Stargate Costumes

Background

In November 2001, I decided to attend the Stargate convention, GateCon 2002, in Vancouver, Canada. I assumed that it would be a once-in-a-lifetime event for me, so I decided to wear a costume to the event.

Costumes

Since one of the easiest costume from the show to replicate is the BDU (Battle Dress Uniform) worn by SG-teams on base and as the basis of their mission uniforms, I obtained a couple of BDU shirts and a pair of matching trousers, the long sleaved, black t-shirts prefered by Major Carter and a set of dog-tags.

However, I also became interested in the more formal Air Force Service Dress Uniform, aka Class A uniform, through my interest in the decorations and medals worn in the show.

I obtained a pair of epauletted blouses, from an online surplus store, and a necktab and garrison cap from eBay. Insignia were readily available online to make me a 1st Lieutenant and navigator in space/missile command. However, I was unable to obtain an Air Force issue jacket.

Shortly before I left for Canada, I won another eBay auction, this time with a selection of old style USAF buttons, in the hope that I could use these on an appropriately styled blazer as described in AFI 39-2903, Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel.

The new style female blazer has three buttons, a welt breast pocket on the left hand side and a pair of flapped pockets. The lapels are notched, and the officer's style has epaulettes and braid circling both sleaves.

I searched fairly intensively to find an item, in navy blue, that would approximate this design, and until two days before the convention was unable to replicate it. Fortunately, I never stopped looking, as I was gifted with the ideal jacket on the top floor of the Hudson Bay Trading Company in downtown Vancouver, when I stumbled across the Ralph Lauren consession.

Despite the somewhat outrageous cost, I bought it and with a little effort was able to produce a fairly good replica uniform, which was commented on not only by the stars, but also by MSgt Tom Gianazzo, one of the show's AF liasons.

Of flight suits

GateCon 2002 was a blast. So much so, that I'm going back again. There are too many things that I didn't do that I want to. For example, the studio tour, which should be on again, since the show has been given a seventh season.

So... flight suits.

If you watch the show with an eye towards the costumes, you may have noticed that Sgt. Davis, aka Chevron Guy (Gary Jones) has had a change of costume. Gone is his "combat cardigan" (his words) and since about mid-season 5 he's wearing a rather nifty flight suit number.

So, the Dress regs don't say much about the flight suit. In fact, they leave it mostly up to the commander's discretion. OK, I think that must be a costumer's dream.

Careful watching of episodes such as season 5's Menace or season 6's Revelations allows one to note that it appears to be a standard blue polyester flight suit of the Air Force Space Command Missile Crew Uniform style.

In Unnatural Selection (episode 612), we see both Davis and Sgt. Siler (Dan Shea) wearing this uniform.


Neck tab "Neck Tab Dry Clean Only USAF Certificate No. 59 WEG 2-1-84"
Neck tab diagram A 1:1 scale diagram of a neck tab.