Fabric The 1st and part of the 2nd season, the actual fabric was a lightweight velour. The first uniform I made was of this fabric. Looks good, but wears bad. The first time I washed it, it shrunk. Much to my dismay, I had to remake the uniform...In my opinion, velour is still the best. it just looks good and it tailors well. Velour is very hard to find in the right texture. With today's  standards you can find a Lightweight Velour that will not shrink.

By the Middle of the 2nd season a new fabric had to be found. My sources tell me it is a double Knit type of fabric. This fabric is what most  people are currently using today. It is widely  found in many fabric stores. It is a little easier  to find the colors than the Velour,  Remember! in the original series, the colors were not what we thought we saw. Example, Kirk's tunic was a mustard/green color, but because of the film, it looks gold. So for your purpose, you would want to find a  gold, we never actually saw the mustard/green.......

An Original Tunic.. This tunic is a scanned picture from the Star Trek Sketchbook.. click to enlarge ...Notice the braiding...this is what helps in the authenticity of a tunic. the braid is not available so if you see a tunic with rick rack braiding. chances are it is not authentic..

Most patterns can be purchased at conventions, but I prefer  to get mine through Roddenberry.com. make sure you  know your size. No cheating, these tunics are not forgiving,  if your a large and you think your a medium, it will be extremely  tight and not look good. Read the instructions carefully and begin sewing. The originals. Pictured to the left is the gusset. Unlike the Technical manual. this gusset is not only more practical but is  more authentic and comes with the pattern...If you sew the gusset  right it will look like it comes all the way to the top of the sleeve  seam but does not go all the way to the bottom...The point of the  gusset was for a better fit for the actors. It could be taken in or let  out depending on if the actor gained weight or not

Collar???

So many questions

Doe's the zipper go all the way up to the top of the collar or does it end just before the collar?

I guess it would depend on which fabric you are using. For example, it is well established that
the first and part of the second season tunics (Velour) had the zipper sewn right to the collar
and used hook and eye closures to keep the collar attached..
I've seen one up close and can confirm this.

But many have speculated that the zipper goes all the way through the collar, which I agree
it does but only during the last part of the second season and all of the third. Here are some
Photos...you be the judges. No matter how you make this tunic .Remember there is NO 100%
accuracy unless you own one and can copy it...So how ever you sew it, if it's to the
pattern you are okay

This tunic is a very simple piece of clothing to make.
To get the black band around the collar right, you may need to snip
the ends at an angle going inward. this will make the collar hug your neck,
and it should hug your neck and not be loose. If you really want the authentic
look, you'll want to sew in the invisible zipper. If you have sewing experience,
then go for it, otherwise, buy your fabric in a stretch. This way you can pull it
over your head. Now all you need to do is attach the insignia and rank braid
and your finished.