Object

Picard's Ill-Fitting Bellboy Suit

A distinctive, gaudy, ill-fitting bellboy suit uniform worn by Captain Jean-Luc Picard during the Dixon Hill Holodeck simulation. This costume symbolizes Picard's lost pride and outsider status within the 1941 noir fantasy, contrasting with his usual dignified Starfleet presence. The suit's cheap fabric and garish design draw mocking laughter from the secretary and highlight his temporary fall from command authority, anchoring the scene’s atmosphere with a visual cue of disguise and underlying danger.

2 appearances

Purpose

Serves as a symbolic costume and visual clue within the Holodeck mystery, enabling Captain Picard to immerse in the Dixon Hill detective role and marking the transition into the simulation’s noir setting.

Significance

The ill-fitting bellboy suit represents Picard’s uneasy displacement from his command persona into the dangerous, unfamiliar world of Dixon Hill, foreshadowing the lethal stakes that rise as the simulation blurs with reality.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

S1E13 · The Big Goodbye

Secretary Mocks Picard’s Suit and Summons Jessica Bradley

Picard’s ill-fitting bellboy suit serves as a visual metaphor for his dislocation within the 1941 noir simulation, eliciting mocking banter from the secretary and symbolizing his loss of usual Starfleet authority and dignity in this contrived role.

Before: Worn by Picard as he waits in the waiting room, looking out of place

After: Continues to be worn by Picard as he meets Jessica Bradley, maintaining the visual cue of outsider status

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S1E13 · The Big Goodbye

Picard Meets Jessica Bradley and Accepts Her Dangerous Plea

Picard’s ill-fitting bellboy suit serves as a visual motif underscoring his outsider status within the 1941 noir simulation. The secretary’s teasing and Picard’s own acknowledgement of the uniform’s inappropriateness highlight his temporary loss of command dignity and immersion in the role-play. The suit frames the transition from lighthearted banter to looming danger.

Before: Worn by Picard in the waiting room, visibly ill-fitting and garish.

After: Still worn by Picard as he confronts Jessica Bradley, continuing to symbolize his displacement.

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