Analysis, part 6 - Bib

DS9, 7x16 "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges"

A major characteristic of the DS9/NEM formal jacket was what we call the "bib" - a somewhat narrow vertical panel on each side of the center front that was quilted horizontally in ½" increments and extended all the way from the collar to approximately navel level.

Insurrection publicity photo

The bib was made from wool elastique, and at the bottom, there was a 4" un-quilted wool gabardine panel. 

As mentioned in our overview, on the captain and admiral versions of the jacket, the bib was made from the same white wool elastique as the yoke and shoulder points.

DS9, 7x16 "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges"

Nemesis

On the officer version of the jacket, the bib was made from gray wool elastique, with the bib panel and zipper trim being made from matching gray wool gabardine. These were likely the same gray elastique/gabardine fabrics that were used on the DS9/NEM duty uniforms, but only a side-by-side comparison of two screen-used garments (ideally from the same production) would confirm this.

Nemesis publicity photo

Oddly, it appears that cutting methods varied for the bib, and we're not sure why. 

Captain Picard's jacket had a bib which was cut on the grain - that is, parallel to the selvage of the fabric:

Insurrection

However, every other jacket we could examine with adequate focus and/or resolution had a bib that was cut perpendicular to the grain - i.e. cross grain, or "sideways" when the uncut fabric was lying flat.

Insurrection

Nemesis

Here's an assortment of auction photos which, as you can observe, all had bibs cut on the cross grain (compare the direction of the bib's elastique weave to that of the yoke and/or jacket body):

From the available information, we can draw one of three conclusions: 

1 - The ideal standard was for the bib to be cut on the cross grain, and Captain Picard's formal jacket was either an exception, oddity, experiment, outlier, or simply a mistake. 

2 - The ideal standard for captain (and presumably, by extension, admiral) formal jackets was for the bib to be cut on the grain, while the standard for officers was for the bib to be cut against the grain. 

3 - The ideal standard was for the bib to be cut on the grain, and Captain Picard's formal jacket was the only one correctly cut and assembled; all others were errors. 

Considering how many formal uniforms were made and used across three productions (Insurrection, DS9's "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges," and Nemesis), we find the third theory very unlikely. 

Also, considering that Captain Picard was the star/lead character of the films, it stands to reason that the most care would be put into assembling the hero of all "hero" uniforms. This means that, while still possible (costume goofs unfortunately seemed to happen quite a bit over the years), it also seems rather unlikely. 

This leads us to believe that, for whatever reason, the second theory is true, and we recommend constructing your formal jacket accordingly - with the bib cut on the grain for captains (and admirals?), and with the bib cut on the cross grain for officers. 

Regardless of whatever may or may not have been the standard, though, the collar/bib seam line intersected a horizontal quilt line at the outermost edge of the zipper trim, forming a very nice three-way intersection:

Also, although it was covered by the gold trim, the yoke/body seam line met the bib on a horizontal quilt line:

Nemesis

Nemesis

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