Opinions on Starfleet Uniforms part 2

Opinions on Star Trek Starfleet Uniforms

Part 2: the Rick Berman era

TNG season 1-2

William Ware Theiss returned to trek to create the original TNG uniforms.  A simple three color pallet (red for command, yellow operations, teal for sciences/medical) against a mostly black jumpsuit.  One drawback was that because these were jumpsuits to achieve the smooth, creaseless look the costumes were sized too small for the actors (something that would change for season 3-a change reportedly mandated by Patrick Stewarts doctor).  A good start.  As an aside, perhaps as a nod to the TOS uniforms TNG season 1 also featured a shirt (skant) version of the uniform worn by both male and female crewmembers (in some early TNG episodes there were some guys wearing them).

TNG season 3-7

William Ware Theiss retired following TNGs first season.  His replacement Durinda Rice-Wood was not fond of the uniforms but did not have the ability or budget to replace them.  That task would fall to her successor starting with TNG season 3, Robert Blackman.  Blackman would redesign the uniforms, keeping the basic design and colors, but adding a nice collar, losing the colored piping on the shoulders and making the mens uniforms into two-piece costumes.  The women for some reason still had jumpsuits.  Overall a simple, practical and iconic uniform.  On a side note, yours truly has a teal sciences uniform in this style.

DS9 S1-5, VOY, Generations

Deep Space Nine introduced a new uniform design, initially only seen on the station, later worn by starship crews such as USS Voyager and USS Enterprise.  These were a two piece uniform with the color moved to the yoke and shoulders, the rest being solid black.  A grey undershirt (that sometimes appeared purple-ish) was worn underneath.  The design was inspired by Wesley Crusher's cadet uniform seen 3 times in TNG.  A striking, simple design that is also very practical for manual labor on a starship or an old Cardassian space station.

DS9 S5-7, First Contact-Nemesis (also appearances in VOY and LD)

DS9's season 5 episode "Rapture" and Star Trek First Contact introduced a new uniform design, similar to the previous but with the shoulders and yoke a quilted grey and the undershirt (and an armband) indicating the division color (Red, Yellow, Green).  Personally, i think this is a really cool design, especially with the matching captains vests.  The thicker undershirts and quilted shoulder yokes made the actors look bigger (thicker in the shoulders).  I love this design, it's dare I say: bad ass.  The darker feel with the deemphasized department color and grey shoulders fits the dark feel of DS9 during the Dominion War.

Enterprise

Star Trek Enterprise, being set in the 22nd century, called for a completely different take on the Star Trek uniforms.  The blue (originally navy blue is season 1, later a lighter more denim blue in seasons 2-4) utility jumpsuits with button up black undershirts and division colored stripes (gold-command, red-operations, green-sciences) on the shoulders somewhat successfully struck a middle ground between USAF/NASA flight suits and Starfleet uniforms of the 23rd/24th centuries.  The blue is an interesting choice.  Not my favorite uniforms, but not bad either. 

Bonus: the alternate future uniforms (TNG "All Good Things...", DS9 "The Visitor", VOY "Endgame")

I might be in the minority, but I kinda liked these.  Simple, bold, but with the flap design and the black piping separating the body and shoulder yoke (both the same color).  I actually prefer this design over the designs we got in Star Trek Picard.

Bonus 2: the 29th century uniforms (VOY "Future's End 1/2, Relativity)

For Voyager's "Future's End" two parter and "Relativity" we got a glimpse of the time-travelling time police of 29th century Starfleet.  The uniforms are...ok.  Different.  The division colors are completely different than anything that came before.  Thre diagonal cut on the quilted section is cool.  Not really a lot to say here.