Star Trek Costumes for Every Skill Level

Easy or Intricate Starfleet Uniforms for Halloween and Conventions

Oct 2, 2009

Star Trek costumes can be put together by novice or expert costumers. Most TV Starfleet uniforms are simpler, while costumes for the big screen are harder to make.

Ever since the original Star Trek television series became a cult hit, fans have enjoyed dressing up as crew members from the show. The amount of possible Star Trek costumes is even larger once the four spin-off series and eleven (so far) feature films are included.

Longstanding designs – even Starfleet uniforms – have been revamped many times in Star Trek's history. Luckily, there are Star Trek costume options for both casual Halloween trick-or-treaters as well as for hardcore trekkies and fan convention cosplayers.

The simplest Star Trek costumes are those based on the Starfleet uniforms of the original 1960s series. These featured black boots and pants, with color-coded tunics in either red, blue, or gold (women wore miniskirts with high boots). Tunics were made of velour or polyester, and had rank and mission patches sewn on.

Casual fans can approximate the classic Starfleet uniforms with black pants, simple black boots (such as Blundstones), long-sleeve T-shirts of the desired color, and a black T-shirt underneath with a higher collar. Store-bought patches can add details to complete the look. Another option is to buy licensed T-shirts which have the Starfleet emblem already on them.

Skilled costume-makers can sew their own versions, as official Starfleet uniform patterns and instructions have been available for years. These can also be adapted to look like the uniforms from the 2009 Star Trek movie, which were based on the same design.

Official details remain scarce, but the 2009 Star Trek uniform tunics are likely made of heavy spandex, with a dye-sublimated Starfleet arrowhead pattern in the same division colors. Instead of having a black collar, these new versions hang over a high-necked black undershirt.

The Star Trek costumes of the Next Generation era (from the shows Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager) updated the original 1960s uniforms with a jumpsuit design, which made use of more sophisticated tailoring and materials. However, amateur costumers have successfully replicated these designs, and patterns for those Starfleet uniforms are also available.

The most intricate, and hard-to-make, Starfleet uniforms debuted in the feature films. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) introduced a distinctive red jacket for Kirk's crew, while Star Trek: First Contact (1996) introduced a more complex version of the Next Generation-style jumpsuit. Both movie uniforms feature quilting and multiple layers, requiring advanced tailoring skills to make.

Custom-made uniforms from these designs can also be purchased from eBay, though not all custom costumers – especially those based overseas – are as conscious of details as many trekkies. Prospective buyers should carefully examine photographs and descriptions of a seller's other Star Trek costumes before buying.

Another option is to buy officially-licensed Star Trek costumes. These come in standard sizes and are much less effort, and often cost, than even handmade costumes that aren't particularly screen-accurate. They're easy to find year-round, especially around Halloween.

But store bought-costumes can still be expensive. More importantly, they are made of cheaper fabrics and aren't tailored, so they will invariably look worse than the professional costumes worn on the Star Trek shows and movies.

Those who don't mind their Starfleet uniforms looking like space-age pajamas would probably be satisfied with licensed Star Trek costumes, just as casual fans could make do with a yellow T-shirt and black pants. But for the serious costume-minded trekkie, there are plenty of options for custom-made Starfleet uniforms too.

The copyright of the article Star Trek Costumes for Every Skill Level in Clothing Design is owned by Luke Arnott. Permission to republish Star Trek Costumes for Every Skill Level in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.