Starfleet uniform ( 2250s - 2260s ) The Starfleet uniforms worn in the mid - 23rd century , which were phased out around 2265 , shared similarities with later designs . The main difference of this era was a different set of rank stripes , division colors and division patches . ( ) This uniform lasted from before 2254 , to provisionally at least 2268 . In the 2250s , a previous uniform design was also being used concurrently with this one at least until 2256 . ( ) This uniform was used by the crews of the , the " Antares " and officers visiting Deep Space K - 7 . ( ) Beginning in 2265 , the uniform began to be replaced by a new design . ( ) Cadet ' s uniform . Starfleet cadet s wore a uniform that consisted of a tunic top made out of a reflective gray material with a black V - shaped collar , and black trousers . A Starfleet assignment patch insignia , a ten pointed star , was worn on the left breast . These uniforms were worn from the minimum timeframe of 2252 to 2268 . ( ) Duty uniform . The standard duty uniform consisted of dark gray or dark blue trousers and a division color top , following the below color code . The previous Earth Starfleet - style of wearing a patch based on assignment continued , but the patch was moved to the chest . Rank was displayed by sleeve stripes . ( ) The top ' s collar was initially designed with a mock turtleneck appearance but many of them came straight up on the neck later on . ( ) Female variant . Women ' s uniform style had a cowl neck collar and closed with a zipper down the back . They also wore black trousers similar to the male uniform . ( ) Seamed variant . A variant worn by certain personnel included a closing seam radiating from the side of the neck . ( ) Outerwear . Dress jacket . There was a dress jacket , edged with gold trim , with matching epaulets , worn over the standard issue uniform top and pants . ( ) Heavy jacket . A heavy jacket , in blue - gray , was standard issue during the 2250s for landing parties . A utility harness was worn underneath , and is where the individual ' s laser and communicator were held . ( ) Lab coat . A lab coat was worn by the chief medical officer for consultations with patients . The short - sleeve coat was worn over the standard uniform . It appeared in pale blue with the ship ' s decal on the upper breast . ( ) Utility jumpsuit . Work coveralls , with assignment patch embroidered on the breast , were issued in all division related colors . Instead of the brighter colors of the duty uniform , they were in muted colors of olive ( Command ) , khaki ( Operations ) and blue - gray ( Sciences ) . ( ) Accessories . Equipment belt . Equipment belts were worn with the standard duty uniforms to carry laser pistol s . ( ) Hat . Officers had access to wear an optional uniform hat that could be worn along with their uniform . ( ) Embellishments . Assignment patches . Assignment patch es were worn on many of the uniform styles , and were individual depending on a serviceperson ' s posting . A departmental insignia of the person ' s position was located in the center of many of these patches During this period , it was not uncommon to see department insignia which did not correspond to a specific departmental color uniform , as was standardized by 2266 . In particular the following division color / insignia combinations have been seen : command / operations , operations / sciences , sciences / operations and sciences / command . In addition , security personnel circa 2254 wore blue uniforms with a unique insignia . However , by 2265 this insignia was dropped in favor of the current operations insignia . Epaulet . In 2254 , dress uniform s of high - ranking Starfleet personnel contained a certain epaulet , likely indicative of rank . ( ) Appendices . Background information . In the original pitch for the series , Gene Roddenberry generalized their design , stating " Crew uniforms are ' naval ' in general appearance , attractively simplified and utilitarian . Again , surprise variations are possible here too . " The Starfleet uniforms worn during were designed by William Ware Theiss . Although the standard command division uniform tunics looked gold on most color TV sets , the costumes were actually lime green . The greenish hue of the command tunics can be seen more clearly in the third season , when the fabric used for the tunics was changed from satin velour to a double - knit nylon that reflected the set lighting differently . The dress uniforms , made of a silk material , were always clearly green by comparison , and some darker green jumpsuits and wraparound tunics that were more clearly seen seemed to confirm that all the " gold - to - green " variations were part of the same color scheme . The so - called " beige " uniforms which originated with were ironically a much more yellow color , but likewise appeared beige or pinkish under the lights . While this uniform was in use only for the two " Star Trek " pilots , with the tunics appearing in several later episodes ( see above ) and the matched pants having been worn by extras in several early first season episodes , with the new updated tunics . Apocrypha . In the IDW comic series " " , engineering officers were depicted as wearing a red uniform , with a red collar , alongside the beige uniforms as depicted in " The Cage " and " Where No Man Has Gone Before " . In particular , these uniforms were depicted as only being worn in engineering , rather than elsewhere on the " Enterprise " , suggesting that since the engineering section of the " Enterprise " was never depicted during this era of TOS , such uniforms could have actually existed side - by - side with the beige Operations uniforms , thereby continuing the red division color established in " Enterprise " . In the Marvel Comics series " " , an alternate female duty uniform was depicted as a short dress with a high - necked collar , similar to the variant worn by Nurse Chapel during the late 2260s . " " , Issue 2 depicts the alternate reality version of the next style of prime reality uniform was already in use by 2239 . This would make it seem that this uniform style was never adopted in the alternate reality , unless it was used briefly after 2233 . The novel " Desperate Hours " reveals that both this variation and the previous one were worn concurrently and that the uniform design seen here was only worn by personnel that served onboard " Constitution " - class starships .