Fashion and Textile Translation

The second feature is volume and repetition. An e-commerce catalogue holds thousands of product descriptions, size charts and material details, and consistency across them counts for more than the fluency of any one text. If the same fabric is named differently on two products, the customer’s confidence is shaken.

The typical content set

Fashion content falls into three groups – marketing, product information and sourcing – and the language of each is markedly distinct.

Which of these are open to free adaptation and which are bound to literal accuracy is something we set out on our translation services page. Keeping mandatory information such as the care label and the fibre composition out of marketing language is necessary both for the consumer and for compliance.

Where does the terminology and style risk concentrate?

The first difficulty in fashion translation is the sheer range of terms for fabric, stitching and pattern cutting. Many of them have a settled equivalent, and an approximate rendering describes the product wrongly. The second is brand tone: a brand’s voice may be luxurious, youthful or understated, and that voice has to hold across every piece of product copy. It must not scatter when texts come from the hands of different translators.

The third risk lies in the precision of technical information. Care instructions, temperatures and washing symbols admit no adaptation at all, and a mistake here can ruin the garment. Converting size and measurement charts correctly into the target market’s system also demands close attention.

The regulatory context

In textile content the regulatory dimension shows up under labelling and consumer information. The points to keep in view when translating:

• Carrying the fibre composition across accurately and in full is part of mandatory labelling rules in many markets.
• Care instruction symbols and phrases have to be given in their accepted equivalents.
• Claims about materials and properties made in product descriptions are expected to be true.
• Where goods are sold across several markets, adapting size and measurement details to the target country’s system matters.

These headings describe the general framework; labelling rules differ from market to market and need to be checked against the target country’s current regulations. Reviewing a country’s labelling expectations separately before entering that market saves having to make corrections later.

Visual content and the rhythm of the season

One thing that shapes fashion translation is the rhythm of the season. Collections come out to fixed calendars and the content has to be ready in a short window before launch. Fitting thousands of product descriptions, size charts and campaign texts into that window takes a team on standby and an arrangement already bedded in.

The second feature is that the text works together with the image. A product description should complete what the photograph beside it shows rather than repeat it, and campaign copy has to be built in a tone that suits the visual language. The translator must not treat the text apart from its context, which is to say apart from its image.

Repetition and consistency are decisive here too. The same fabric, the same cut and the same care instruction recur across thousands of products; once a translation memory and a glossary are in place, only the new products need working on each season. That is what makes it possible to keep up with the pace of the season and to keep the brand language intact.

Why specialist translation is needed

Fashion translation calls for a team that knows the brand voice and textile terminology alike. Someone who merely knows the language will leave the collection copy flat or get the name of a fabric wrong. A brand style guide and a glossary keep both the appeal and the consistency of a catalogue running to thousands of products, while a translation memory brings down the cost of seasonal updates.

In fashion content the final check is usually made alongside the image: the product description is reviewed to confirm that it neither contradicts nor merely repeats the photograph next to it. Judging the text apart from its image is where the mismatches so often found in catalogues come from.

For technical information the measure is precision. Care instructions, fibre composition and sizing admit no adaptation and are verified by a separate pair of eyes. A team at home in brand language and in textile terminology holds an appealing marketing tone and the exactness of mandatory information together in the same catalogue.

The working model

On the fashion side the working relationship is built around the collection calendar. So that thousands of products can be ready in the narrow window before launch, the brand style guide and the glossary are prepared before the season begins. When it is also agreed at the outset that the images will be supplied together with the text, the descriptions are produced in the right tone without ever losing their context.

For brands updating collections and catalogues continuously, a framework arrangement is the right fit: the brand style guide, the glossary and the translation memory are built once, and each season only the new products need working on. A single supply agreement can be run on a project basis instead. Volume-based prices are set out on our pricing page, and you can use the quote form to put an arrangement in place before the season starts.

This page is for general information; translation, approval and delivery requirements can differ by document type. It is worth looking at the relevant body’s own published guidance before you decide.