Summary

• Star Trek: Section 31 may answer the mystery of disappearing turtlenecks in Starfleet uniforms.
• The evolution of Starfleet uniforms in the "lost era" suggests a gradual change in styles.
• The longevity of the "monster maroon" uniforms in Star Trek is unusual compared to other eras.

When Rachel Garrett in Section 31 alongside Michelle Yeoh's Emperor Philippa Georgiou, implying Section 31 may take place in Star Trek's "lost era", set between Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country in 2293, and the start of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 2364.

The Starfleet uniforms of the lost era were the longest-lasting of any style seen throughout the Star Trek franchise. Affectionately dubbed the "monster maroon" due to the distinctive red woolen jacket, the Starfleet uniform first seen in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan in 2285 lasted up until the beginning of Star Trek: The Next Generation in the 2360s. In this era, rank insignia was worn on the sleeves, much like in Star Trek: The Original Series, and the department was denoted by a colored strap on the shoulder and matching turtleneck. The turtleneck wasn't part of the Enterprise-C uniforms of the 2240s, though, so when did they disappear?

Section 31 Movie Can Answer A Star Trek Uniform Mystery

Where did the turtlenecks go, and when did they stop being used?

Depending on when Star Trek: Section 31 actually takes place, Section 31 may be able to answer the question of the mysteriously vanishing Starfleet turtleneck. A more militaristic Starfleet might be inclined to use the more efficient version of the "monster maroon" uniform, like the alternate reality of "Yesterday's Enterprise", but that doesn't take into flashbacks in the Prime Timeline of Star Trek lacking the turtleneck, like Captain Jean-Luc Picard's (Patrick Stewart) in TNG season 6, episode 15, "Tapestry", or the presence of it in the war-torn alternate future of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1, episode 10, "A Quality of Mercy".

Is there an in-universe reason for TNG's "monster maroon" uniform change?

TNG flashbacks show two Monster Maroon variations designed by Star Trek: The Next Generation costume designer Robert Blackman. Ensign Picard's uniform in 2327 lacks the turtleneck, but has a collarless undershirt, making it a "middle maroon", so to speak. By 2344, the Enterprise-C crew's "mini maroon" lacks both the undershirt and the "monster maroon's" black belt. Put in chronological order, Blackman's Starfleet uniform variations from TNG flashbacks suggest Starfleet uniforms evolved throughout the lost era, from Star Trek movie costume designer Robert Fletcher's Monster Maroon into the slimmer silhouette of Starfleet uniforms in TNG season 1, designed by William Ware Theiss. But is there an in-universe reason for TNG's "monster maroon" uniform change?

Why Star Trek: TOS Movies’ Maroon Uniforms Were Worn By Starfleet For Decades

80 years of the "monster maroon" is unusual, compared to rapidly changing Starfleet uniforms in other eras.

Star Trek's maroon Starfleet uniforms were in use for 50 years before any variants were introduced, and even then, the undershirt variant lasted 16 years, and the collarless version was used for 11 years. With over 80 years of use, that's different from other eras of Star Trek, where Starfleet uniforms change rapidly, and sometimes even use more than one uniform at once, like the utilitarian colored-shoulder uniforms in early seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the white-striped variant for crews in Star Trek: Lower Decks, or the myriad uniform styles seen in both the 22nd and 32nd centuries on Star Trek: Discovery.

Using the maroon TOS movie costumes for flashbacks provides a clear visual signal that the story is set much earlier.

Without a Star Trek series set in the lost era, it's cost-effective to reference the TOS movie uniforms when representing the lost era on-screen. Because the maroon uniforms are strikingly different from TNG uniforms, using the maroon TOS movie costumes for flashbacks provides a clear visual signal that the story is set much earlier, while also saving the time and cost it would take for designer Robert Blackman to come up with brand-new uniforms just for that era. If Section 31 takes place in the lost era, we may finally see an explanation for why Starfleet's maroon uniforms lasted right up to Star Trek: The Next Generation without changing much.

Star Trek: The Next Generation is streaming on Paramount+. Star Trek: Section 31 will stream on Paramount+.