Crikey.

However, during Season 1 filming, it was found that the combination of velour tunic over a cotton/wool blend black undershirt (remember, poly-blend shirts were not yet available to the public in the early ’60’s; DuPont had invented the fabric for NASA’s Gemini and Mercury programs, but it was still “futuristic”) was very hot and uncomfortable.

For Season 2, and onward, the undershirt was done away with, and a looser, slightly longer cut of the velour tunic was subbed-in (with the black collar-loop stiched in to “simulate” the full undershirt).

Anyone who has worked under stage lighting knows how friggin’ HOT those lights are.

Now, as far as the new uniforms are concerned, I think they look good, but I do have a few caveats:

First, why short sleeves for the females, and long sleeves for the males? That doesn’t make sense. Either they all wear long sleeves, or they all wear short sleeves. I know the producers are trying to feature Saldana’s gorgeous physique, but it doesn’t make logical sense.

Second, they’re not “boomerangs,” they’re properly referred to as “deltas.” According to “Mr. Scott’s Guide to the Enterprise,” the iconic Starfleet Delta (instituted fleet-wide sometime after the original 5-year mission, if we don’t include The Animated Series’s second 5-year mission) was, in fact, the Enterprise’s blazon. Prior to that (2260’s-era Starfleet and earlier), each ship had it’s own, unique blazon. Since we don’t know if the delta blazon is restricted to just the Enterprise, or not, in the new film, I’ll hold my judgment. I’m very interested to see the (highly classified) uniforms of the Kelvin’s crew, and see if their blazon is, indeed, unique. I don’t mind the silver color of the delta and rank braiding, though. The department colors are a bit subdued, however.

Third, I like a textured weave, but am not wild about the “boomerang” (nee delta) pattern, for the same reason I stated, above. If this is a universal Starfleet uniform pattern, and the delta blazon is the Enterprise’s unique symbol, why would *all* of Starfleet incorporate a delta-weave into their general uniform? Unless there’s a *reason* for it…

Anyhow, there’s my thoughts on it.

Comments?

I agree the bridge is important, it’s just that few viewers will notice the bar-code scanners AS bar-code scanners, even if they notice the resemblance in passing, at some sub-conscious level. It’s conceivable that some device in the future might resemble that model of bar-code scanner, in the way that, say, a future pistol might resemble one of today’s hair-dryers (I use this example because I’ve heard certain Sci-Fi guns compared to hair-dryers before). It’s not like the bar-code scanners still have a visible logo to identify them.

In fact, the way you’re disseminating that image on the web, you may very well be personally responsible for a loss of suspension of disbelief that any readers here experience!

In regard to TOS, I cite the circuit boards because even as a kid, I experienced a momentary loss of suspension of disbelief when the androids show exposed circuitry that looked like it had been purchased from the Radio Shack right down the street. At least in TNG, they make Data’s positronic parts look more futuristic (sort of – I mean, we can all tell the used a lot of fiber-optic cables and LEDs, but at least they downplay that fact, unlike in TOS where 60s circuitry is shown as perfectly plausible stand-ins for that of the 23rd century). On the other hand, TNG blew it with Geordie’s VISOR, which from day one I identified as a closed banana hair-clip.

In all cases, though, the suspension of disbelief that I myself have experienced has been momentary, and if the story is good enough, it doesn’t matter. I want to see how you might explain away those silly etched glass panels, though…..