The Male Skirts from Season 1
- Thread starter EnriqueH
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FWWI: They're not really "skirts" so much as they are skants. They're not "open" in the bottom with things flapping in the breeze they have a seat to them, the outer fabric just wraps-around to form a skirt-like appearance. And, yes, it was done in order to make a more "unisex" vision of the future apparent where whomever could wear a "skirt" and have it be no big deal.
People in 1987 disagreed.
People in 1987 disagreed.
Yeah, I kinda figured it was done for a "comfortable" future where guys in "skirts" would be no big deal. But I also noticed it disappeared pretty quickly. I think I only remember it in two or three episodes.
Are there any anecdotes from the crew about how they came up with it or whose idea it was? It does seem "Roddenberry-esque".
Are there any anecdotes from the crew about how they came up with it or whose idea it was? It does seem "Roddenberry-esque".
The TNG version of the miniskirt for women seem to disappear rather quickly too, although not as fast as the men's.
It seems to me very much a Our 1970s Space Colony Future sort of thing, the kind of outfit you'd wear while inside those gigantic impractical cylinders where people build economically dubious suburban houses. But then a lot of the Roddenberry-esque Utopia comes from that O'Neill Cylinder chic.
I like the idea of the skants being unisex.. However in execution that weird "mini dress" uniform just looked plain awful in both the male and female variant. The short sleeves, the way too short skirts, the go-go boots...it just looked stupid imho. I do think that all could have been saved by adding black leggings and standard shoes, but as it was...awful, just like the mini skirts in TOS.
Was it really a Roddenberry idea? It always struck me that Roddenberry's progressive future often failed to include women and gays.
It was a nice idea to play with gender norms but there were probably better ways to do it (ways that didn't look quite as laughable to a late 80's audience)
It was a nice idea to play with gender norms but there were probably better ways to do it (ways that didn't look quite as laughable to a late 80's audience)
I've often wondered if, in their attempt to 'distance' themselves as much as possible from the so-called hardcore military asthetic of the movies, whether Roddenberry and costume designer William Ware-Theiss perhaps set their minds back slightly too far, in revising the uniforms to something that wouldn't have looked out of place in TOS.
It's certainly worth noting that when Robert Blackman redesigned them again for the third season, his main addition was to make them more stiff and formal (adding collars and shoulder-pads), which gave them more of an air of a professional military. Of sorts.
It's not entirely common in the modern, western, world primarily in the US. So, it was a fairly progressive idea since most of the people watching the show aren't used to seeing men walking around in mini-skirts/skants.
The point of a mini-skirt is to show off the legs of a young lady.
Which doesn't enhance anybody's dignity in a work setting.
The TOS mini-skirts didn't make sense for women on duty, except to appeal to male viewers.
And if there's one thing that will destroy the marketability of Star Trek it's having minor characters dress funny.
Actually, there is plenty of commentary about how they felt empowered by wearing those skirt uniforms.
When you look at a certain time period, it's helpful to consider the viewpoints from that time period, instead of judging things purely from a contemporary standpoint.
Kor
The skant was a bad idea from the start. Good riddance. Putting everyone in the "spacesuit" was a much better idea, from a unisex standpoint. Too bad it was so uncomfortable for the actors. (I wasn't crazy about the collarless look, but it was a start.)
The 3rd season update was much better, but the DS9/VOY jumpsuit was miles ahead in design and function. STFC's redesign looked bulky, but I preferred the swap of color from the shoulders to the undershirt.
But that skant, dang. That was bad.
The 3rd season update was much better, but the DS9/VOY jumpsuit was miles ahead in design and function. STFC's redesign looked bulky, but I preferred the swap of color from the shoulders to the undershirt.
But that skant, dang. That was bad.
Exactly, remember the 60s was very much a time of women should be "seen and not heard" and "seen only as much as we think makes you look chaste and innocent." The mini-skirt was a huge revolution for womens-rights because it allowed them to show off more of their bodies with a aire of freedom.
^Right.
Remember Laugh-In? They had the party scene with a ton of one-liners, and Goldie Hawn was often go-go dancing in a bikini and body paint. It was very hip.
Remember Laugh-In? They had the party scene with a ton of one-liners, and Goldie Hawn was often go-go dancing in a bikini and body paint. It was very hip.
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