Bob Blackman came in to make the Next Gen uniforms easier to wear.

I joined Star Trek � The Next Generation, the third season. I was principally brought in to redesign the uniforms. Over the first two seasons, the actors had developed, back problems and, and just a serious dislike for the fabric, which was Jumbo or Super Spandex.

At the beginning of that third season, you will see that the uniforms change structure during that time period, eventually ending up with that Eisenhoweresque mandarin collar, leaving the black yoke, leaving the angled colour panel on the front, but removing all of the piping that was on the yoke and all of that sort of thing, making them, essentially, more formal. Er, more dignity.

Some of that was necessary, because of Patrick, because of Americans and their sense of the English and the sound of an English accent. To make it more casual seemed inappropriate.