In the early days of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the Skant emerged as a unisex garment worn not only by females, but the odd male too.
Thank the cosmos. It's the year 2364. Have men and women already achieved ✨equality✨??
Despite pushing progressive limits in entertainment, Star Trek's original series was called out for its sexist fashion (among other things), placing women in mini skirts, while men showed hardly any leg.
So The Next Generation (TNG) tried to address this issue early, putting a man or two in a slightly flared minidress called the Skant, along with a pair of boots.
After the pilot episode, the awkwardly cut garment was quickly dropped for main characters, and phased out completely by season two.
It seemed to appear more often on females as well:
Although TNG kept all uniforms gender neutral since the Skant – even putting principal masculine characters in the odd dress – the series would continue to dress select women in form-fitting attire.
Even the most progressive shows can have a hard time fighting outdated gender norms.
