April 18, 2015

Analysis, part 1 - Yoke

As can be expected, though, most of the DS9/NEM cadet jumpsuit's construction standards were derived from its counterpart, the DS9/NEM duty jumpsuit.



Both jumpsuits had yokes which are quilted and topstitched in the same manner, and likewise, both yokes were embellished with matching ⅜" wool gabardine bias trim. 

In fact, the only difference between the DS9/NEM cadet jumpsuit yoke and the DS9/NEM duty jumpsuit yoke was the type and color of fabric used! 

On the duty jumpsuits, the yoke shell fabric was gray wool elastique and the ⅜" yoke/neckline/front opening/shoulder point trim was bias-cut wool gabardine dyed to match. 

However, on the cadet jumpsuits, the yoke shell fabric was division-color wool gabardine, and the ⅜" yoke trim was the same division-color wool gabardine, only bias cut. 


(The above photo is from "Niner's Paradise," a wonderful blog showcasing an impressive collection of screen-used Star Trek costumes! Check it out!)


The construction standard for the yoke was the same on both the DS9/NEM duty jumpsuits and the DS9/NEM cadet jumpsuits. 



The yoke was quilted vertically in precise increments of ¾" - the front yoke, back yoke, and the shoulder points. 

(In other words, the quilt lines are all ¾" apart and parallel.)


The real construction detail of this uniform, though, was in the relationship between the quilting/topstitching and the rest of the upper garment, and its precise alignments in that regard made it a masterpiece of coordinated detail. 

Everything was determined with the quilt lines in mind, as well as constructed and/or adjusted in increments of quilt lines or half quilt-lines (¾" or ⅜", respectively). 


NOTE: At this point in the franchise, construction standards had yet to be fully and consistently established; it would not be until Nemesis that some aspects of the DS9/NEM jumpsuits were finalized and standardized. Although many of the DS9/NEM cadet jumpsuits did not conform to NEM standards (nor did most uniforms from their introduction in First Contact through the end of Voyager), we regard the NEM jumpsuits as the finalized, idealized versions of the uniform, so we will be retroactively applying NEM standards and presenting alternate examples as necessary. 


First, and perhaps most obviously, the quilt lines on the front and back yokes met their counterparts at the shoulder seam and aligned perfectly (DS9/NEM duty jumpsuit pictured for lack of relevant cadet jumpsuit screencaps): 



The edge of the neck opening fell exactly on a quilt line or mid-quilt line at the shoulder seam (with the ⅜" neckline trim meeting the shoulder seam on the next quilt line or mid-quilt line, but more on that shortly):

Mid-quilt line
Mid-quilt line
Quilt line

No comments:

Post a Comment