Costume Design Archive: William Ware Theiss

Costume Design by William Ware Theiss

A pilot film for a prospective Gene Rodenberry series that never came to fruition; Gene Rodenberry would rework the concept into Planet Earth a year later. Set in the far future, where protagonist Dylan Hunt (Alex Cord) is awakened by members of PAX, whose members wear futuristic jumpsuits with baggy sleeves and buttons on the shoulders and come in a variety of colours.

The military forces of PAX wear the same overalls but with futuristic combat jackets worn over them; they are constructed from a burlap and died in a painted camouflage pattern, with large flaps on the back, acting as built-in backpacks.

The elders of PAX wear wraparound gowns, with the women wearing wearing a variant with raised shoulders.

The civilians residing in PAX's underground base wear gowns made out of a dyed material; possibly shower curtains I imagine.

Opposing PAX are the Tyranians, whose dress sense is partly informed by Greco-Roman fashions, fitting in with their authoritarian society; the males of Tyranian society wear a v-shaped tabard-like garment going down from the shoulders, with a mosaic pattern belt and cape. This is completed with a fur-lined cape.

The Tyranian guards dress less glam, thought despite appearing to be rags their uniforms are designed; the shirt goes down as v-shape, with the sleeves and leggings strategically cut around the back, showing the wearer's legs and arms.

The Tyranian we see the most of in the film is Lyra-a (Mariette Hartley) who wears the most costumes in the film - her original costume (ie not one of the PAX jumpsuits) is a blue gown with threading around the collar. Underneath this she is wearing a geometrically patterned colourful of underwear.

The next costume she dons is a futuristic pantsuit with the top being a similar design to the Tyranian guards; worn under this is a bra made of the same material. Worn over it is a fur-lined beige and tan cloak.

When encouraging Hunt to join the Tyranians, Lyra-a sports this purple patterned gown; this would be reused by costume designer William Ware Theiss in the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, specifically the episode 'Angel One'.

And when these attempts fail, she sports this lovely pink dress with gold trim on the bottom.

Lyra-a's last outfit of note follows on the 'diamond top' design seen with the other Tyranian's dress sense; the dress itself is made of a colourful mosaic pattern, with little strings at the shoulders. Worn over this is fur-lined cloak.

Costume Design by William Ware Theiss

'Spock's Brain'

The most infamous episode of the series, and perhaps any science-fiction series ever, involved Spock's brain (just like in the title!) being stolen by Kara (Marj Dusay), the leader of the women of the planet Sigma Draconis VI who all live underground - all the women wear similar colourful miniskirt dresses with coloured leggings as well, Kara's distinguished by having ruffled material on the front of the skirt segment.

'The Enterprise Incident'

In this episode the Enterprise ends up tangling with the Romulans once again, with the Romulan commander this time wearing a miniskirt version of the uniform seen in 'Balance of Terror', worn with thigh-high boots.

'And the Children Shall Lead'

In this episode, an evil alien entity known as Gorgan (Melcin Belli) ends up getting the children of a planet under his control to be his soldiers - whilst mostly obscured by the special effects, Gorgan seems to be wearing a longe robe with a collar made out of a shiny floral material.

The children in question are dressed in a variety of colourful patterned shirts and shorts, with the one girl among them having flowers stuck on her outfit.

'Is There In Truth No Beauty?'

In this episode the Enterprise is host to an alien ambassador whose appearance can induce madness in all who see it, and as such is escorted by the psychologist Miranda Jones (Diana Muldaur) who sport a variety of dresses all with a studded mesh gown over her dresses - and also have got to mention that visor too!

Onboard the Enterprise also is Jones' assoiate Marvick (David Frankham) who sports a grey jumpsuit with red and black lining over the front and back in an asymmetrical fashion, with the black line going from one of the shoulders to the waist on the left side.

'Day of the Dove'

In this episode a Klingon taskforce ends up on the Enterprise, one of their members being the science officer Mara (Susan Howard) who sports a dress version of the Klingon uniform, with the material used on the male uniform trousers being used on the sleeves and chest panel, as well as purple and orange pebble-like segments on the side, and of course worn with thigh-high boots.

Another Klingon woman is seen, wearing a more loose version of Mara's dress, but also with thigh-high boots.

'For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky'

In this episode the Enterprise runs into an asteroid that is actually a spaceship carrying the last survivors of a destroyed species, led by the high priestess Natira (Kate Woodville) who sports a shiny green dress also cut in an asymmetrical design, exposing parts of the midriff as well as one of the arms and shoulders.

Natira's servants are all dressed in garish patterned gowns worn with rather odd helmets with a flat top and adorned with coloured beads.

'The Tholian Web'

In this episode the Starfleet crew wear spacesuits when exploring a derelict vessel, these spacesuits being some of the most colourful designs in any scifi show ever seen - sparkly silver, with orange, blue and purple panels and tubing going down from the front of the suits to the legs and arms, worn with a bulky helmet that admittedly doesn't look like it would allow the wearer that much visibility from the sides. but still! I honestly am deeply charming by this design, as most of Theiss' work on the series.

'Wink of an Eye'

In this episode the Enterprise ends up being infiltrated by apparently invisible aliens, the Scalosians, who intended to abduct the crew and use them as breeding stock. The Scalosian force is led by Deela (Kathie Browne) who is first seen wearing an asymmetrically cut dress made out of a shiny floral material, with a belt of petals and shiny silver collar - the dress is cut to show at least half of the body.

Deela's second dress is barely seen, but seems to be a similar design to the previous one but in a green floral pattern instead, with more leaf-like segments stuck on the side.

The male Scalosians meanwhile all sport shiny silvery short-sleeved tunics and trousers, the shoulders being lined with material and worn with the same sort of silvery collar as worn by Deela.

'The Empath'

In this episode, the Enterprise crew meet a woman with strange powers named Gem (Kathryn Hays) who sports a purple gown with gem-like pieces around the collar, with the gown worn over blue tights as well.

Gem and the crew end up captured and experimented on by the Vrians, supposedly intelligent aliens who all wears shiny silver gowns with large raised collars, another one of the few times that design cliche popped up in Theiss' designs for this series.

'Elaan of Troyius'

This episode had the Enterprise being visited by the titular Elaan (France Nuyen), a warrior-princess due to be married to another planet's king to bring peace to bother of their worlds. Elaan sports some lovely dresses throughout this episode, with her first being this shiny purple dress cut in triangular patterns over the front, worn with long silver gloves as well.

Elaan's secondary outfit, which sadly doesn't get a full shot when standing up, consists of a translucent garment fitted with silver leaf patches to obscure over the breasts (almost like the classic fig leaf) as well as on the shoulders and legs, and is worn over silver pants as well - the translucent garment in particular seems akin to a bodysuit, as it goes over each leg as well.

Elaan's third outfit is a shiny blue dress that has been cut at the sides to show the skin undearneath (as per Theiss' usual habits to make the dresses all look like they're about the fall off!) worn with a belt as well as a necklace of three stones.

Elaan's guards are perhaps some of the most outlandish costumes in the series yet, their uniform consisting of golden shirts worn under glittery transluecent orange armor (that honestly makes me think of orange peel...), their officer distinguished by the crest on his shirt, as well as his orange armor being of a deeper shade of orange than his underlings.

Also present on the Enterprise is the alien ambassador Petri (Jay Robinson), who is dressed perhaps the least outlandish in comparison to Elaan and her guards, wearing a shiny wraparound tunic worn with a blue and red sash that also coveres one of his sleeves too, and worn over black trousers.

'Whom Gods Destroy'

In this episode, an insane space cpatain holds Kirk prisoner, using his fellow inmates as guards - one of these inmates is Marta (Yvonne Craig), who sports a patterned blue swimsuit-like dress with frilled pieces stuck on the bottom, and holes cut in the middle as well. She is also briefly seen wearing a green and pink patterned dress as well.

'The Mark of Gideon'

Another episode where aliens from a dying planet abduct Kirk to help solve that problem, this one had Kirk becoming infatuated with the alien Odona (Sharon Acker) who wears a purple jumpsuit with baggy leggings and sleeves, and also has a diagonal patterned blue motif over the front of it as well.

Odona is a member of the Gideons, whose ambassador Hodin (David Hurst) wears a blue jumper with a 'beehive' hexagonal patterned brown fabric over it, with his deputies having smaller segments on their jumpers - Hoden's beehive top also has a line of blue and green hexagons going down the front too.

'That Which Survives'

In this episode the Enterprise lands on a planet whose seemingly only resident is Losira (Lee Merriweather), who sports a pair of baggy purple pantaloons with a panel going up to cover part of the midriff, and is worn with a matching crop top and collar, all with silver lining - a back shot reveals how the collar is fixed, as its actually from the back of the pantaloons.

'Requiem for Methuselah'

This episode involved Kirk meeting the immortal human Flint (James Daly), who had apparently lived since ancient times, probably why he dresses in a futuristic riff on cliched medieval garb with cape and tights, the futuristic detail being the shiny tunic made of a mottled reddish material - that honestly makes me think of Christmas wrappers.

Together with Flint is the android Rayna (Louise Sorel) who sports a lovely dress made of a golden-silvery material, with an asymmetrical cut at the shoulders as well as having a cape attached as well.

'The Way to Eden'

In this episode, the Enterprise runs across a group of space hippies on the search for a supposed paradise, and are led by Sevrin (Skip Homier) who sports a floral patterned coat and striped pants, the coat being fixed with a stone on one side that to my eyes looks sort of like a boiled egg - all of Sevrin's group wear this thing for some reason.

Another member of Sevrin's band is Adam (Charles Napier), who wears a skimpy outfit that would give Sean Connery's deal from Zardoz a run for its money, being a blue and green floral patterned pair of shorts attached to a short cape with a chain, and worn with thigh-high boots. Theiss would use a similar design motif in the episode 'Justice' of The Next Generation a few decades later.

There is also Tongo (Victor Brandt) who sports a red and yellow striped shirt with floral motifs fixed at the collar, but really its his dyed pink hair that's the most memorable thing about his look!

Lastly is Irina (Mary Linda Rapelye) who like the rest of Sevrin's group also wears something with a floral motif, in this case a midriff-baring dress with a top part that tapers downwards to a point, as well as having the skirt segment cut up in parts to expose the legs as well. Irina isn't the only woman following Sevrin, as there are other women wearing short dresses as well.

'The Cloud Minders'

In this episode the Enterprise encounters a planet stricken with deep inequslity, with the rich living in luxurious dwellings - one of these upper-class citizens being Droxine (Diana Ewing) who wears a revealing green dress, only the chest being covered, and seemingly made out of a material that gives it a slightly metallic feeling.

The advisor Plasus (Jeff Corey) meanwhile wears a grey robe that is cut in a way to show the silvery gown underneath in an arrow shape of sorts.

The various guards meanwhile wear grey shirts with massive sleeves, worn with ruffled hats and black boots, though leaving the upper legs exposed.

'The Savage Curtain'

In this infamois episode with involved the Enterprise's crew involved a battle between 'good' and 'evil' figures of history, they come across a recreation of the Vulcan 'father of civilization' Surak (Barry Atwater), who sports a very long and colourful smock with a curved cut to the collar.

'Turnabout Intruder'

In this episode, Kirk is forced to swap bodies with the crazed Dr. Janice Lester (Sandra Smith), who sports another one of my favorite designs of the season, a jumpsuit of pink, black and white, with baggy legs and no sleeves - the colour is arranged so that the pink block tapers down to the ends of the legs, as well as the black portion going up to the top of the dress as well.