Red Starfleet uniform worn by Nichelle Nichols as Lt. Uhura on Star Trek

Object Details

Designed by

William Ware Theiss, American, 1931 - 1992

Worn by

Nichelle Nichols, American, 1932 - 2022

Description

This red Starfleet uniform was worn by Nichelle Nichols as the character Lt. Uhura on the television show Star Trek. The red mini-dress is made from synthetic velour fabric with gold braid details and a black knit collar. The dress has full-length fitted sleeves, with a band of gold braid sewn around each sleeve approximately three (3) inches above the cuff hem. The dress closes with a metal invisible zipper that begins below the proper left front waist and ends at the proper left top shoulder, running across the front rather than at the side of the bodice. The zipper is left loose for several inches at the bottom before being joined to the fabric at the waist line. The skirt closes by snapping the proper left front with one (1) black metal snap at the proper right front, then with the proper right front skirt fastening on top of the left with one (1) black metal snap at the proper left front near the zipper. The back of the skirt has a slit reaching up to the waist seam. The black knit standing collar is asymmetrical, being deeper at the proper left front. The left side and back portion of the collar is not attached to the neck of the bodice, but is snapped in place around the interior neck with four (4) black metal snaps. A v-shaped patch with gold lame fabric and black embroidery is sewn with the point facing upward at the proper left front chest, with the proper left half of the patch not sewn down. This half of the patch is backed with black Velcro, fastening over the closed zipper.

The dress is not lined and there are no labels in the dress. Two (2) hanger loops are sewn in the interior, one at the center back neck and one at the proper left shoulder, both made from grosgrain ribbon.

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

1966-1967

Object number

2016.126

Restrictions & Rights

No Known Copyright Restrictions

Type

dresses

Medium

synthetic velour cloth with metal and Velcro closures

Dimensions

H x W x D (flat): 27 1/2 × 22 × 3/4 in. (69.9 × 55.9 × 1.9 cm)

See more items in

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification

Clothing-Costume

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Topic

African American

Actors

Clothing and dress

Costume

Costume design

Design

Science

Television

Women

Record ID

nmaahc_2016.126

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd53b27b528-3266-4e90-ab6b-e5976ebd7e24