T'Pol's Clothing

[Aquarius]

Archer was wearing one in *the_abomination*, I believe. He had a necktie on and stuff, from what I remember.

No necktie.

Okay still it was different at the collar! *ducks, runs*

In my defense: it's not like it's an episode I'd watch over and over and over again, you know???

I probably did a mental mash-up between that uniform and Admiral Forrest's.

[Rigil Kent]

Thanks. That would explain why I don't remember it. It's been a loooong time since I've seen that ep.

Can't see what the full uniform looks like but from the pic it doesn't look so bad. If they'd shown them in that during their diplomatic missions, I would've seen their frumpy jumpsuits as just practical for everyday work aboard the ship. Could be just me though.

KTR has a slightly larger image of Archer in this uniform here, although you have to be reminded of the horrible final episode.

And man ... look at that body language...

[honeybee]

:looks around:

I thought the final episode was Terra Prime. Anyone? Anyone?

In any case, I think there was a hint at the 1960s era futuristic clothes of TOS in the dress uniforms of which you speak.

[Kotik]

You know that there's a sizeable amount of women in here, else this thread would never have exceeded the second page

Anyways. In response to the original question - my take is that the skimpy catsuit thing was - in my universe - an idea of the VHC. When T'Pol apears on screen for the first time in "Broken Bow", she's wearing a traditional Vulcan robe, which is about as sexy as a pile of ground meat. Next scene she's on Enterprise - surprize - she's in a skin tight catsuit. My take on it is, that it was the VHC's idea that she could influence the predominantly male - and in the VHC's mistaken assumption - shallow command crew. Over the time she grew accustomed to it and the style stuck.

That is of course only my explanation of what was in reality just a thinly disguised, shameless titilation by the producers. Jolene could be dressed in a potato sack and she would still stop traffic, but the producers went for bingo. Worked for me. (I'm shallow, sue me )

On the other hand, albeit not as hot, T'Pau's suit in the Forge didn't exactly hide her figure as well and IIRC it was of the catsuit variety as well, so there must be some sense to it for Vulcans. It can't be to attract males, because of childhood betrothals.

[Asso]

You know that there's a sizeable amount of women in here, else this thread would never have exceeded the second page

Anyways. In response to the original question - my take is that the skimpy catsuit thing was - in my universe - an idea of the VHC. When T'Pol apears on screen for the first time in "Broken Bow", she's wearing a traditional Vulcan robe, which is about as sexy as a pile of ground meat. Next scene she's on Enterprise - surprize - she's in a skin tight catsuit. My take on it is, that it was the VHC's idea that she could influence the predominantly male - and in the VHC's mistaken assumption - shallow command crew. Over the time she grew accustomed to it and the style stuck.

That is of course only my explanation of what was in reality just a thinly disguised, shameless titilation by the producers. Jolene could be dressed in a potato sack and she would still stop traffic, but the producers went for bingo. Worked for me. (I'm shallow, sue me )

[panyasan]

KTR has a slightly larger image of Archer in this uniform here, although you have to be reminded of the horrible final episode.

And man ... look at that body language...

It's T'Pols "I hate you, Archer - where is Trip"-look. If looks could kill...And then he gave her a hug. Jon wasn't never very good of taking clues from T'Pol.

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

I like T'Pol's catsuits (except the carpet one). So sue me, I'm shallow!

I don't like her in the ENT "uniform" jumpsuits. Those things were ugly and I didn't like anybody in them. They should have changed the uniforms to look more like, you know, uniforms - with shirt, trousers, jacket.

My own "in house" explanation for her catsuits are that they're made of some thermal, temperature-adaptable Vulcan fabric. It allowed her to serve on a Human ship where it is colder than Vulcans are normally adjusted to. But she could wear her civvies, and jammies, in her quarters since she'd keep it warmer there.

In later Treks, that kind of fabric is used in the ordinary Starfleet uniforms, which is why Spock or Tuvok never had to wear thermal catsuits. But in the ENT era T'Pol was the first and had to make do with what was available at the time.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it1

[Pegmumm]

It's the tailor that comes out in me but... what I noticed was the change in her undergarments. The corsets used in the catsuits in seasons 3 and 4 de-emphasized her superstructure. The earlier "carpet" suits were more madonna-esque. One piece jumpsuits are a bitch to take on and off. And yeah it was for the prurient male crowd. Poor Jolene. The horrid frankenstein haircuts... cardboardy character and damned jumpsuits to wear... ugh. Small wonder she kept her nails pristine.

I actually liked the younger, more vulnerable look in the first two seasons. I am betting they changed it so that Trip didn't look like he was robbing the cradle. I didn't like the later make up style cuz it made her chin that much more prominent. ugh...almost like she had plastic surgery. Either that or she was anorexic.. no wait.. she's a model. Well duh.

Saw a pic of her with the Enterprise cast from a year ago. Blondish hair and a chin that went on forever. Yowzah. Nice superstructure though.

But yeah, the clothes sucked and from a tailor's perspective there was alot more they could had done but didn't. That's TV on a shoestring.
peg

[Aikiweezie]

There's an interview out there where Jolene is talking about the costumes, and she said she didn't mind them, except for the blue catsuit. It was made of a thicker, less stretchy fabric and she had a hard time moving in it.

[panyasan]

I find KTR's theory why T'Pol would wear her jump suit (to protect against the cold) a very good one. The jumpsuits I like the most are the red and blue one and of course the white desert one. Really liked the pic with Trip and T'Pol in desert uniform. T'Pol has one jumpsuit that has lines in the rib-area, I don't like that so much, because it make T'Pol more slim then she already is. The wedding dress was great. I did liked the colors, but still wonder what she would look like in red. Other personal favorite were her civilian clothes in Carpenter Street (you know, the episode where she runs off with Trip to rescue Archer that had been caught by three Xindi Reptilians. O wait, that's my story. )And her hair: I totally agree with Rigils post.

I haven't read every post in this thread, but I don't think this already been discussed: the meaning of certain outfits in a scene.

For example: in Harbinger in the breakfast scene T'Pol is wearing outfit she never wore before nor did afterwards. It had wrinkled upward collar and it made her look like a matron - like she want to put distance by her choice of clothes.

In Home T'Pol wears a beautiful blouse/shirt in different red shades with upward collar (my favorite) and Trip is wearing a very nice beige/white shirt (the "I don't want to offend any Vulcan and especially my girlfriends mother by wearing brightly colored shirt-shirt). If I am correct T'Pol wears that red shirt when she tells Trip she has to marry Koss and Trip the beige/white shirt.
In episode after Home in the first scene the whole crew is in civilian clothes in the ready room for debriefing. They all looked like they just arrived - including Trip. But the wedding has been at least two weeks ago and I don't think he would stick around.
So why wear the clothes of Vulcan (same goes for T'Pol, why the red shirt), remembering you of that time? Trip doesn't care what he wears? But he had chosen that shirt with a lot of care. Also, if Trip had return to Enterprise he had plenty of time change to his uniform.

[Rigil Kent]

The jumpsuits I like the most are the red and blue one and of course the white desert one. Really liked the pic with Trip and T'Pol in desert uniform. T'Pol has one jumpsuit that has lines in the rib-area, I don't like that so much, because it make T'Pol more slim then she already is.

Interestingly enough, the white jumpsuit has those very lines of which you speak.

In episode after Home in the first scene the whole crew is in civilian clothes in the ready room for debriefing. They all looked like they just arrived - including Trip. But the wedding has been at least two weeks ago and I don't think he would stick around.
So why wear the clothes of Vulcan (same goes for T'Pol, why the red shirt), remembering you of that time? Trip doesn't care what he wears? But he had chosen that shirt with a lot of care. Also, if Trip had return to Enterprise he had plenty of time change to his uniform.

Well, if Trip is anything like me, his selection of clothes is actually fairly limited, so its entirely possible that this shirt just happens to be the only one clean at the moment. Alternately - and this is the answer I like the most myself - he just got back to Earth because he jumped on the first transport leaving Vulcan, which happened to be a slow Boomer ship, so he's just getting back to ENT (ironically, the same time as T'Pol, although she got here much faster thanks to a Vulcan transport.)

Meta answer? They just stuck the characters in those outfits because they hadn't obtained others for them and hoped you (generic you) wouldn't wonder why they were still wearing the same thing two weeks later.

[panyasan]

Meta answer? They just stuck the characters in those outfits because they hadn't obtained others for them and hoped you (generic you) wouldn't wonder why they were still wearing the same thing two weeks later.

Yeah, I thought of that one too. , but you can't make a story out of it! Concerning the lines in the rib-area: they problalby look better in white then in red. The red one makes you follow the lines of her ribs and gave her a more skinny appereance in my humble opinion. But T'Pol seems to have lost some weight in season four - problably all that stress pining away thinking about Trip.

[Aikiweezie]

But T'Pol seems to have lost some weight in season four - problably all that stress pining away thinking about Trip.

I know in reality Jolene was sick (I heard the flu and I've heard an ulcer), but I could see T'Pol loosing weight while supressing all the stress over her marriage an Trip. I know I don't want to eat when I'm stressed out.

[Rigil Kent]

One can also factor in her recovery from the trellium addiction. Perhaps she simply had no appetite thanks to that drug?

[panyasan]

Personally, I don't think the addiction made a lot of sense, but that's another subject, but stress and the after effects of her addiction (which is problably also the result of stress) is a good explanantion. It shows she had a very difficult time, otherwise the old methods like meditation would have worked.