It\u2019s also worth noting that I\u2019m what would be considered a Star Trek purest. I believe without any doubt that The Wrath of Khan<\/em> is the best Trek movie and don\u2019t even get me started on what an monumental disaster Into Darkness<\/em> was. I\u2019m a fan of the William Shatner-era movies\u00a0(I’ve been lucky enough to met and interview him a couple of times) and I believe The Wrath of Khan<\/em> to be Shatner’s best ever performance on screen.<\/p>\n My mind was already made up. Here was chance to show what Star Trek has meant to me, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to offer thanks and play a small part in making Star Trek feel welcome just a few short miles away from where I call home, in East London.<\/p>\n There was only one thing I could do. I had to go in costume and it had to an officer’s uniform from that era, a so-called ‘monster maroon’.<\/p>\n The Starfleet uniforms first seen in The Wrath of Khan<\/i> took Trek in a more serious direction<\/p><\/div>\n These are the Starfleet uniforms worn through the Kirk-era Star Trek movies from, first seen in The Wrath of Khan<\/em> all the way to The Undiscovered Country<\/em> and briefly in Generations<\/em>.<\/p>\n It was going to be a challenge, but I had about seven months. It was also going to be a fascinating insight into the cult of cosplay and the degree of detail to which fans go. I got to learn from first-hand experience the difference between professional<\/em> and amateur cosplay.<\/p>\n As I mentioned, I was living in the Middle East at this time. I was just coming to the end of a three year ‘tour’ in Abu Dhabi. This was going to seriously hinder the process of sourcing materials\u2026but, it might also offer one unique advantage.<\/p>\n After trawling the internet for an absolute age, I found a few instances where fans had made their own, on the Starfleet 1701st<\/a> Uniform Club and on the Replica Prop Forum<\/a>, but the only one I could find that could be made to order was from StarThreadsGale<\/a> and her advert on ebay. So, I ordered one at $300 including shipping. Total cost \u00a3195.<\/p>\n I also ordered the uniform patterns from the Roddenberry<\/a> website as a back-up plan. ($25 for the jacket, $15 for trousers and $15 for undershirt, plus postage to the UK. Total cost \u00a340.) This is also the<\/em> go-to place for all insignia, pips, Starfleet badges and so on.<\/p>\n I tried to time it so that I could collect the delivered uniform from a London address on my next visit to the UK. It was alright…but not as screen accurate as I really had hoped for. The material wasn\u2019t quite right, the flap was secured by velcro and not studs and there was a whole bunch of other flaws as well.<\/p>\n So, utilising the one resource I did <\/em>have at my disposal in Abu Dhabi\u00a0\u2013 cheap tailoring services\u00a0\u2013 I sought to find the right material in London and then take it to a Little Indian Tailor that I knew once I’d returned to the UAE. I trawled the internet once more to find the best fabric shops in all of London then visited Goldhawk Road near Shepherds Bush and attempted to describe what it was I was looking for: a red\/maroon coloured wool-like material, I’ve heard called ‘wool elastique’ or also ‘gabardine’.<\/p>\n I took a few samples and continued onto Berwick Street in Soho, where there are still a one or two good material shops. It was at Misan Fabrics (4 Berwick Street) that I found the closest match to what I was looking for, but it wasn’t cheap though, for three metres (erring on the side of caution) at \u00a358 per metre. Total cost \u00a3174.<\/p>\n At this point an important decision had to be made. According to discussion forums online, the actual colour of the uniform is quite a deep, dark red and only under intense studio lighting does it appear the lighter red we are used to seeing. So, do you opt for the darker colour\u2026or the slighter lighter colour since that\u2019s what is familiar. After much deliberation I decided to go for the latter.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I later found a company called Hainsworth<\/a> online, but I didn\u2019t actually contact them so I don’t know for sure what they have to offer. Although, one forum on the 1701st offered a couple of suggestions\u00a0\u2013 the ‘madder red’ and ‘scarlet’ options in ‘Enactment Fabrics\/Apparel Fabrics’ and the ‘red’ in the Napoleonic Collection.<\/p>\n This is where the uniform from StarThreadsGale paid off\u00a0\u2013 albeit an expensive way of doing things. Now back in the UAE, I took the jacket to my Little Indian Tailor and instructed him to copy it, with a few modifications, using the newly purchased material from Berwick Street.<\/p>\n Plus a few bits and pieces were cannibalised, so that was a big help.\u00a0 Another advantage of doing it this was that he added a proper jacket lining to the inside, effectively improving the way it hung when worn and of course added the same exterior material on the inside of the right-hand-side flap so it can be ‘double-folded’ so to speak, like Lt Uhura does in The Voyage Home<\/em>.<\/p>\n The Roddenberry online store \u2013 your one-stop-shop for all your Starfleet insignia needs<\/p><\/div>\n Meanwhile, I was scouring the discussion forums, trying to see what other fans had done, how they had overcome problems and to seek answers to questions like exactly how many rows of stitches are on the right-hand sleeve of an officer’s uniform? There’s even a colour swatch to try and find the right maroon.<\/p>\n These things really are worth checking out, printing out and even binding together to ultimately make a complete guide to constructing the perfect Wrath of Khan<\/em> era uniform. I found several<\/em> pages on a forum just talking about those right-hand sleeve rows of stitching. Some scary stuff.<\/p>\n However, when I got the jacket back from my LIT, it was for the most part pretty good, but there were a few faults. The chain and poppers\/studs he had used for the fastening were far, far too big. The tailor-made trousers were also good and following my request, had no pockets in, since I wanted the shape to be maintained. But now I was leaving the UAE permanently (thank God) and on my way back to London, so any remaining alterations would have to be done in the UK…including finding the right shoes and belt. But for the most part he had done well, given how many print outs I’d shown him, plus trying to explain what Star Trek was all about, plus new trousers he’d made and alterations to the sleeves of the undershirt. So, including tip, it cost me about Dhs800 or \u00a3135.<\/p>\n A trip to John Lewis on Oxford Street solved the fastening studs problem, and by Cambridge Circus on the way to the Seven Dials in Covent Garden, there’s a number of market stalls each day. I used to walk past these several times a day, but one, towards the Covent Garden end sells buttons, chains and all sorts of sewing-related bits and pieces, and it was here that I found the right-sized chain. Total cost \u00a35.<\/p>\n Finally starting to come together \u2013 the first draft of the jacket<\/p><\/div>\n The captain’s rank insignia on the sleeve was also placed too high and the over-the-shoulder strap was not long enough on the front. Now, I had to find a decent tailor in London…something in-between a bespoke Savile Row shop and that key cutting place on the corner that fixes holes in shirts.<\/p>\n Given having the same jacket and trousers made in London would have cost me over \u00a3400, I’d done OK so far…I just had to find somewhere that wasn’t gong to charge the Earth for these minor \u2013 albeit quite complicated \u2013 alterations.<\/p>\n Then there’s things like the shoes. Again on the 1701st forums, they list several options.<\/p>\n I was convinced I’d be able to find something on the High Street that was close so I wouldn’t have to order from overseas. Boy, was I wrong. Perhaps it’s testament to the fact that all the High Street brands are telling us what to wear now more than ever, but the freedom of being to able to buy almost any style you like as long since disappeared from the streets of London.<\/p>\n Not one shoe shop had anything even remotely<\/em> close. So, I was forced to look online, which especially when you’re ordering from overseas, introduces the risk of having to return something if it doesn’t fit. I ordered two different pairs of boots from Amazon.<\/p>\n Then there’s the belt. Honestly, you’d think there’d be a shop somewhere in the UK capital where you could have a belt made. If not in the back streets of the Square Mile, then maybe Jermyn Street, or Berkeley Square. Nope. Not one. Nowhere.<\/p>\n So I trawled the web. I found the so-called ‘Star Trek Wrath of Khan belt’ on ebay from international seller CostumeBase<\/a>, so I ordered it. Total cost \u00a325 including shipping from Singapore. It arrived promptly, but it’s not the right size. The buckle sold on Roddenberry requires a belt of 2-inches in width, as all the jacket patterns also state for the belt loops. The buckle on the CostumeBase one is also the wrong colour. Granted, it’s not plastic, like the one you get with StarThreadsGale, but it’s not screen accurate enough for someone attempting to get as close as possible to the real thing. It was also the wrong kind of leather. So yeah, waste of time that.<\/p>\n The inferior belt from CostumeBase and the buckle below, ordered from Roddenberry<\/p><\/div>\n It was clear I’d have to have this custom made. I found the website of Handmade Belts<\/a> and spoke to a lovely lady by the name of Jill Shore, but she charges for every inch of stitching since it’s all done by hand…so to have two parallel rows of stitching running the length of the belt as required by the design, would cost a fortune. So she suggested I try a gentleman by the name of Austin Black at Unicorn Leather.<\/p>\n I sent him the Roddenberry buckle and gave him the instructions. It turns out the leather he works with is too thick (about 4-5mm) and the Roddenberry buckle would break after only a little use. So he sent it back and my search continued.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Meanwhile, I had ordered two pairs of shoes from two Amazon, hoping one at least would be close. The first that arrived was a pair of Zip Up Pleated Ankle Black Leather Boots from Volante in the UK and the second was Florsheim Men’s Flanagan Boot, Black, $76.99, from the US. With the import charge on top this came close to \u00a3100.<\/p>\n These are actually very close to what is used on screen (pair on the right) and I would recommend these…but do order a half size larger than you need as they do seem to be a little small.<\/p>\n You’re looking for boots with no stitching across them, hence the ones on the right.<\/p><\/div>\n The alterations on the jacket also meet with some disappointment. I tried every tailor in the City and those that were actually helpful, rather than just dismissive, suggested I try a seamstress of some sort, since these alterations would need to be done by hand and not a machine, which they relied on. After a long search on Google and many phone calls, one shop said they’d be prepared to have a look at the work. I popped along to Old Street and found Orhan Tailoring<\/a>. I explained the work and asked them to call me if there was any doubt whatsoever with any of the alterations. The quoted cost was \u00a387.<\/p>\n Fingers crossed the alterations would go well, all that was left was to find someone who could make the belt. I considered trying Brick Lane, Spitalfields market and places like this in E1. This proved successful, to my surprise, and a gentleman by the name of Mohammad Kashif<\/a> who runs a belt store in Spitalfields market made the belt below. Total cost \u00a345.<\/p>\n The final belt I had made from pig’s skin \u2013 just like the original ones in the movie<\/p><\/div>\n The final touch was what’s called the ‘security wheel’, which is the weird little circular thing on the back of each jacket. Just Google it<\/a> and you’ll see what I mean. I actually ordered mine from the Roddenberry website, although some people have come up with some inventive alternatives, including AirFix parts. Although with the demise of Model Zone, you’d be hard-pushed to find a shop that sells that kind of thing now. You could order it online, but there’s no way of knowing if you’d get something that was the right size. I also decided to spray mine silver, since I thought it would be a nice contrast to the gold-coloured pips and Starfleet insignia. A trip to Halfords provided the spray paint.<\/p>\n At several times during this process I’ve been looking at online forums and one of the best is the Replica Prop Forum<\/a>. Although there hasn’t been any major discussions regarding Wrath of Khan<\/em> era uniforms for some time, a look back through previous posts will reveal a wealth of information. The Starfleet 1701st<\/a> Uniform Club is also good, but it’s a little more amateur. Nonetheless, it’s still a good source for guides and helpful information.<\/p>\n The finished jacket with belt, laid out<\/p><\/div>\n The alterations had gone well, the captain’s rank sleeve insignia had been moved and the over-the-shoulder strap was a little longer, the clasp had been added and the smaller chain links had been sewn into the jacket. Added to which, the changes had been made to the white, ‘quilted’ polar neck as the one that arrived from StarThreadsGale had been good enough to use as a starting point. The sleeves weren’t quilted, like the neck, so that had to be remedied and each ‘pocket’ had a tiny bit of wool stuff inside to give them that ‘puffed’ look.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The new Guinness World Record, 1,063 people dressed as Star Trek characters, set on 20 October in London<\/p><\/div>\n The big question is, was it all worth it? Well, when the event came around there were a few people similarly dressed in Wrath of Khan<\/em> era uniforms…and well, without wanting to sound boastful, the time, effort, energy \u2013 and money \u2013 that had been spent on this Starfleet uniform paid off. It was the best outfit there! (Sorry James<\/a>!) It was really wonderful to have other Star Trek devotees stop me and ask about my uniform, how it was put together and where I got everything from. The event too was amazing, although the British still have a lot to learn about holding sci-fi conventions.<\/p>\n Another of the highlights for me was that, as a journalist, I got to hang out in the makeshift press room while the official photoshoots were going on outside in the main hall in the ExCel Centre. Since every other member of the press present was a photojournalist and therefore outside snapping away, I got to hang out, drink coffee and casually chat with the actors as they waited for their turn to go out and pose or came back in. Denise Crosby and I talked about property prices in LA, Dominic Keating and I nattered away about how much east London has changed, Walter Koenig popped up and said hello, as we’d met a day before when I interviewed him…and so it went on.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Back in April of 2012, while I was still living in the Middle East, I heard that London would be playing host to a sizeable […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":117,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scottsnowden.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scottsnowden.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scottsnowden.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scottsnowden.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scottsnowden.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/scottsnowden.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1999,"href":"https:\/\/scottsnowden.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102\/revisions\/1999"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scottsnowden.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scottsnowden.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scottsnowden.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scottsnowden.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"click](\"https:\/\/scottsnowden.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/ST-1-big.jpg\" "\\"click")
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