The question arises regarding the allowance for more informal clothing, specifically the Ds9 Uniform style jumpsuits, while on duty in Starfleet. This seems to boil down to a matter of formality and comfort.
As seen even into the fourth season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the older Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG)-style duty uniforms were still in active service. A clear example is in the episode “Homefront”. When Commander Sisko meets Admiral Leyton back on Earth, Leyton is in a TNG-style admiral’s uniform, and his aide is wearing the standard TNG-style duty uniform.
Admiral Leyton and his aide in Star Trek TNG-era Starfleet uniforms at Starfleet Command in "Homefront", highlighting the formality of these uniforms compared to the DS9 uniform.
Notably, Sisko himself changes back into a TNG-style uniform for this meeting with Leyton. This is a crucial detail.
We know the ds9 uniform jumpsuits weren’t exclusive to space stations, as they appeared on the Enterprise-D in Generations and were adopted by Voyager. The fact that officers at Starfleet Command were still wearing the TNG uniforms during DS9 Season 4, and Sisko’s deliberate uniform change for Starfleet Command, strongly suggests the TNG-era uniforms were considered more formal.
This leads to the idea that the ds9 uniform jumpsuit was offered as a more comfortable alternative to the TNG uniforms, particularly for starship and station duty where practicality might be valued. The “Homefront” scene reinforces this, implying jumpsuits were less suitable for formal settings or official business compared to the TNG style.
The movie Generations further illustrates this point, showing both uniform styles in use simultaneously on the bridge of the Enterprise-D:
Star Trek Generations scene on the Enterprise-D bridge showing both TNG-style and DS9 jumpsuit Starfleet uniforms worn by crew members, illustrating the concurrent use of different uniform styles.
Perhaps most tellingly, Commander Riker starts Generations in a TNG-style uniform. However, when the situation escalates and action begins, he switches to a ds9 uniform jumpsuit. Comfort certainly becomes a priority when you’re about to crash a starship’s saucer section! In conclusion, it appears the choice between the TNG and ds9 uniform styles in this period was context-dependent, with formality favoring the older style and the ds9 uniform prioritizing comfort and practicality for duty.
