Fashion eCommerce copy clichés that need to die.
When Vogue subjected Anna Wintour to its own "73 Questions with..." video series, she was asked to write down the one fashion word she wishes everyone would stop using. "JOURNEY!!" she scrawled onto her impeccable notepad, marking the official end of style-as-adventure. Fashion is, by nature, trend oriented. Once an idea catches on, hordes of followers do it to death. Or worse, in an eternal life of hackneyed online shopping, social media and marketing copy. In the interest of saving otherwise exemplary brands from appropriating Zoolander-level digital copy clichés, we call a moratorium on the following words...
DISCOVER
Beloved by established luxury brands, this call-to-action originally did well to counter the casual nature of digital interaction with an epic sensibility. But now that we're used to doing everything online, this kind of grandstanding has lost its urgency. No matter how high quality or limited quantity the product in question may be, shopping for an Italian leather wallet or precious wrinkle cream isn't a Chris Columbus move.
FAVORITE
Particularly when you claim that multiple products in your line meet this standard, stating your preference for your own stuff loses meaning. It's even more annoying if you tell me it's my new favorite. I get to decide that, not you.
PERFECT
This one had its moment. For a while there, claiming to have invented the holy grail of some essential category, like the v-neck t-shirt, would really get the buy button clicking. Shoppers longed to feel that they had reached the end of their lifelong quest for the jeans to end all jeans, that they would live happily ever after in the arms of the unbeatable cut and feel of a sweatshirt they hadn't even touched yet. Then, after so many hassle-filled returns, shoppers realized they are individuals. What's "perfect" for you isn't for me. There are no white knights in fashion.
AUTHENTIC
Dramatic irony in word form. Like people who tell you they're "fancy" or "classy," if you have to tell us something is the real thing, that's how we know it's not. Avoid this one at all costs. Instead focus on actually being authentic, by showing us your product's connection to something concrete.
EFFORTLESS
As a concept, this one is only getting hotter. Few of us want to work at getting dressed. And those of us who enjoy styling our looks are often afraid of looking too try-hard. That's why it was so attractive, initially, to claim that your clothing and accessories can make shoppers look like they were just born cool and not embarrassing fashion victims. It's just, as our culture has deepened its love affair with the casual and convenient, the anti-fashion angle has grown tired.
CURATED
Stop this, please. You don't know what's best for me. I can pick out my own clothes. If you're going to do it for me, at least let me think it's my idea. Yes, there are a lot of products in the world, but trying to make your multi-brand site seem like the Met is a little bit see-through. If you edit well enough, you won't need to make such claims.