Designing Uniforms

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There have been some really fantastic and some really dumb uniforms both in sci-fi, fantasy, and ironically real history. In keeping in tune with our hard science theme for Infinite Stars, we did some research on uniforms, the how’s, some why’s, and more importantly what to keep in mind when designing military and other uniforms. A lot of this information is also applicable when designing space or combat suits.

Something to keep in mind throughout this discussion is that different uniforms serve different purposes, and we will mostly be focusing on the military aspects of uniforms. 

Purpose of a uniform.

Some uniforms are meant to honor the wearer while others are meant for combat and to camouflage the wearer. Yet others are meant to raise morale or build pride through tradition. Most importantly uniforms are used to create unity and distinguish between who belongs and who doesn’t. Civilian vs Military. Staff vs Customer. You get the idea. Well designed military uniforms also indicate things like rank, division, and even the name of the individual. A good example of denoting divisions are the red tactical vs the yellow engineering shirts from Star Trek.

Historically uniforms were also designed to prevent desertion. The materials, colors, and other aspects were chosen to ensure that a military uniform could not be easily modified to blend in with normal civilian clothes. This works on the same principle as the bright orange prisoner clothes, making it difficult for an escapee to blend in with normal civilians. They will look out of place and draw attention.

In 1914 the British army also realized that units with striking, stylish off-duty uniforms tended to draw more recruits. This probably has to do with the “Peacock Effect”

The practicality of a uniform.

Uniforms need to be practical for their purpose. During the Anglo-Boer War, the British soldiers wore their bright red military uniforms while the Boers wore their faded khaki uniforms. The result was that the British soldiers would be spotted miles away and were easy to pick off at range.

Originally armies had bright colored uniforms to distinguish between friend and foe and to make it easier for commanders to get an overview of the battle, but as war evolved, so did the practicality. Wearing brightly colored uniforms when your enemy uses tactics like guerrilla warfare will ruin your day.

Look and design of a uniform.

A lot of aspects factor into how a uniform looks. As mentioned, a dress uniform will look vastly different from a battle uniform. Culture and history also have a huge impact on uniform design, as does the budget, available materials, and other influences.

Color.

When deciding on a color for the uniform, we once again have to look at the purpose. If the uniform will be worn primarily in the desert, you want more faded, sandish colors instead of bright greens and oranges, but you also have to take other factors into account. Sometimes blending in isn’t the right choice. If you had to create a naval uniform you would probably choose blue because of the ocean, but if a crew member goes overboard it suddenly becomes more difficult to spot and rescue them. Spartan warriors wore rich red cloaks that made them easy to spot, but also intimidated their foes. Amarian officer uniforms (From EVE Online) would probably have tons of golden embroidery and intricate trinkets to highlight the opulence and might of the Imperial Navy.

The human uniforms in Infinite Stars are dark and sleek. While it would seem like the purpose was to blend in with the darkness of space, this was not the reason. Any enemies would mostly be interacting with humans in their starships and will rarely see their uniforms. Instead, the color design borrowed from historical black-ops meant to inspire unity and bravery. It also boosts morale by having the crew feel that they are elite forces, representing the best humanity has to offer

Comfort.

How comfortable a uniform is, also speaks volumes about culture and intent. Comfortable uniforms tend to boost morale, but it is not hard to imagine a fictional culture where the uniforms are intentionally uncomfortable to remind the wearer of the burden of their duty. Practicality also plays a part, like the rumor that French cufflinks were used by Napoleon's soldiers to wipe their noses on their sleeves. They could fold it back to hide the evidence. There are also rumors that the buttons on German soldiers' jacket sleeves were placed there to prevent soldiers from wiping their noses on their sleeves. It’s probably not true, but it’s fun to think of details like these when designing a uniform.

Material.

The material used to produce uniforms will be reflected in the purpose and wealth of the entity designing the uniform. Naval races that operate a lot in and out of water would probably opt for a rubbery, wetsuit type of uniform. Uniforms designed to operate in high-temperature climates will probably not be black and will be made of a material that can breathe while avoiding any parts or materials that can easily melt. Similarly colder environments will have uniforms that can retain heat and not have parts or materials that become brittle in the cold. Infiltration squads won’t have squeaky leather uniforms, no matter how cool it looks.

As mentioned wealth and available materials play a role. Wealthy entities will likely have custom-fitted uniforms for their soldiers, where poorer entities will have traditional small, medium, and large versions. There are many other small aesthetics to keep in mind like square breast pockets vs rounded breast pockets. A country with material scarcity will opt for square pockets as it has fewer offcuts and wasted material than rounded pockets.

Other things to keep in mind are flammability, reflectiveness, strength, and durability. A logistics uniform might have reflective patches so vehicles don’t accidentally drive over them in the dark, but put that same patch on a combat uniform and the enemy will start arming themselves with torches.

Culture.

Cultural influences will show in a uniform. Entities that value individuality might allow makeup or jewelry, or even have optional accessories like skirts, scarfs, jackets, etc while entities that value unity probably won’t allow any personalization of their uniforms. 

Utility.

I know I keep harping on the purpose of a uniform, but it really does have the largest impact on what the design looks like. Ceremonial uniforms might be hard to get into as an individual, and a fictional nation could have designed it this way since they see getting dressed as part of the ritual. First responders like firemen have suits that are protective yet quick to get into. Cold climates might have tapered down uniforms on the ankles and sleeves to help preserve body heat or have ear flaps and visors. Mechanic or engineering uniforms should have lots of pockets to keep tools, and probably reinforced elbow and knee areas to assist with all the crawling. Uniforms meant to be used in small quarters shouldn’t have anything that can get hooked or snagged to something.

Psychological.

Uniforms can also be used to intimidate and break enemy morale. Most historical uniforms have their belts around the middle instead of through the pant loops to create the illusion of stronger, bulkier soldiers. 18th-century grenadiers wore tall miter-shaped caps to make them appear taller and more impressive. Prussian Hussars used to wear skulls and crossbones on their hats. Mayans used death whistles when they were charging (OK that isn’t technically part of a uniform, but you get the idea)

Infinite Stars Uniform Design (Humans)

We had to take a lot of this into account when we designed the uniforms for Infinite Stars, but ultimately we like the outcome. It’s practical and comfortable and most importantly, it fits into our theme of being realistic and plausible.

I hope this post gave you some insight into our workflow and design decisions. If you are a fellow world builder, I hope this post inspired you and gave you some things to consider when you design your own uniforms.

As always if you enjoyed this post and aren't a patron yet, please consider supporting our small team. If Infinite Stars piques your interest, consider signing up to our mailing list. The game will be free for everyone, with patrons getting first access to early releases.

UPDATE: Infinite stars recently celebrated their one-year birthday and have released their third feature-packed episode. As promised, the game is entirely free, and you can grab a copy from itch.io (and very soon - Steam)