With each iteration into the franchise, the world ofStar Trekexpands greatly. Each new show and movie (whether set in the prime universeor Kelvin timeline) adds more characters, aliens, history, and civilizations. But they also add a great deal more information and backstory to some of the franchises existing entities.
Though more detail is added with each iteration, sometimes there exist in-universe oddities that are never truly explained, at least at the time. One such mystery is theKlingons' change in appearancebetweenTOSandTNGand then again intoDiscovery.However, there are also smaller unexplained details, like the peculiar headgear donned by the Ferengi. What are these strange head curtains, and what is their purpose within and outside the fictional universe?
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The Ferengi,a race of accidentally anti-Semitic stereotypes, first shows their face inThe Next Generation.They were supposed to bethe series' main villains, taking the mantle from the Klingons ofThe Original Series.Roddenberry wanted a race of money-obsessed consumerists to play the antagonist role. The Ferengi ticked all the boxes except one: they weren’t threatening or scary. In fact, after first appearances, they were somewhat comical. This left the writers in a bit of pickle as to who would play the villains, until they stumbled into the Borg. The Ferengi sort of floated around, appearing every now and then as side villains for Picard and the crew ofthe iconic USS Enterprise. Their race, culture, and history were fleshed out inDeep Space 9, with the introduction of some of the franchise’s most beloved characters. Quark and Nog won over audiences' hearts, but there was a strange costume difference between the two.
Throughout the show, Quark was one of the few Ferengi who did not don the iconic back-of-the-head curtain so iconic to his race. It was an odd choice, but one that, like many of the big decisions inStar Trek,has its origins outside of fiction.DS9only had the budget to give their main Ferengi, Quark, a full head of makeup. The process was time-consuming and costly, especially when including the smooth rendering of the curved back of his head. Armin Shimmerman, the actor who played Quark, had a full Ferengi mask that went over the top of his head and tucked in neatly below his collar. This allowed him to be naked from the neck up and showed off his skull.
The other Ferengi were not so lucky, although the actors most likely felt better about being in the makeup chair for less time. They donned the neck gear to hide the portion of their prosthetics that ended halfway down their head. Thus, the head curtains were born. Characters likethe lovable Nogand his father Rom were always seen wearing the garb, even when Nog joins Starfleet. While Quark is the most notable character not to wear it, there are a few others, such as the Grand Nagus himself and Quark’s mother Ishka “Moogie.” There is one notable moment where Quark does wear one, but it is for practical purposes rather than because he wants to. In the episode “Looking for Par’Mach in all the Wrong Places,” he uses it to hide a communications device linking him and Worf together.
The in-universe explanation is one that is more inferred than explicitly stated. When looking at the Ferengi who do not wear the garb, there is a strong connection between their personalities and fashion choices. Those without the headgear are often ones with a keen eye (or ear) for business. Ferengi businessmen who are financially successful (mastering the rules of acquisition), or characters who form their own path in life away from the cultural norm, tend not to wear the curtained headgear. Those wearing the neck curtains are often Ferengi who are young or are not self-proclaimed entrepreneurs. Nog, for example, was a fantastic engineer, but not a good businessman.
The link between the headgear and the ears is worth noting here. The curtains seem to be held in place by the large Ferengi ears, joining from one lobe to the other around the back of their head. The ears, specifically the lobes, are considered what makes a Ferengi so good at making money, demonstrated by the race’s saying of “having the lobes for business.” To not adorn their ear, or hinder them in any way, was most likely a superstitious belief that they would function better without it, and the garbless Ferengi would have better financial luck.
The other reason might just be the confidence of the Ferengi, and their self-consciousness about the size of their ears. It’s stated multiple times that the larger the ear, the more attractivea surpringly powerful Ferengiwas. The head garb was likely created as a way of emphasizing smaller ears, making them appear bigger or more appealing. Quark and the others who don’t wear them are likely more confident in how they look. They don’t need to adorn their ears: they simply let them shine all by themselves. Some fans speculate that it might also be a family status symbol, or lack thereof, as the heads of a Ferengi household are shown more commonly to be without a garb. This theory also relates to the rest of a Ferengi’s clothing, as the males with longer tails and fancier suits are ones with higher status.
Ferengi fashion is a surprisingly tricky enigma, especially when nothing is stated within canon. The attention to detail and the continuity shown by writers and producers is staggering, considering the head curtain was created originally to hide a cheaper prosthetic. Like many great things inStar Trek,abudget constraint actually helped enrich the show.
