Statement shirts — which slogans work and which get embarrassing

A slogan on a shirt is a risk. It's read by strangers, from a distance, without context, and you can't explain it. That's why only a few work.

What good slogans have in common

1. They explain themselves in one second. Anything you have to think about becomes a riddle — and nobody asks.
2. They say something about the wearer, not about other people. Self-irony works. Lecturing doesn't.
3. They age slowly. A meme from this spring is dead by autumn. A dry sentence isn't.
4. They are short. Three to five words are readable; a whole paragraph isn't.

What goes wrong

• Slogans that shout. Capital letters plus exclamation marks come across as aggressive, even when they're meant to be funny.
• Inside jokes without the inside. What works among friends doesn't work in the supermarket.
• Other people's brands and logos. Apart from being legally tricky, it doesn't look like anything of your own.
• Anything that puts someone down. It doesn't get better by being in English.

Why understatement lasts longer

The slogans you wear for years are almost always the quiet ones. They make a small claim and leave the rest open. You wear them to the bakery just as much as to the office, because they don't force anyone to take a side.

Examples from our range: Sorry I'm Busy, Who Cares I'm Probably Late and What If It All Works Out. All three say something without addressing anyone.