These uniforms are seen only in eventually unrealised timelines, seen in the [TNG] finale [TNG: All Good Things...], [DS9: The Season 4: Visitor] and [#171 and #172 Endgame]. As they are seen in three stories in different Star Trek series, it is implied visually on tv and textually by TOSTFF that this uniforms system, including the re-styled Starfleet emblem/combadge, gets introduced regardless of whether or not events occur to certain individuals.
The various alternative futures that have been visited by Starfleet officers over the years have one thing in common - no matter what the scenario or how differently history has played out in these futures, Starfleet always remains recognisably Starfleet. A large element of this is the combination of uniforms and insignia worn on them. This works in two ways:
It maintains Starfleet's continuity, and retains plausibility or what Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry constantly demanded in the shows - 'the believeability factor'.
The television viewer feels comfortable in an environment that is recognisably Starfleet yet at the same time intrigued because of the differences from the current timeline seen before.
As regards point 1, Michael Okuda in his memo to Rick Berman about USS Voyager's registry number, says: "One of the elements of Star Trek that many fans have indicated their fondness for is its internal consistency, including the illusion that we have given the organization of Starfleet a lot more thought than any of us really have."
In 2370, Captain Jean-Luc Picard catches a glimpse of things to come in an anti-time future generated by Q, depicted in the [TNG] finale [TNG: All Good Things...]. In the anti-time future of 2395 Starfleet has re-styled the uniforms and also the Starfleet emblem/personal communicator pin. It seems that although certain events in 2395 do not eventually take place, thanks to Picard changing history and thereby saving mankind, history does not get changed as regards Starfleet re-styling its uniforms and emblem, because the same uniforms and emblem are seen in [DS9: Season 4: The Visitor] whose events encompasses several decades. ([DS9] Season 4 equates to 2372.) That [DS9] story's future timeline eventually unhappens. In the [Voyager] finale [#171 and #172 Endgame], in 2404 Admiral Kathryn Janeway leaves the Alpha Quadrant and journeys back in time and space to the Delta Quadrant to come aboard USS Voyager at the end of 2377. There she, with the help of her younger self and the crew, bring Voyager home early and thereby nightmarish circumstances in 2404 that the Admiral has experienced do not now occur. In that 2404 timeline Starfleet personnel wear the same uniforms seen in [TNG: All Good Things] and [DS9: Season 4: The Visitor].
In other words, the future seen in all three stories is the same one at least as far as the Starfleet uniforms and emblem are concerned.
There is an exception, namely Captain Geordi La Forge in the eventually unrealised timeline of 2390 in [#100 Timeless] - the exception consists of the fact that he is wearing a "right" uniform and a "right" combadge but the two in combination are "wrong" - see 'The Exception' in WHY 2394 IS THE LAST SERVICE DATE FOR THE UNIFORMS INTRODUCED IN 2373.
admiral variant (1) e.g. 2404 (same as other ranks' but with admiral's rank pin)
admiral variant (2) e.g. 2404
coat e.g. 2404; there are presumably variants with stripes and piping in appropriate division colours
cadet e.g. 2404
Thanks to Spike's Star Trek Page for these 9 small scans, from TOSTFF/ST:M, enhanced by me.
The future uniforms comprise, for ranks below that of admiral, tight-fitting black trousers and a top in a primary colour (screenshot is from [TNG: All Good Things...]). The principle of colour-coding for departments is maintained, being red for command, blue for science and medical and yellow for operations and engineering. However, the entire medical staff of the hostpial ship USS Pasteur NCC-58928 commanded by Captain Beverly Picard, wear red uniforms. The form-fitted jumpsuits appear to be one-piece wear rather than comprising trousers and a separate tunic, which harks back to the style of uniforms in 2364 and 2365. (Those one-piece suits were made into two-piece versions because the actors complained that they were too tight for comfort and ease of movement. The two-piece versions are seen starting in 2366 i.e. Season 3 of [TNG] onwards.) The bright coloured, front-fastening top panel begins just above the natural waistline. A thin strand of black braiding across the chest and back at shoulder height serves partly as decoration and partly as a line on which to place and draw attention to the rank pips. The rank pips, and admirals' rank pins, are no longer worn on the front right of the collar, but are now worn on the right-hand side of the upper chest.
The re-styled Starfleet emblem, now a silver delta symbol placed over two vertical gold bars, is worn in the traditional place, namely on the left breast; that is a location that has remained since at least the 2260's (established in [TOS]). The badge continues to combine two functions, a duality first introduced in 2364 - that of an emblem and an integral personal communicator activated usually by tapping it. (It is established in text canon, first in TNG Tech, that aboard ship it is not necessary to tap the combadge to activate it, but that would seem to be a belated, though plausible, explanation of the numerous times when characters fail to tap it and yet have a comline - without that explanation they would be bloopers.) The combadge can also serve as a tracking device. This means that the device's combined functions have been in service for over 30 years. It can be assumed that technological advances in communication mean that the inner circuitry of the combadge is updated from time to time, and one speculates that with each re-styling of the badge a major such upgrade is likely.
the re-styled emblem also appears, of course, at the close of audio-visual communications.
There are two styles of admiral's future uniform. The one worn by Admiral William Riker in [TNG: All Good Things...] (righthand screenshot) has changed little from the style worn by flag officers throughout the 2360's and early 2370's. Only the Starfleet insignia has been updated. This lags behind the fashions worn by the lower-ranking commissioned officers is often seen in realised timelines, and so does have a precedent in Picard's present. That statement, by TOSTFF, puts into canon what we otherwise could only surmise from visual evidence as seen on tv, and it sees off any accusations of continuity bloopers. For "Picard's present" in that story is 2370, and for [DS9], which starts in 2369, a new style of uniform is introduced as a set of variants on the existing system, and the explanation thus neatly accounts for the [DS9] Starfleet personnel and USS Voyager personnel wearing the new uniforms, and also it neatly accounts for why the USS Voyager crew continue to wear those variants after Starfleet introduces the grey and black uniforms in 2373. However, admirals can choose to wear a uniform the same style as the standard duty uniform worn by other ranks, with only one admiral's rank pin being worn - this is the style worn by Admiral Kathryn Janeway in 2404, in [#171 and #172 Endgame].
In the screenshots below, note the re-styled Starfleet emblem, the primary-colour tops, and the location of the rank pips. (Allowances should be made for differences in the tv studio's set lighting.)
Captain Beverly Picard and an Ensign at the conn [TNG: Season 7: All Good Things...]
[TNG: Season 7: All Good Things...]
Captain Harry Kim [#171 and #172 Endgame]
back of uniform [TNG: Season 7: All Good Things...]
front of uniform [TNG: Season 7: All Good Things...]
Captain Nog, the first Ferengi captain in Starfleet [DS9: Season 4: The Visitor]
the uniform is different from the previous style in that it is one-piece and also is more form-fitted [TNG: Season 7: All Good Things...]
Captain Harry Kim [#171 and #172 Endgame]
Admiral Kathryn Janeway [#171 and #172 Endgame]
The admiral's uniform in [#171 and #172 Endgame], as worn by Admiral Kathryn Janeway, is not like Riker's but like other ranks' standard duty uniform.
Admiral William Riker [TNG: Season 7: All Good Things...]
back of admiral's uniform [TNG: Season 7: All Good Things...]
Next page: standard uniforms, continued (more screenshots)
![this page covers part of the [Voyager] era](unifpics/voy_splash_by_janet.jpg)
The future uniforms comprise, for ranks below that of admiral, tight-fitting black trousers and a top in a primary colour (screenshot is from [TNG: All Good Things...]). The principle of colour-coding for departments is maintained, being red for command, blue for science and medical and yellow for operations and engineering. However, the entire medical staff of the hostpial ship USS Pasteur NCC-58928 commanded by Captain Beverly Picard, wear red uniforms. The form-fitted jumpsuits appear to be one-piece wear rather than comprising trousers and a separate tunic, which harks back to the style of uniforms in 2364 and 2365. (Those one-piece suits were made into two-piece versions because the actors complained that they were too tight for comfort and ease of movement. The two-piece versions are seen starting in 2366 i.e. Season 3 of [TNG] onwards.) The bright coloured, front-fastening top panel begins just above the natural waistline. A thin strand of black braiding across the chest and back at shoulder height serves partly as decoration and partly as a line on which to place and draw attention to the rank pips. The rank pips, and admirals' rank pins, are no longer worn on the front right of the collar, but are now worn on the right-hand side of the upper chest.
The re-styled Starfleet emblem, now a silver delta symbol placed over two vertical gold bars, is worn in the traditional place, namely on the left breast; that is a location that has remained since at least the 2260's (established in [TOS]). The badge continues to combine two functions, a duality first introduced in 2364 - that of an emblem and an integral personal communicator activated usually by tapping it. (It is established in text canon, first in TNG Tech, that aboard ship it is not necessary to tap the combadge to activate it, but that would seem to be a belated, though plausible, explanation of the numerous times when characters fail to tap it and yet have a comline - without that explanation they would be bloopers.) The combadge can also serve as a tracking device. This means that the device's combined functions have been in service for over 30 years. It can be assumed that technological advances in communication mean that the inner circuitry of the combadge is updated from time to time, and one speculates that with each re-styling of the badge a major such upgrade is likely.
There are two styles of admiral's future uniform. The one worn by Admiral William Riker in [TNG: All Good Things...] (righthand screenshot) has changed little from the style worn by flag officers throughout the 2360's and early 2370's. Only the Starfleet insignia has been updated. This lags behind the fashions worn by the lower-ranking commissioned officers is often seen in realised timelines, and so does have a precedent in Picard's present. That statement, by TOSTFF, puts into canon what we otherwise could only surmise from visual evidence as seen on tv, and it sees off any accusations of continuity bloopers. For "Picard's present" in that story is 2370, and for [DS9], which starts in 2369, a new style of uniform is introduced as a set of variants on the existing system, and the explanation thus neatly accounts for the [DS9] Starfleet personnel and USS Voyager personnel wearing the new uniforms, and also it neatly accounts for why the USS Voyager crew continue to wear those variants after Starfleet introduces the grey and black uniforms in 2373. However, admirals can choose to wear a uniform the same style as the standard duty uniform worn by other ranks, with only one admiral's rank pin being worn - this is the style worn by Admiral Kathryn Janeway in 2404, in [#171 and #172 Endgame].
