In 2369, a new flag officer's uniform was introduced. Retaining the familiar long jacket and trousers, this newer version was simpler, abandoning the distinctive black wedge cutout from the previous design for a gold-trimmed closure running down the front of the uniform. The sleeves of the uniform were also modified, now bearing the rank insignia within a wide, black cuff.

This version was ultimately retired from service in the year 2374 in favor of yet another design. (TNG: "Realm Of Fear"; DS9: "Behind the Lines")

Dress uniform[]

Type A[]

In the early 2360s, Starfleet personnel were issued a standard dress uniform that had a long wraparound tunic top worn with black leggings. An officer's standard rank insignia were not worn; instead, a band of gold braid ran the entire length of the jacket closure. (TNG: "Lonely Among Us", "Coming of Age")

An admiral's version of this uniform also existed, which was worn in the same style, save for the gold braid, which was much thicker. Q once wore this uniform during his second encounter with the crew of the USS Enterprise-D. (TNG: "Hide And Q")

Type B[]

Introduced in 2365, this version of the dress uniform introduced rank insignia to the right shoulder and swapped the single gold braid for two narrower braids running parallel to each other (one gold, one silver), which together were the same thickness as the original. The gold braids also no longer extended below the black material that covered the shoulders from the yoke upwards. By 2366, the leggings had given way to a more standard black pants and boots. (TNG: "Manhunt", "Sarek"; LD: "Reflections")

Type C[]

In 2367, the dress uniform was again modified, this time removing several inches of material at the bottom, bringing the bottom of the jacket to mid-thigh just below the hands. A small section of the gold trim that ran vertical from the end of the top opening to the yoke was also removed, leaving only the trim above the rank insignia that ran around the collar. (TNG: "Data's Day", "Qpid", "Cost Of Living", "The Perfect Mate", "Chain Of Command, Part I")

Type D[]

By 2370, the dress uniform jacket had again been shortened, this time just removing enough material to bring the bottom to the hands, just below the waist. This uniform style was used by Starfleet until its retirement in 2374, though officers aboard the USS Voyager used it throughout their mission in the Delta Quadrant ending in 2378. (TNG: "Liaisons", "Sub Rosa"; DS9: "The Adversary", "Crossfire"; VOY: "Course: Oblivion", "Someone to Watch Over Me", "Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy", "One Small Step", "Ashes to Ashes")

Medical attire[]

Lab coat[]

Starfleet medical personnel generally wore standard duty uniforms. In some situations, officers like Chief Medical Officer Beverly Crusher of the starship USS Enterprise-D wore medical lab coats over their sciences division uniform. (TNG: "Evolution").

Medical skant[]

A variant of the Type A standard duty uniform available to medical personnel. This uniform featured a tunic with a cut similar to that of the Skant style uniform, but apart from black shoulders, was completely medical-division blue. This tunic was worn untucked over separate black trousers, and standard duty boots. The initial design of this uniform featured two front pockets and a raised band in the midsection; these elements were later eliminated from the uniform. (TNG: "The Child", "Where Silence Has Lease")

CMO Dr. Katherine Pulaski appeared to prefer this uniform to the Type A duty jumpsuit. (Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2)

Scrubs[]

During surgical sessions, scrubs were provided to doctors, consisting of burgundy-colored gowns and caps. Medical personnel also wore rubber-like surgical gloves during more intensive medical procedures and surgeries. (TNG: "Samaritan Snare", "Ethics"; DS9: "Life Support", "Profit and Lace", "Tears of the Prophets")

Utility uniform[]

The mid-24th century uniform issue included a utility jumpsuit for technical personnel. The jumpsuit, in the three standard department colors, was worn over a black, long sleeve mock turtleneck, although some versions had a short black collar built in, and was worn with black boots. Another variation had division-color boots and black sleeves. Personnel wearing utility jumpsuits were sometimes issued combadges. (TNG: "The Naked Now", "Where No One Has Gone Before", "The Big Goodbye", "Datalore", "11001001", "Home Soil", "Coming of Age", "Heart of Glory", "Symbiosis", "Skin Of Evil", "Conspiracy", "The Neutral Zone", "The Child", "Where Silence Has Lease", "Contagion", "Peak Performance", "Galaxy's Child", "The Nth Degree", "Schisms", "Eye of the Beholder")

Covert ops attire[]

In certain instances of covert operations or espionage, Starfleet officers were afforded specific attire to aid in the completion of their mission.

As early as 2369, some officers wore a black, tight-fitting jumpsuit uniform, not marked with an insignia or any kind of outwardly identifying marks. Distinguished by an optional jumpsuit hood and black boots, this uniform was sometimes worn with a backpack and technical gear for grappelling or other physically daunting tasks. (TNG: "Chain Of Command, Part I", "Frame of Mind")

Cadet uniform[]

During the late 2360s, cadets at Starfleet Academy wore distinct duty uniforms consisting of a black, two-piece jumpsuit with division-colored shoulders, which is a reversal of the Starfleet duty uniform colors, resembling the next uniform design.

Originally, the cadet uniform maintained the low collar of the original uniform design, trimmed in black, and had no rank insignia. Two years later, the cadet uniform featured a high collar, with rank (or student year) insignia being added shortly thereafter. Both versions of the cadet uniform bore several large pockets running down the trousers. (TNG: "Allegiance", "The Game", "The First Duty", "Journey's End")

This uniform was in use aboard Terrasphere 8, Species 8472's recreation of Starfleet Headquarters and the Academy in San Francisco, in 2375 alongside the next version of the standard duty uniform. (VOY: "In the Flesh")

Provisional uniform[]

The provisional uniform was worn by crewmen such as acting ensigns. There have been two variations of this uniform; the first had a light blue turtleneck tunic with navy blue shoulders and collar bordered with the colors of all three divisions. The blue division stripe crossed over the others to form an upward-pointing arrow on the left shoulder, while the red division stripe crossed under to point down. The uniform's navy blue pants matched the shoulders. The second variation was a heathered battleship grey turtleneck with matching trousers and dark charcoal gray ribbed shoulders and collar.

The first variation was worn with no combadge; the second worn with an entirely silver-colored combadge.

Other uniform features[]

Some officers wore alternate uniforms at times. Deanna Troi often wore casual clothing while on duty. Other officers, such as Worf, were allowed to wear accessories relating to their culture with their uniforms, but this was at the discretion of the captain. Bajoran officer Ensign Ro Laren was allowed to retain her culture's traditional earring, despite the reservations of some of her fellow officers (TNG: "Ensign Ro", "Chain Of Command, Part I"), and once wore a headband the same color as her division. (TNG: "The Next Phase") Benzite officer Mendon, participating in the Officer Exchange Program wore a uniform variant with a higher collar. It is unknown if this was in some way related to the breathing apparatus attached to his chest.

Rank insignia[]

The rank insignia were simplified from complex symbols from the previous uniform to small circular pips. These pips were colored either gold or black, to signify full or partial rank, respectively.

Enlisted	Ensign	Lieutenant junior grade	Lieutenant	Lieutenant commander	Commander	Captain

Flag officer ranks

Admirals Jameson and Quinn's insignia (2364)	Admiral Savar's insignia (2364)	Admiral Aaron's insignia (2364)	Vice admiral (2365)

Starfleet uniform styles
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 • 33rd 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

Appendices[]

Background information[]

The Starfleet uniforms worn during The Original Series were designed by William Ware Theiss, who returned to design the Star Trek: The Next Generation uniforms (which were further adapted into future versions in DS9, VOY and the TNG-era films by Robert Blackman).

It is possible that the the command and operations division colors from The Original Series (gold and red, respectively) were switched for The Next Generation to make Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes more "commanding." [4]

Patrick Stewart claimed that the change from this Starfleet uniform to the new version after the second season of TNG was thanks to his chiropractor, who recommended Stewart sue Paramount for "lasting damage done to [his] spine." Evidently, the producers wanted to have a smooth, unwrinkled look to the Starfleet uniforms, which put strain on Stewart's shoulders, neck and back after two seasons in a lycra costume that was one size too small. [5]

Among the costumes and uniforms which were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay, was an operations division uniform from this era. [6]^(X)

Appearances[]

Type A

Type B

Skant uniform

Utility uniform

External links[]

• Starfleet uniform (2350s-2366) at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Starfleet uniform (2366-2373) at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Starfleet uniform (2351-2365) at Spike's Star Trek Page
• Starfleet uniform (2366-2372) at Spike's Star Trek Page
• 24th century Starfleet uniforms at Ex Astris Scientia