The science fiction series “Star Trek,” which first aired in the mid-1960s, is renowned for its significant impact on American television and global pop culture. Its success led to adaptations into films, video games, novels, and comics. The series chronicles the voyages and adventures of the starship Enterprise, a vessel built by the United Federation of Planets in the 23rd century, designed for exploring new worlds and seeking out new life and civilizations. One of the most notable aspects of the series was the distinctive uniforms worn by the crew, with variations in color and design that sparked numerous questions about their significance.
In response to the many inquiries, the creator of the series, Gene Roddenberry, explained that while he envisioned a utopian future far removed from our present, some elements of the series inevitably reflected real-world influences. Specifically, the structure of the Enterprise’s crew was inspired by the U.S. Navy. Roddenberry, along with the show’s producers, incorporated elements of naval rank structures into the series, including positions such as captain, senior officers, and subordinates. The different ranks and roles were distinguished by the colors of the uniforms worn.
To reflect these roles, specific colors were assigned to each department: the command division, including Captain Kirk, Lieutenant Sulu, and Pavel Chekov, wore gold shirts. Red was designated for engineering and communications, worn by Chief Engineer Scotty and Communications Officer Uhura. The science and medical teams, including Dr. McCoy and Spock, donned blue shirts. Red shirts were also used for security personnel, often portrayed as less influential and frequently killed off when the crew encountered new adversaries. Thus, the presence of a red-shirted character often foreshadowed their brief appearance in the storyline.
Interestingly, the gold shirts worn by Kirk and his crew were not initially intended to be gold. According to William Theiss, the costume designer for “Star Trek,” the original plan was for the uniforms to be in shades of red, blue, and green. Green was specifically chosen for the command division. However, due to lighting conditions on set, Kirk’s uniform appeared lemon-green, but under studio lights, it displayed the iconic gold color. Despite this unexpected outcome, the gold was officially adopted for the command division.
The confusion around uniform colors continued with subsequent “Star Trek” series. Significant changes occurred, with red becoming the color for command, yellow for operations, and additional modifications made over time. For instance, in the later “Star Trek” films, blue became the predominant color for command uniforms.
