"Picard Maneuver" & Star Trek: TNG Uniform Change Explained By Patrick Stewart

Summary

• Patrick Stewart shares in his autobiography how uncomfortable the original Star Trek: The Next Generation uniforms were, and the extreme measures he took to get new costumes for the cast.
• Stewart's campaign to change the uniforms fell on deaf ears until his agent intervened with a threat of legal action, which ultimately led to the introduction of new uniforms in season 3.
• The new costumes, designed by Robert Blackman, were made of polyester and featured a two-piece design, providing more comfort and flexibility. However, Captain Picard's uniform still had to remain smooth, resulting in the famous "Picard Maneuver" of tugging the hem of his tunic.

Star Trek: The Next Generation changed uniforms in season 3, which Patrick Stewart explains was due to his campaign to secure more comfortable outfits for himself and the cast. Stewart's autobiography, "Making It So: A Memoir," delves into his years playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard on TNG, the four movies that followed, and Star Trek: Picard. Sir Patrick has no lack of stories about the early days of TNG, and in one passage, he details the extreme discomfort the Starfleet uniform he wore in the first two Next Generation seasons caused him.
In "Making It So: A Memoir," Patrick Stewart describes how uncomfortable it was to wear the original Star Trek: The Next Generation uniforms, and the ingenious plan he and his agent hatched to get a new costume on the show. Read the excerpt below:

Our one-piece uniforms, created by the original Star Trek's costume designer, William Ware Theiss, were made of spandex and deliberately cut one size too small so that they never wrinkled and kept our bodies on constant display... The problem was these uniforms, beyond their leaving little to the imagination, were constricting to the point of causing pain... I campaigned to Gene directly to switch to different uniforms but my pleas fell on deaf ears. Then my agent, Steve Dontaville, came up with a brilliant idea: I would consult my doctor and ask him to make an appeal, as a medical professional, to change the uniforms. Steve also threw his weight around, intimating to the Paramount execs that if the situation were not remedied, he would bring suit against them for any muscular and joint damage I suffered.

Patrick Stewart went on to explain how their plan resulted in new Star Trek: The Next Generation uniforms in season 3, and how it gave birth to the famous "Picard maneuver." Read his quote below:

Our strategy worked. It took a couple of seasons to implement the changes, but finally, a new costume designer, Robert Blackman, sympathetically came up with a two-piece uniform made of polyester. My new getup, with a top separate from my trousers, was still snug but had plenty of give. Gene, however, was adamant that Captain Picard's uniform must always be unfailingly smooth. So every time I sat down in my captain's chair, I tugged on the hem of my tunic - a tic that Star Trek fans have named the "Picard Maneuver."

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