EMILY CADEGAN

Rainbow overalls have a wide, tapered leg and an elasticized back waistband. The straps are also elasticized near the waistband. The vertical stripes vary in width, and feature different tones of pink, red, yellow, green, blue, and white. The overalls have lateral symmetry along the vertical axis and are made of mirrored pattern pieces.

Photo of a pair of brightly striped overalls with a matching beret and bow made from the same fabric hanging on a tan wall surrounded by three Body Braid Systems, two to the left, and one to the right.

The overalls have a wide, tapered leg, and shaped pockets. The edges of the bib continue the pocket style lines from the pants. The stripes are vertical on the pants and straps, but horizontal on the bib. The stripes vary in width, and feature different tones of pink, red, yellow, green, blue, and white.

Photo of a light-skinned woman with wavy brown hair in a half updo wearing brightly striped overalls with a matching hairbow, a black turtleneck, the Body Braid system, a smart watch, silver ring splints, and a silver wrist splint.

Her back is turned to the camera, and her face is hidden by her hair. Her arms link behind her neck to display her adaptive splint jewelry and to showcase how the overall straps cross at her shoulder blades like the Body Braid does. She wears the Body Braid system over her shirt, but under the overalls. She is in a room with white walls and white cabinet storage shelves and is centered in the picture plane to emphasize the clothing design.

The Body Braid is a system of 3” wide interwoven elastic that creates an X shape that winds around the body when worn. It has one layer of black elastic and one layer of white elastic connected with straight stitches and velcro closures. Although the black turtleneck blends in with the black layer, the white layer peeks at the edges like contour lines.

The overalls have a wide, tapered leg and an elasticized back waistband. The straps are also elasticized near the waistband. The vertical stripes vary in width, and feature different tones of pink, red, yellow, green, blue, and white. The overalls have lateral symmetry along the vertical axis and are made of mirrored pattern pieces.

Photo of a light-skinned woman with wavy brown hair wearing brightly striped overalls with a matching beret, a black turtleneck, black compression socks, the Body Braid system, a smart watch, silver ring splints, and a silver wrist splint. Her earrings are large white circles with a thick red rim, and she is wearing yellow eyeshadow, pink blush, and red lipstick to match the overalls. She wears the Body Braid system over her shirt, but under the overalls.

The overalls have a wide, tapered leg and shaped pockets. The vertical stripes vary in width, and feature different tones of pink, red, yellow, green, blue, and white. The overalls have lateral symmetry along the vertical axis and are made of mirrored pattern pieces.

The Body Braid is a system of 3” wide interwoven elastic that creates an X shape that winds around the body when worn. It has one layer of black elastic and one layer of white elastic. Although the black turtleneck blends in with the black layer, the white layer peeks at the edges like contour lines.

She is in a room with white walls and white cabinet storage shelves and is centered in the picture plane to emphasize the clothing design. She is standing contrapposto with left leg bent at the knee and her right arm raised to touch the corner of the arched wall to showcase how the Body Braid wraps around her torso. She looks up and away from the camera at a ¾ left facing angle.

Photo of a light-skinned woman with wavy brown hair wearing brightly striped overalls with a matching beret and bow, a black turtleneck, black compression socks, the Body Braid system, a smart watch, silver ring splints, a silver wrist splint, and black cat eye glasses. Her earrings are large white circles with a thick red rim, and she is wearing yellow eyeshadow, pink blush, and red lipstick to match the overalls. She wears the Body Braid system over her shirt, but under the overalls.

The Body Braid is a system of 3” wide interwoven elastic. It has one layer of black elastic and one layer of white elastic. Although the black turtleneck blends in with the black layer, the white layer peeks at the edges like contour lines. It can be seen looped around her back shoulder and front foot, and the overall’s style lines follow the Body Braid’s visible style lines.

She is in a room with white walls and white cabinet storage shelves and is centered in the picture plane to emphasize the clothing design. Her leg is kicked out across her body at a 45° angle and her hands are blurred to imply the free range of motion while still wearing hypermobility supports.

The overalls have a wide, tapered leg and shaped pockets. The vertical stripes vary in width, and feature different tones of pink, red, yellow, green, blue, and white. The Body Braid is a system of 3” wide interwoven elastic. It has one layer of black elastic and one layer of white elastic. Although the black compression socks blend in with the black layer, the white layer peeks at the edges like contour lines. It can be seen looped around her front foot.

The photo composition has a steep upward angle and a neutral white background to emphasize the clothing design. The woman crouches close to the floor with her elbows resting on her knees and her gaze directly on the camera. Her hands cross in between her legs and display her wrist and ring splints. The severe pose implies that the wide leg in the pants does not compromise the Body Braid’s functionality as an assistive device.

Clown Pants (After Granny), 2024
Sewn overalls, beret, interwoven elastic and velcro, 52 x 23 inches

These overalls represent a reclamation of my body and the creation process speaks to family traditions. The ensemble is designed with disability in mind, and is reactive to the proprioceptive mobility aid, the Body Braid, that I wear daily for Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. This medical equipment enables me to participate in community life with less fatigue and fewer sprains, but wearing the braid creates a sartorial boundary. The thick, black elastic crosses across the torso and down the legs. Even if I wear it under garments, the compression changes how clothes fit my form. The convertible configuration of the overalls is responsive both to the physical boundaries from the Body Braid and to the way I exist in space, and is made of both self-drafted components and modified patterns.

In addition to functional use, this piece represents a breakthrough in my treatment plan for chronic hand pain. After nearly 20 years of debilitating symptoms, a hypermobility physical therapist identified the issue as flat arches in my hands. I have been able to build my strength thanks to targeted treatment, enabling me to do more: the straps and bow are the first things that I made entirely with handwork since my father taught me how to sew in my childhood.

The design itself is based heavily on the rainbow overalls that my granny sewed for my dad when he was a volunteer clown, which he then passed on to me as a teenager. Wearing something bright and colorful that represented generational love and human endeavor made me happy during a time characterized by my body and mind unwinding to extents I’d yet to experience. This new pair of clown pants symbolizes navigating disabled adulthood with dignity and joy, and they celebrate both the tools I have and a family tradition of care.

Emily Cadegan is an artist and educator interested in how we generate meaning across different media and perceive meaning through various funds of knowledge. She primarily works with visual media and textile art. Cadegan learned sewing from her father as a child, and expanded her craft through theatrical costuming. Currently, her work concerns adaptive clothing and design components which work in concert with medical equipment. As a disabled artist, Cadegan concerns herself with both conflicting access needs within individuals, such as physical disability interfering with mental illness treatment plans, and equal access to joy.