Spring 2025

Senior Thesis Collection:

Cailee’s Hell

Ever since I was young I have played softball, and now I have played for a total of 15 years. However in high school I wanted to quit. I was filled with teenage angst and even deconstructed an ‘Athletics’ jersey of mine to spell out : ‘Cailee’s Hell'.’ Although at the time I was unsatisfied with my athletic journey, my family wanted me to continue playing, and luckily I did. At the age of 22 I finished my softball journey, and I realized in retrospect I had been living a fantasy on the softball field and how lucky I was.

For my senior thesis I created a collection of unconventional softball uniforms to honor the sisterhood and joy I found playing softball. I utilized the tailoring of old softball and baseball jerseys to influence how I approached my silhouettes. I also researched the type of material used in older uniforms. Discovering that the original uniforms ranged from wool pants that were heavily padded for protection, to shiny satin that illuminated the players at night. The final fabrics I chose ranged from hand quilted boiled wool to pearly pink satin. The color story and mood for the collection was inspired by a self portrait of myself when I was enamored by the amount of pigeons in the city, when I moved to San Francisco to become an athlete at Art U.

As a whole the collection shows the confidence I felt on the field and how that would look physically to softball fans. It also highlights how sisterhood allows women to find their confidence. At times becoming a softball player can feel hellish, and I had to go through my own version of hell to earn my blessings. If I wasn’t an artist I wouldn’t be a softball player. That’s why I honored the dark times that illuminated my fantasy.