A Red Lieutenant Commander Starfleet Duty Tunic from the groundbreaking, 1966 series, Star Trek. Instantly recognizable, this piece matches the style of tunic worn during the middle of the first season to the second and was likely made for and worn by Scotty (James Doohan), the Lieutenant Commander aboard the Starship Enterprise during its five year mission to boldly voyage into the deepest reaches of space.
The tunic is made from a red velour material with a black mesh collar. The left breast features the original Starfleet engineering insignia made from a metallic gold material with black stitching. A hidden zipper runs from the collar down the left side of the costume. As is typical for costumes from the series, no interior label is present, though a small marking, “No 3” in white ink, can be found on the inside of the zipper. The piece no longer features cuff braids, although markings in the fabric highlight clearly where single row and dash Lieutenant Commander braids were once attached.
This piece is believed to have been made for the Scotty character due to several compelling indicators. Scotty is the only Lieutenant Commander aboard the Enterprise, and no other principal character wears a tunic with single-line/dash braids. In addition, the “No 3” marking on the inner zipper suggests this piece was one of several made in this style and size for a single actor. As Scotty was the only recurring character to wear this style tunic, it is logical that several tunics would have been created for his use in case one was injured or dirtied during production.
Please note that this tunic cannot be definitively attributed to Scotty as there is at least one instance in the Original Series where a background actor is seen wearing a red, single-line/dash braided tunic -- in a crowded Enterprise bar in the episode “Court Martial." Considering the budget for the show, it is highly likely that the crowd player was simply dressed in a tunic made for and used by Scotty in other episodes of the series, but there is no way of proving this.
Despite the missing braids and a small hole in the back, this piece from the original series remains in great condition.