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The Science of Compliments

(a.k.a. Why People Stop You in SUM SHIRTS)


Some people buy clothes to blend in. SUM SHIRTS customers? You buy clothes to get stopped in the grocery store, gas station, or baseball game with: “Hey, where’d you get that shirt?” Welcome to the science of compliments — part psychology, part math, part “I just wanted queso and now a stranger’s taking my picture.”


We’ve run the tests (very scientific), and here are the results. Every SUM SHIRT = an automatic conversation starter. Here’s the proof:


Blue t-shirt with cartoon lion, tiger, octopus, and horse walking happily. Text: "There's No Place Like DETROIT." Glasses and shoes nearby.

1. The Detroit Effect


Shirt: “There’s No Place Like Detroit”


Current lab notes: Lions looking elite. Tigers sneaking into the ALDS. Detroit sports fans suddenly smiling instead of stress-eating Better Made chips.


Result: When you walk into a bar wearing this tee, you’ll get at least three high-fives, two unsolicited sports takes, and one emotional hug from a guy named Gary who still misses the ’84 Tigers.



Black T-shirt with a ghost eating a burrito, captioned "BOO-RRITO" in orange. Glasses, shoes, and a plant are nearby on wooden floor.

2. The Food + Ghost Equation


Shirt: “Boo-Rrito”


Control group: Wearing a plain tee to Chipotle.


Experimental group: Wearing a ghost eating a burrito.


Result: Inconclusive, because everyone complimented you. Even the guy double-scooping guac. (Side effects may include being asked to take a photo with someone’s queso.)


Red T-shirt featuring a cartoon figure shrugging with numbers 6 and 7 in blue above. Text "SUM + SHIRTS" below the image.

3. The Kid Math Variable


Shirt: Youth “6, 7 🤷”


Translation: Kid slang for “mid” or “meh.”


Field notes: Parents compliment the clever design. Kids compliment you with, “That’s fire” (which, confusingly, is good). Either way, this tee generates attention from multiple age brackets, proving the hypothesis that SUM SHIRTS = intergenerational compliment bridges.



Blue T-shirt on wood floor with ice cream map design for Plymouth, MI. Includes text "Ice Cream Mile" and "5 scoops, 1 square mile." Sneakers and plant nearby.

4. The Local Legend Principle


Shirt: “Ice Cream Mile – Plymouth, MI”


Case study: One square mile. Six scoop shops. A city that knows dairy is basically religion.


Observations: Wear this shirt downtown Plymouth and random strangers will ask which shop is your favorite. (Pro tip: just say all of them unless you want to start an actual debate.)


Black t-shirt with tuxedo print and text "Hello Miss Lady, I can help with this Pam-Pan situation." Set on wood floor with sneakers, glasses, and plant.

5. The Pop Culture Constant


Shirt: “Hello Miss Lady” (Step Brothers)


Control experiment: Wearing a tux.


Better experiment: Wearing a shirt that looks like a tux and quotes Step Brothers.


Findings: Compliments double, awkward Pam-Pan explanations triple, and the odds of someone whispering “boats and hoes” at you are basically 100%.



Conclusion


After rigorous testing, we can confirm:

  • 100% of SUM SHIRTS spark conversations.

  • 87% lead to laughs.

  • 273% more likely to attract compliments than that plain blue tee you’ve had since college (totally real stat, don’t fact-check).


If you’re allergic to small talk, you’ve been warned. If you’re ready to collect compliments like Pokémon cards, SUM SHIRTS are the scientifically-proven, math-optional solution.

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