Fashion is the category where the most UGC is bought in France and the most is wasted. Many brands order pretty videos when what sells is the information.
What actually converts
| Element | Why it converts |
|---|---|
| The try on | The garment worn, moving, on the real body of the person wearing it. By far the best performing format. |
| Honesty about sizing | "I am one metre sixty five and I wear a medium, it fits loose." That sentence reduces returns and raises conversion at the same time. |
| Three ways to style the same piece | It demonstrates versatility and justifies the price. |
| The fabric in close up | How it drapes, the seam, the transparency. It is what a photo does not show. |
| The expectation versus reality comparison | How it looks on the site against how it looks worn. It sounds risky and converts very well in the French market. |
Returns, the sector's obsession
In France, the distance selling withdrawal right makes the return rate a central profitability issue. That is what makes UGC particularly valuable in fashion.
A video giving the creator's measurements, the size worn and one sentence about the cut reduces returns measurably. Treat that as a campaign objective, not a detail: the gain on returns often exceeds the gain on conversion.
Which creators to hire
Different bodies. It is the decision that most affects the result and the one most brands avoid.
If your sizing runs from small to double extra large, you need creators in at least three different sizes. A customer who does not see their body in your content assumes the garment is not for them.
The brief that produces good material
Include: the creator's measurements and the size they receive, the usage context, three hooks, the disclosure wording expected, and the list of details that must be shown.
And always ask for movement. A still garment says nothing.
The French calendar
The January and summer sales concentrate a large share of conversion, and their dates are regulated. Add Black Friday, Christmas, and the September return to school.
Creative is ordered four to six weeks before each peak.
How many pieces to buy
A minimum of six different creators with three hooks each. Variety of bodies is the variable that moves the result most.
Where to go next
In fashion, honest information beats perfect aesthetics. Our complete UGC guide for brands explains the rest of the process.
