The U.S. Space Force completed its final service dress uniform fit test at the Pentagon last Thursday, concluding a lengthy process that began when the uniform was unveiled in September 2021.
A total of 100 Guardians were selected as fit test participants, which the service called an “essential” stage in the development of the uniform’s size and fit, according to a service press release.
“We used Guardian focus groups and roadshows to narrow service dress design options,” Wade Yamada, the deputy director of staff in the Office of the Chief of Space Operations, said in the release. “We listened intently to Guardian design and fit requests. In many ways, Guardians helped select our current service dress design.”
The final fit test is another checkpoint in a uniform saga that has elicited no shortage of online commentary — notably, the uniform’s resemblance to duds worn on various space-based shows.
In an article written after the uniform’s unveiling, the science and entertainment website Giant Freakin Robot suggested that the service had drawn inspiration from the hit television series “Battlestar Galactica.”
But for those Trekkies feeling left out, fear not. The uniforms have also been compared to those worn by Capt. James Kirk, played by William Shatner, in the movie “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.”
“We are excited by Guardians’ input into their future uniform,” Catherine Lovelady, the head of the service’s Office of Change Management Team. “We are passionate about ensuring our members continue to have a voice in shaping a unique Space Force uniform.”
The next step for the Space Force dress uniform will begin this summer, when the service tests for durability, functionality and comfort.
Zamone “Z” Perez is a reporter at Military Times. He previously worked at Foreign Policy and Ufahamu Africa. He is a graduate of Northwestern University, where he researched international ethics and atrocity prevention in his thesis. He can be found on Twitter @zamoneperez.
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