Anyone who knows me is well aware that geek fashion is a huge party of my identity as a Star Trek fan. Whether it’s the annual Star Trek Las Vegas convention, Denver Comic Con, or attending the latest summer blockbuster – I’ve got an outfit for everything!
When it comes to Star Trek apparel especially, I can’t help filling my closet with more. ThinkGeek has lots of options to choose from with varied sizing for women, including several unisex items, and I tried out four of their offerings to see if they were right for me.
Straight out of the Academy campus, the Starfleet Academy Varsity Hoodie is attractive at first glance. Although advertised as a hoodie, it’s more of a lightweight jacket made of 55% wool and 45% rayon; the inner lining is quilted polyester, which lends itself to warmer wear. It looks and feels right on par with the varsity jacket you wore in high school, perfect to cheer on the Starfleet football team, but not warm enough to fare on Rura Penthe!
One of the nice features of this jacket is the detachable jersey hood; it’s great because you probably don’t want or need it. The lighter, T-shirt like material doesn’t quite go with the higher quality production materials and look of the hoodie, but can be easily removed via hidden buttons inside the collar. No one will ever know it was removed!
(Should you decide to remove the hood while at an outing, it can be easily stowed in one of three pockets – two on the exterior and one interior.)
The chenille Starfleet Academy patch and crest are what sets this hoodie apart from the rest. The chenille triangle patch on the front left of the jacket bears our Alma Mater’s motto “Ex Astris Scientia.” While the Academy existed as early as the 2140’s, it was officially incorporated into the Federation in 2161 along with these famous words that translate to “from the stars, knowledge.”
The back of the jacket bears the Starfleet Academy Crest, completely embroidered and flawless. It’s notable that this crest is displayed as it so rarely appears upon Star Trek merchandise elsewhere; given this jacket was created by ThinkGeek as an exclusive item, it makes sense that they’d monopolize in a rare imagine to make their item unique.
One of the downsides of this jacket, however, is its impressive ability to discolor while picking up any and all matter of dirt on the arms. It helps that it’s machine washable — and can also go in the dryer — but stains on the white PU/Viscose sleeve may not come out so easily.
Finally, if you go for this jacket, be mindful of the sizing, as it’s a unisex item which means sizing for women may be smaller than usual. For instance, I’m 5’7” with a 37” chest and ordered an ‘XS’ size, which measures at a 45” chest. Needless to say, this jacket is still fairly oversized. While it means I can easily wear a bulky sweater underneath, it’s almost uncomfortably large, which leaves me to dissuade smaller women from purchasing this item.
Overall, this is one of the better quality items I’ve worn from ThinkGeek, and would recommend picking one up if you’re looking for a light-weight jacket to wear to a fall football game, or even during convention season (as we all know how cold those convention rooms get!)
The jacket retails for $69.99, but as of this writing is on sale for $27.99 at ThinkGeek’s store.
There are times when you have to go out on a limb as a fangirl, and the Star Trek TOS Uniform Skirt was one of those adventures — but while I wish I could say that I loved it, this skirt doesn’t quite work for me.
Considering this is another ThinkGeek / Her Universe exclusive item made for the Star Trek 50th celebration, I REALLY wanted to make this skirt work for me, and I knew going in that yoke skirts — high-waisted with a wide A-line shape — don’t always work for me. While this skirt is an interpretation of the TOS-era miniskirt, it doesn’t quite pan out that way. (To be fair, ThinkGeek does warn that depending on height and how you choose to accessorize, the skirt may or may not be a mini-skirt on the individual who wears it.)
I purchased this skirt in a ‘M’ (28 inch waistband. I’m a size 4/6) and it fit fine. Technically, I wear a ‘S’ in most clothing sizes but I’ve learned to size up with yoke skirts, so I suggest you might as well! This skirt is 97% cotton and it shows – the skirt came wrinkled and needed ironing immediately. Plus, if you’re considering this skirt and don’t already have a petticoat, you’ll really have to invest in one because it’s the only way you’ll be able to wear it out of the house.
Because this skirt is 100% cotton, it’s machine washable (hang to dry), but it also means that the material is less-than what this skirt actually needs. The elasticized waist is great for those who need a little extra space, and there is a hook-and-eye closure in the back, but the waistband and materials lend a very cheap feeling to this skirt. I have similar yoke skirts from other brands that are higher quality material, and unfortunately this skirt just doesn’t stand up to the ones I already own.
The skirt is fully lined, which is a plus if you don’t want to add the petticoat — but let me say again, you really need one! The photos of the item look cute on the models, and there’s a user picture on the site in which the customer looks ADORABLE… but this skirt really isn’t for me.
I hate not recommending an item like this, as I truly believe that every woman can embrace a piece of clothing and make it her own — but if you’re on the fence, I’d advise that you skip this one and and look for a higher-quality alternative.
If you do fancy this skirt, however, you can find it at ThinkGeek’s store starting at $32.99.
In reviewing the Star Trek TOS Uniform Leggings, I feel a lot like Captain Kirk having to tell a crewmember that they’re doing a really great job… but they’re not getting the promotion. I have never wanted to love an item more, but as perfect as I want these leggings to be, they sadly fall short of earning a commendation.
Made of 96% polyester and 4% spandex, they’re thick and warm enough to wear when it’s chilly outside. They look amazing – with a black yoke waist and serged seam inside the legs, they’re available in Sciences Blue, Command Gold, and Operations Red RED SHIRT RED! as I like to call it.
These leggings look impressive out of the bag – the mini delta shield pattern is reminiscent of the Kelvin timeline uniforms, but these are clearly meant to represent TOS-era Trek. The black waistband resembles the Original Series neckline with the departmental-specific Starfleet insignia on the hip.
I wear a size 4 or 6 in most pant sizes, and was cautious about what size to order. I settled on a Medium — which meant I sized up — and was disappointed at how much I had to shimmy to get them above my waist. If I were to try these again, I’d probably go up two size… but that could be a problem too.
Once I was able to squeeze into the leggings, I realized two things — despite the tight fit, the leggings are baggy in the knees, which was surprising for my height. I’m an avid wearer of leggings and baggy knees shouldn’t be an issue. Also, while the waistband of the leggings looks great, something is off with the fit; the front of the leggings sit high on my waist, but fall lower in the back.
(I’m not exaggerating when I say that I couldn’t wear these leggings in public if crouching or kneeling was a factor; they come down so low that far too much is revealed. RED ALERT!!!)
Despite their faults, I’ve worn and washed these leggings several times. I didn’t quite follow the labelled care instructions — hand wash cold, hang dry — and ran them through my washer and dryer, and after a second wash the the fabric is already pilling. (I suppose the labels are there for a reason!)
If not for the strange fit of the waistband and sag in the knees, I’d be tempted to try another pair in a larger size, but I can’t bring myself to after the pilling in the fabric — even following the care instructions I’m not sure how well they would hold up over repeated washings.
Despite my overall feelings on the product, I will say that these are the highest quality leggings I’ve ever received from ThinkGeek. I should also note that while the company recommends them for workouts, I think they’re far too insulating for that kind of exertion!
While I can’t quite recommend them, if they do strike your interest, they’re on sale right now in the ThinkGeek store starting at $19.99 each.
I’m a HUGE fan of Her Universe, and I’ve been a customer of Ashley Eckstein’s amazing women-focused apparel since she hit the market, since I’ve already got two of her adorable line of bomber style jackets at home, I gravitated directly to the Star Trek Patches Paige Bomber — and it was the right choice!
This lightweight jacket was specifically made by Her Universe for the Star Trek 50th anniversary, and is a ThinkGeek exclusive. It’s 100% polyester and machine washable, which is a huge plus. As a full-zip track style jacket with grey ribbed cuffs at the neck, sleeve, and waist, it’s important to note that this jacket may not compliment a full-figured shape. I say this as a full-figured woman — while the jacket is adorable nonetheless, the straight zipper pouches at the belly for a less-than flattering fit, but that’s the only complaint I have..
The front of this jacket includes four amazing patches and my favorite embellishment, an embroidered Trekkie Class of ‘66 on the left chest. The front patches, some of which are actually screen-prints, include the Starfleet Academy of Science Emblem, Starfleet Academy Department of Astrophysics, Starfleet Medical Academy, and the Kobayashi Maru Starfleet Academy Examination patch. How cool!
The right arm of the jacket bears a screen-print for the Starfleet Academy Red Squadron, a nod to this elite group of cadets at the Academy who appear in Deep Space Nine in “Paradise Lost,” “Homefront,” and “Valiant.” This more obscure reference is one of my favorites!
The back of the jacket includes a beautiful screen-print of the Starfleet Academy emblem to pull everything together. Sizing on this jacket may be tricky – my two other bombers are size ‘M,’ whereas I decided to check out an ‘S’ this time based on the chest measurements.
With a 37” chest, I’d hoped the spare four inches of the ‘S’ would be suitable, but the ‘M’ is a better fit, especially regarding the sleeves. Despite the straight zipper and unflattering look when closed, it’s truly only an issue when sitting, so while it’s a complaint it’s the only one I’ve got for this jacket.
This jacket normally retails for $59.99, but as of this writing is on sale for $19.99 at ThinkGeek’s store.
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