American Apparel creates “Period Power” t-shirt, because they can

Well, it’s definitely not as subtle as a Georgia O’Keefe.

American Apparel has unveiled a piece of “self-pleasing artwork” emblazoned on a T-shirt aptly named “Period Power.”

The line drawing, from an all-woman online art forum curated by 20-year-old Toronto-born artist Petra Collins, depicts a woman masturbating while menstruating in an extreme and graphic close-up.

Reactions have run the usual gamut from shock and disdain to rally cries of woman power and championing the au naturel subject matter. Some websites were so scandalized they blurred out the scrawled vulva.

Arguably, it’s both empowering and a shocking conversation starter. But staring at the tee, I keep coming back to the same thought: Where does one wear such a thing?!

It’s worth noting that Collins also created a “Wet Tee” for the line, a white shirt with the image of a woman’s chest showing through, that isn’t stirring quite as much controversy. Collins became “infatuated” with photography at age 15, according to the American Apparel website. Her work has appeared in Vice, Vogue Italia, Purple, Rookie, and other American Apparel shoots.

American Apparel is no stranger to raciness. The company commonly uses porn stars to model its clothes. And there’s these.

No word on whether or not a male companion piece is in the works, but they do show a man wearing this shirt among several photos in the product listing.

Let us know your take in the comments section!