DIY McQueen Part 2: The "Feel Me Up" Shirt

Of all the pieces from the Alexander McQueen Spring 2010 collection, it was those with the paint hands that caught my eye the most.

the "feel me up" shirt and trousers from Alexander McQueen Spring 2010

I thought these pieces were more than just a sartorial adaptation of the concept of finger-painting: the deliberate placement of the hands on to the chest and the crotch, and the way these imprints were smudged (subtle and uneven on the shirt, scandalously violent on the groin) said something else. There was just something so haunting about them; for some reason, images of a painter-ghost-lover feeling up the artist in inappropriate places raced through my mind.

But I couldn't wait five years to find this collection severely marked down in some outlet store in the middle of nowhere; so I decided to take matters into my own hands, pun very much intended. Armed with leftover paints from the previous DIY project,

yellow oxide and cobalt blue acrylic paints

and a white shirt that was too old and too large to be worn smartly,

white H&M button-down (Be sure to line the inside with newspapers to prevent the paint from bleeding through to the back.)

I went on my second DIY Alexander McQueen project. To infuse my own spin into Mr. McQueen's idea, I used two brighter colors instead of one for a more humorous, less eerie feel. There isn't much of a science to the process really, I just poured paint over my hands and stamped them on to the shirt. I first stamped on neat imprints of my hands, let them dry, and then added the smudges an hour later. Here is the finished product:

I kept the imprints fairly asymmetrical, and for added interest, marred the cobalt blue with little blotches of yellow oxide.

Here it is worn, with pristine white pants which are the ultimate contrast to all the dirty on top. I also double-watched for that little hint of deranged artist.

DIY Alexander McQueen shirt, Casio and Rolex watches with random suede bracelet, H&M pants, Church's suede loafers