Why Star Trek: TNG's Starfleet Uniforms Left One Cast Member 'Traumatized'

The Starfleet uniforms on the first two seasons of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" weren't particularly liked by anyone. The colors were certainly fine, but the cut was bizarre. The uniforms were, one can clearly see, one-piece jumpsuits with zippers up the front, and they were unforgiving. This author recalls attending a "Star Trek" convention in the 1990s, and hearing actor Jonathan Frakes complain about the jumpsuits. Evidently, they hurt everyone's backs (they had to stand up ramrod straight), and, as Frakes said, if you had an extra donut that morning, everyone could see it. 

A new uniform was introduced for the show's third season, and both the actors and audiences preferred it. The colors were the same, but the new uniforms consisted of a jacket-and-pants two-piece garment, as well as an appealing new collar lined with piping. They were, by all accounts, more comfortable, and they looked less corny and "old-time sci-fi." 

Wil Wheaton hated his costume so much that he once wrote that it left him traumatized. Wheaton played the young Wesley Crusher on "Next Generation," landing the gig when he was only 15. In the first season, Wesley mostly dressed in comfortable civilian sweaters, but in the second season, the character was made an acting ensign. This required that he wear a specialized all-grey Starfleet uniform, unfortunately, following the early jumpsuit designs. Wheaton, however, had an addition to his uniform that he and his co-stars all had to secretly deal with. Wheaton, a naturally slim man, was "bulked up" for his "Star Trek" appearances via a specialized "muscle suit" he had to wear under his clothes. It seemingly gave him a slightly broader chest and slightly larger shoulders. 

Wheaton wrote about the fake muscle suit — and how much he hated it — on his website WilWheaton.net. 

On his website, Wheaton was describing a bad experience he had meeting William Shatner for the first time. Shatner, it seems, treated him very rudely. So rudely, in fact, that Gene Roddenberry himself asked that Shatner write Wheaton a letter of apology. But Wheaton was especially nervous because he had to meet with Shatner while he was still in costume. This was in 1988, when "Next Generation" was shooting its second season at the same time Shatner was directing "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" on the same lot. Wheaton was only 16.

And, boy howdy, did he hate that costume. Indeed, Wheaton said he tried to have it on as little as possible while shooting. As he described it: 

"I was wearing the grey "acting ensign" space suit, unzipped with the sleeves tied around my waist. That costume was quite uncomfortable, so I'd take the top half off whenever I got the chance. Because it was a jumpsuit, I would tie the sleeves around my waist, and wear a lightweight fleece jacket, zipped up to cover the embarrassing muscle suit the producers had me wear. We all wore those muscle suits, but I think I was the most traumatized by it."

Wheaton explains that the muscle suit was particularly humiliating for him, because he had always been, by his own description, "a very slight person." He wrote that "having to wear all that thick padding did little to improve my fragile teenage self-esteem." It seemed that the muscle suit was a costume designer openly declaring that Wheaton's slim frame wasn't suitable for television. At the very least, Wheaton could take a small amount of comfort in the fact that fake muscle suits were a burden shared by everyone. 

Luckily, when the show's third season rolled around, Wheaton was allowed to change into a two-piece Cadet uniform. His role on the series was also reduced, as Wesley left the ship to attend Starfleet Academy. Wheaton never had to wear an uncomfortable, embarrassing muscle suit ever again.