Platform Guides
YouTube Shorts
are the latest fashion showroom
A manager is in place to make sure these mirror Instagram Reels strategy.
I've always enjoyed flipping through glossy fashion lookbooks, but these days it's my thumb that's scrolling on a phone more than turning pages. So if you're anything like me, you've wondered how short-form videos — those fast, catchy clips like YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels — have all but become the new lookbooks for fashion and beauty.
Indeed, for the modern fashion brand social media is now "the new storefront, runway, and customer service desk all in one". The space between spotting a style you love and clicking "add to cart" has never been shorter — (no pun intended; but truly, the line between inspiration and buy now is so short) — these days.
Let's talk about how that came to be and why getting access to these bite-sized video "showrooms" is an absolute necessity for anyone in the fashiony &/or makeupy game ya heard?
Short-Form Video on the Rise in Fashion Marketing
Just a few years ago, if you were launching a new fashion line online, you'd likely upload a slick album or a lengthy YouTube video. Today, you're as likely to see brands showcasing their latest looks in 15-second to one-minute clips. And guess what – it works. Short-form video content has taken off and it dominates people's viewing behaviors.
Time on Instagram
Meta said that 50 percent of all time spent on Instagram is now spent watching Reels
Marketers' Plans
90% of marketers said they planned to increase their budget for short-form videos in 2023
(I can't be the only one who made plans to watch an Instagram Reel and wound up swiping through 30 minutes' worth of content!) That's half of what people spend on Instagram going to short videos!
Little wonder everyone is seeing that this is where the audience's attention is heading.
The Numbers Don't Lie
30 billion
views per day on YouTube Shorts
1.5 billion
monthly logged-in users reached by Shorts
This move toward short video represents a massive opportunity for fashion and beauty brands. We're talking about going from casual scroller to entranced shopper in less than a minute. With numbers like that, not even luxury fashion houses could resist; brands like Nike, Skims, Gucci, Dior and Louis Vuitton are all getting in on YouTube Shorts as part of their marketing mix.
First-Mover Advantage
It's a little like having a first-mover advantage to a new catwalk – the earliest B2B adopters of these platforms tend to see stratospheric levels of engagement. For instance, one fashion content creator, who decided to test the waters by reposting a few of his Instagram/TikTok videos to YouTube Shorts, was left dumbfounded by the reception.
After his first ever Shorts video, his channel added 20 subscribers and 4,000 views in the first hour. He described the move as a low-effort, "worth it" investment because he was reusing material he already had.
Stories like that just reinforce a recurring lesson of social media: a small-video strategy can create big results with really not that much extra work, especially if you're creating visuals for other platforms already.
YouTube Shorts
Fashion's New Showroom
That's where YouTube Shorts comes in. Consider YouTube Shorts a digital fashion showroom — a fast, open, endless showroom. In 60 seconds or less, a Short can fit in an entire outfit or beauty look — paired with a song, transitions and personality.
I've seen up-and-coming designers on Shorts show a "collection in motion," with the individual clips resembling a fast walk down the runway. And the reach is immense; with billions of views moving through Shorts each day you never really know when you might make something that the internet just can't stop sharing. And, with a little help from YouTube's algorithm, even new or small brands can be discovered this way (it's not just for the big names).
Cross-Platform Strategy Success
One of the best things about Shorts is how it dovetails with other platforms. (Many fashion businesses are repurposing content from TikTok and Instagram and feeding it into Shorts — replicating what they've been doing with their Instagram Reels strategy on YouTube for extra exposure.)

For instance, the retail brand PacSun directs their social team to take the "best of" strategy and combine their top-performing TikToks and Reels into a YouTube Shorts. As a result, they've gotten tens of thousands of YouTube subscribers and are using Shorts as a way to funnel viewers into their longer YouTube content (like behind-the-scenes and vlogs).
What I love about that tactic is that it's efficient. If you've already spent time making a great 30-second style video for Instagram, why not also post it on Shorts and expand your potential viewer base?
A competent social media manager can handle formatting the content properly (i.e., vertical video, less than 60 seconds, hooks from the first second) and plugging it into an ecosystem of feel that doesn't require reinventing the wheel each time.
Creative Possibilities
Shorts also allow you to get creative in ways a static lookbook can't. You can execute a fast cut to show details (a close-up of fabric texture, a 360 degree view of an outfit, a model swishing a dress to show its flow). Add a popular sound or a voiceover talking about fashion and you've got a very engaging piece of content.
Some brands go so far as to treat Shorts like mini ads, or announcements for new collections, releasing a series of shorts to drum up energy for an forthcoming fashion drop. And because YouTube is a search engine, that couple of seconds could continue to draw viewers over time, which can't be said for Story; they necessitate urgency for viewing.
I'm always looking for outfit inspiration on YouTube and find myself running across Shorts – it's another way people might stumble across your brand.
Instagram Reels: The OG of Short Fashion Videos Shouldn't Be Overlooked
We can't discuss short fashion lookbooks without mentioning Instagram Reels and its 30 seconds of fame. Reels, of course, stormed the social media world a couple years back and have become a mainstay for fashion influencers and the brands they love.
Instagram's algorithm loveseees Reels – they even said themselves that Reels now account for 50% of the time people spend on Insta (this still blows my mind)! It's not just because Instagram is promoting it; people actually engage more with these bite-sized videos.
Reels Dominate Fashion Content
In fact, the results are clear: Short videos routinely outperform old-school static posts and longer feed videos for many brands. So it's little wonder that practically every fashion label under the sun, from indie boutiques to heritage luxury houses, is posting them; it's one of the thumping beats of that scrappy survival tune.
It has become so ubiquitous that many of the brands have essentially replaced classic photo posts in their feeds with Reels content entirely. The appeal is more obvious: those videos are fast and fun to watch and much more likely to circulate widely. (How many times have you D.M.ed a joke or uplifting Reel to a friend? I do it daily.)
Products in Action
Before & After
Show a before-and-after of a lipstick application in seconds
Style Multiple Ways
Do a 15-second "Five ways to style a denim jacket" video
Behind the Scenes
Take followers through a day-in-the-life at your boutique
For anyone who owns a fashion or beauty brand, Reels are a brilliant way to show products in action. And, crucially, you can use influencers or user-generated content: Reels have become a go-to format for influencer marketing campaigns in fashion.
The Shopping Revolution
Indeed, short videos are among the most favored types of paid ads for fashion and beauty brands today, which says to you that they're driving results (brands wouldn't sink their ad dollars into the format, were customers ignoring it).
And Instagram has simplified the tagging of products in Reels and even buying them in the app. That means a viewer can watch a 30-second makeup tutorial on Reels and tap to buy the featured products right from the video – an unbroken path from inspiration to purchase.
Cross-Platform Content Strategy
Now here's where the cross-platform strategy comes in. And if you're making good Reels already, you should be repurposing them elsewhere, including TikTok and YouTube Shorts, to snatch additional audience. Each platform has its own unique culture and trends (what's trending on TikTok is not always what's hot on Instagram) but the core content can often be recycled.
As a smart social media manager, you'll want to help ensure that you're giving it some TLC and some optimization, for each channel – read: make sure to remove any TikTok watermarks before posting on Reels/Shorts, adjust your captions or hashtags accordingly, and plan your posts to go live at the times where the respective audience spends the most time.
When you mirror your content strategy on Reels and Shorts, you not only ensure a consistent brand presence, but you also save a huge amount of time. In other words: It is a classic case of "work smarter, not harder." Why create 10 completely unique videos for each platform when you can create three really good ones and run them across every platform?
From Old-School Lookbook to 60-Second Video: How to Make It Work
You may be thinking, fine, so what does a "fashion lookbook in Shorts format" look like in practice? The old-fashioned lookbook is a sleek set of photographs — think seasonal catalog or designer's collection display. In video format, a lookbook can be just as curated and aesthetic, but it's dynamic and often more narrative.
"For instance, rather than trying to grab someone's attention by showing the entire outfit for 30 seconds, you get 15 seconds and you're thinking more like, 'How do I make this feel like a fashion show?"' said a third, Alessandro Vallarino, 26, one of the Ganni sales associates who participated in a "test round" of Reels, adding that being bracketed by two of the models made the experience feel like a fashion sandwich.
Making It Work: Practical Tips
And all in just a few seconds and a zippy soundtrack. Viewers also get a richer sense of the garment — how it moves, how it catches the light — than they would from a photograph. As one marketing article noted, short 15-second videos are best for platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and — with some luck — YouTube itself, while those can find longer videos or live streams. That is to say, quick hits grab attention on social feeds and follow-up with the long stuff elsewhere.
Here are a few suggestions from what I've seen/learned, how you can make use of Shorts/Reels as your fashion lookbook:
Outfit Countdowns or Transitions
5 outfits in 30 seconds. I love when creators go for a snap or a jump cut, like switching between looks. It's an ideal way to show a new collection's breadth without any downtime. Every new outfit pops into existence in the blink of an eye, and viewers remain enrapt.
Behind-the-Scenes Sustenance
Bring them behind the curtain. Gather a handful of moments from a photoshoot – the clothes rack, the makeup table, a photographer clicking a shutter, models giggling. It's almost a mini documentary and gives the sense of your products in a natural way.
Product Close-ups and Details
The video is your "show and tell". If you're selling handbags, do a Shorts video that's basically a glam close-up tour of the bag, opening it, showing the material, the way the light hits it. These satisfying detail shots can be weirdly hypnotic.
User-Generated Lookbooks
Ask your fans or followers to submit short videos of themselves styling your products. Then create a single Reel or Short (with their permission and credit). Not only does it function as a lookbook, but it also fosters a community. And people just love to see real-life style inspiration.
Storytelling "Day in Life" or "Get Ready With Me"
Narrate your lookbook. For example, "A day in the life of a boutique owner" and the outfits change every part of the day or your 10th GRWM however you have a back to school/ work look from scratch. It is entertaining, and it shows the clothes in context.
Just make sure you keep it interesting – with these short videos you need a hook in the first 1-2 seconds or people will scroll by. Use upbeat music, add captions or text overlay (a good percentage of people watch with sound off) and don't be afraid to be a little quirky, or share some personality or humor if it makes sense for your brand.
Why Your Business Can Benefit from a Social Media Manager
You may be (at least a little) eager to start creating fashion shorts and reels — or perhaps you're feeling a bit overwhelmed by the thought. As a business owner, you're already juggling a million things: inventory, design, customer service, you name it. Thinking up, recording, editing and posting short-form videos across a range of platforms without fail is a job. This is where hiring a freelance social media manager (someone who "gets" the fashion/beauty space is ideal!) comes in handy.
Allow me to answer that for you: A great social media manager will take that weight off your shoulders and turn up your online presence, same time, no sweat.
Wrapping Up
After all, whether you personally dive into fashion lookbooks in Shorts format or bring in a pro to help, it can't hurt to keep this in your field of vision. Short-form videos are more than just internet fads, they've become a core part of how consumers find and engage with fashion today. As someone who has spent way too many late night hours watching Reels and Shorts of outfit ideas, I can tell you firsthand: this is where your customers' eyes are. Trends begin and spread from there. It's the place where a perfectly timed single video of your new jacket or skincare routine could go viral and bring thousands of new eyes to your business.
So roll with the evolution of the lookbook. Now your brand story can be told 15 seconds at a time, anywhere in the world, on a device sitting in your customer's pocket. And that's kind of amazing when you think about it. And if you need a boost to make it happen – whether that's a coach to help create and execute a strategy, a writer to create stories or keep up the blogging, or someone to sit down and help you do the work necessary to get your content out there, there are experts who would love to help you shine. Feel free to ask for help and get the support you want. After all, in fashion, it's 90 percent how you present it, and with a strategy in place, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels can be the new favorite way for your brand to show the world what you've got.
Happy styling, and I'll see you on the feed! 🚀