DIY Lieutenant Uhura Star Trek Dress

Intro: DIY Lieutenant Uhura Star Trek Dress

Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Uhura in Star Trek: The Original Series is nothing short of iconic. Her look is timeless, and today I’m going to show you how to recreate her signature Uhura mini dress—thrifted and upcycled! Ready to make your own budget-friendly, sustainable Uhura costume? Let’s get started!

STEP 1: Adjust the Length

Uhura was known for rocking that mini dress, so the first thing we need to do is shorten it (if you need to). If your dress is already at your desired length, skip this step.

Decide how short you want your dress to be (based on comfort and accuracy to the original). Mark a few inches off the bottom and cut. Sew or use fabric tape to hem the bottom and give it a clean, finished look.

STEP 2: Add Flare to the Bottom

Cut a slit at the bottom of each side of the dress. Then cut the excess fabric (if you have any from shortening the dress) into triangular panels to add to the sides at the bottom of the dress. This will give it a flared, structured look.

Attach the panels by sewing them to the sides of the dress.

STEP 3: Create the Asymmetrical Neckline Collar

For Uhura’s signature neckline, we’re using some leftover black fabric scraps to create the asymmetrical collar:

1. Measure and cut the fabric: Using the black fabric, cut a piece that fits along the neckline, making sure it’s wide enough to recreate the asymmetrical collar.
2. Attach the collar: Clip and sew or glue the fabric along the neckline to complete this part of the look.

STEP 4: Add Ribbon to Sleeves

Cut pieces of gold ribbon to wrap around the bottom of the sleeves. Use fabric glue to attach the ribbon for a secure hold.

STEP 5: DIY Starfleet Insignia

Even though I went with The Next Generation-style Starfleet insignia for my look, it still works! Cut out a small piece of fabric or use felt to create the Starfleet symbol. I used metallic vinyl for that extra shine. Pin or glue the insignia onto the chest area for the final touch.

STEP 6: All Done!

Finish the look by accessorizing black tights and knee-high boots and that's it! I hope you love this DIY Uhura dress as much as I do! This project was quick, budget-friendly, and sustainable. Live long and prosper!

Comments

[studleylee]

Gorgeous!!! You do wonderful things!!!

[maxhirez]

Nailed it!

[miairajennings]

Thanks so much!! ☺️

[HGC]

Great job and that costume looks incredible on you. Now do the 2 piece Uhura uniform from the evil universe in the episode Mirror Mirror, with attention to all the little details. By the way mixing The next generation with the original Startrek is sacrilege, I’ll overlook it this time because you mentioned you knew what you were doing and it wasn’t an accident, but as they say the devil is in the details and they are so few details in that costume. You have to get those little green hoop earring she wore to really round out the costume.

[miairajennings]

Thank you!! Ok I should definitely recreate that iconic two piece look too!

[muadibe]

You look fantastic.

[Alex in NZ]

That is a fantastic conversion. I have to ask: did you buy the dress and then decide to convert or did you see it in the shop and realise that it would be a perfect uniform and buy it on purpose? Either way, it looks amazing.

Now you just need to make the clip-on-ear comms unit (bonus points if it's modified from a functional BlueTooth set).

Thank you sharing your work :-)

[shalnachywyt]

I second Alex in NZ's comment. As a sewing person, you did an incredible job and it looks fantastic on you! Now you need to wear it to a Star Trek convention!

[miairajennings]

Thank you so much!! I knew I wanted to recreate this look and that dress at Goodwill was perfect! ☺️