Remember when you were a kid, and wanted 
to play Star Trek? You would put together some sort of makeshift uniform out of what you had in your closet. Maybe you drew on insignia on a gold, blue or red sweatshirt, maybe it was something else entirely. Regardless of how did it, you wanted a uniform. I know that I did, and I know that I am not alone. Fortunately, we no longer have to settle for homemade looks thanks to companies like Volante Design.
There is a possibility you have never heard of Volante Design; I only happened across them by chance. I was doing a web search for science fiction themed clothes (because I like to play dress up in my everyday life) and there was Volante. Needless to say it was love at first sight. Their original designs aren’t just awesome they are functional and look like everyday clothing. I have so much fun dressing up and going grocery shopping or out to dinner. Yeah, I am that kind of nerd.
Volante Design has several original lines that include coats, jackets, vests and sweaters. Along with their original clothing, Volante Design also has officially licensed designs. Most of these licensed designs are based on video game properties but Volante also has a Star Trek line. These Star Trek designs are more “inspired by” than exact uniform copies. The properties they have are Deep Space Nine, The Next Generation, The Original Series (Movie Era), Picard and Star Trek: Discovery.
Since Star Trek: Discovery begins a new season this week let us take a focused look at the Discovery Jacket. This jacket is based on the uniform designs of Discovery’s costume designer, Gersha Phillips. The jacket is a more subtle look than the actual uniforms which sport a fair amount of metallic material. When Star Trek: Discovery premiered 3 years ago I didn’t realize how similar the Discovery uniforms are to uniforms from Star Trek: Enterprise. It is easy to see how the Discovery uniforms could have evolved from those early jumpsuits.
The Star Trek: Discovery jacket comes in 4 color schemes: Blue/Gold (Command), Blue/Silver (Sciences), Blue/Copper (Operations) and Black/Black (Section 31). The denim material is both heavy duty and light weight. The jacket is perfect for Spring or Fall and possibly early Winter with a heavier shirt underneath. The jacket has a nice fit and I think it works better if it is not completely form fitting. Volante Design has a great size chart that will help you find the right fit.
The Discovery jacket is gorgeous. There really is not a way to expound on that fact, gorgeous sums it up nicely. The level of detail and workmanship is outstanding. This jacket was made to be worn everyday not just to your local con or cosplay event. These jackets are hand-made and I think that makes all the difference. The poet Keats once wrote that, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever” and although he wasn’t talking about this jacket it still is a fitting quote. I know this jacket will bring me joy for years to come.
I can’t speak of the Discovery uniforms, but I know one thing that this jacket has that the original uniforms from the 1960’s didn’t have, pockets. It may seem like a silly thing to get excited over, but pockets are a big deal. The jacket has two outside pockets and an inner pocket. There is also a special pocket to hold the backing of the magnetic insignia badges that QmX produces so you never have to find the right spot for your badge.
There is definitely a great deal of work that goes into each and every product produced by Volante Design and it shows. Sadly though, quality does not come cheap; The Star Trek: Discovery jacket retails for $330 USD. The good news is that you will have this jacket for years to come; so there’s your justification.
The Star Trek: Discovery jacket from Volante Design is available now. If you are on the fence on what to buy check out their website here. A big thank you goes out to the folks over at Volante Design for sending the product for review.
