couture
The term “couture” is sometimes used generically to refer to haute couture, but it has got a very particular meaning in France. Inside France, couture is a term employed to refer to garments produced in top of the range design firms which stitch custom duds for their customers, using workshops and staff based in Paris. Outside of France, “couture” is used to refer to any kind of very fashionable garment, whether the garment has been custom fitted.
Couture is essentially short for high fashion, a French phrase meaning “high dressmaking.” to be considered couture under French law, a garment must be produced by one of the members of the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Paris, and the garment must be fitted to a particular customer, with at least 2 private fittings to make certain that the garment looks correct. Similarly , the firm itself must maintain a workshop in Paris with French staff, and present a collection during both yearly fashion weeks. Because many firms which produce couture clothes also produce off-the-rack or pret-a-porter styles, the dictionary definition of couture has become blurred in the eyes of many patrons. In part, this is down to a conscious call among fashion homes, who need to benefit from the top-flight cachet of the term “couture” with no need to invest big amounts of time and cash in the production of customized haute couture clothing. As of 2008, some outstanding couture firms include Chanel, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Christian Lacroix, amongst others. In addition to making exclusive pret-a-porter lines which can sometimes be acquired in malls and specialised shops, these corporations also offer normal high fashion to clients who are prepared to travel to Paris and pay the cost. The price for couture, BTW, can be quite big ; a beaded evening dress can sell for as much as $40,000 US Greenbacks , a sum that might appear mind-boggling to the less fashion minded. The practice of high fashion goes back to the mid-1800s, and the explanation couture can command such a heavy price is due to the impressive record of haute couture in France. Couture clothing are engineered to look totally surprising on clients, with fits customised to the clients”s body, way of movement, and personal style.
The detailing on couture duds like beading and embroidery is always done by hand, representing hours and often months of work.
With the upward push of exceedingly high quality off-the-rack fashion, couture is not quite so popular among the rich set as it was once, but the practice is probably going to endure, particularly among people who want to look especially unique or surprising at events like the Oscars, society marriages, and the Opening of Parliament.
