T'Pol's Clothing

[honeybee]

So, getting back to the topic at hand, I think JB's bronze complexion made white a good color for her - I'm not sure it's a scientific poll - but I get the feeling many male fans liked her in the white away-mission outfit.

And - speaking of misguided fashion statements - JB looked better in her scarves, hair extensions and headbands than Leonard Nimoy did in his makeshift but very 80s aerobics style headband. But then, Spock didn't have as many options.

I just had an idea for a fic about T'Pol's lovely silk pajamas. . .thank you thread.

[Aquarius]

I just had an idea for a fic about T'Pol's lovely silk pajamas. . .thank you thread.

Love. It.

One thing I did like about Vulcan fashion in TOS vs. ENT (or any other) is that Spock's contemporaries were more influenced by the 60s glam due to the time the show was made. Honestly, in other incarnations, I wish they hadn't departed from that and given *everyone* Vulcan such harsh hair helmets and stiff clothes. I'm sure Saavik and Valeris escaped this because though the films were made later, she's still a product of the series that was born in the 60s. Long hair is fine on a starship as long as it's pinned up, and, as we saw in "Amok Time," it makes for beautiful ceremonial updos. Hard to do with hair that can't decide if it's a pixie cut or a layered bob. And I understand the idea of everbody in the service all having the same kind of hairstyle, due to regulations or whatever, but they've kind of given us the impression that "everyone" kind of looks like that. Jolene's blond hair at the time the show started would've been problematic to a point, but they could've insisted she color it a more natural color and pinned it up a la Kirstie Alley and it would've been fine. People change their appearance for roles all the time, be it gaining/losing weight, working out to get buff, and yes, coloring and cutting their hair. Hell, Persis Khambatta shaved hers completely off for STTMP because, as she said, the bald caps looked hideous. So even if they had to insist on T'Pol having short hair, they could've made Jolene cut her hair, and then paid for her to get extensions if the lack of hair was going to interfere with modeling gigs or whatever.

If you ask most actors, they'd be willing to do it, if it meant a steady paycheck.

[honeybee]

I loved the Romulan Commanders 1960s high fashion seduction outfits. They were awesome.

One thing I thought of -

T'Pol's clothes in North Star - she still looks pretty darn Vulcan in her pioneer garb - and she managed to just wear a white shirt and long skirt (with prerequisite ear-hiding scarf). I like the choice - and since none of the humans on that planet remarked on her clothes - it must have been within the bounds of what they thought was appropriate. It says on the commentary track that the wardrobe people just mixed and matched from different old west periods in that episode and were grateful not to have to worry about accuracy in that regard since the humans on that planet would have mixed, matched and evolved over time.

[Rigil Kent]

I think JB's bronze complexion made white a good color for her - I'm not sure it's a scientific poll - but I get the feeling many male fans liked her in the white away-mission outfit.

That's 'cause it wasn't that godawful carpet suit. I'm not a fan of the catsuits - gasp! A straight guy who rolls his eyes at the Ship's Babe wearing spray on clothing? - but the white one is most probably my favorite out of the bunch.

Regarding her hair, in my ideal world, she would have started out with the regulation cut (season 1), which would have gotten a lot longer than normal by season 2, would have fallen to her shoulders in season 3, and then mid-back in season 4, which would have been another visual reflection of her growing dissatisfaction with the VHC and the Romulan-tainted Vulcan society as well as showing her rebelliousness. Of course, she'd also be wearing a Starfleet uniform in seasons 3 and 4, but I'd probably have them change a little bit too...

[Aquarius]

RE the white suit: There's this one pic from the show where she's wearing it, standing next to Trip, and two things always really strike me about that shot: first, I LOVE her eye makeup in it, and second, even though there's nothing romantic going on, it always makes me feel all warm and fuzzy and 'shippy inside.

[Rigil Kent]

This one, I think. From "Marauders." (I'm using it as my semi-official DivPath cover ... although I need to get on my roommate's computer so I can fix her eyebrows...)



Edit: Totally unrelated, I also prefer the uniform Trip is wearing to the normal blue Starfleet jumpsuit.

2nd Edit: A friend of mine once edited an image of T'Pol from this episode for the eyebrows and it just made me wish they'd fixed them much earlier than season 3...

[Aquarius]

That be the one!!

[honeybee]

Yeah. . .that TnT pic is awesome. He looks great in the sand color, she looks great in white. And both the uniforms actually - you know - have sand on them.

White isn't the most practical color for an away mission suit is it? But I do think from a dramatic POV it works, since as the mission progresses - the dirt or sand or grass stains are really obvious and therefor it creates a sense of dramatic progress.

[Rigil Kent]

White isn't the most practical color for an away mission suit is it?

Well ... no, but putting your security guys in bright red "shoot me" shirts isn't a good idea either. I'm less bothered by the color than by the cut - this catsuit is sooooo more flattering than that butt ugly carpet suit that I just don't understand why they didn't start using this one in season 2. Surely if they tried, they could come up with a decent explanation why she changed...

But honestly, if they had any sense, I'd think they would have landing party uniforms that change according to the terrain. Snow on the ground? Everybody wears white. Forest? Time for some woodland green. And so on. Unfortunately, Trek and common sense sometimes seem mutually exclusive (see above "infantry guys in red" example.)

[Aquarius]

There may have been budgetary restrictions, though, for all the different landing party uniforms...though yes, in reality it would make sense to do that.

[crystalswolf]

That uniform is very yum on Trip.

In basic training, I remember we females had a theory that the greatest military minds studied what uniform would make any man drool-worthy (you know, so that he could reproduce to make more fine soldiers) and in the end, created the dress uniform of the Marines. Even the not so attractive men could make you weak in the knees in a Marine's dress uniform.

Now, I don't remember Ent having dress uniforms like the other ST shows (even ew... tunics). Perhaps they did and I just can't remember but I wouldn't have minded the jumpsuits if they'd shown a more attractive dress uniform.

[Aquarius]

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

[Rigil Kent]

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

No necktie.

[Alelou]

Ugh. Clearly when that collar was designed for Starfleet, Earth was undergoing a Vulcan-influenced fad along the lines of the nehru shirt.

[crystalswolf]

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.