Couture versus Ready-to-Wear
"What's the difference between couture and ready-to-wear?"
It's a question that's been hitting my inbox a lot of late from
women all over the world. They may have been reading high
fashion magazines like "W" or "Vogue" or are thinking about
upgrading their wardrobes, and are wondering what, exactly, the
difference is between these designer categories.
Basically, it boils down to fit - and money.
* COUTOUR (koo TOOR) is the French word for "sewing." Couture
clothes are those that are fitted and sewn specifically for a
client, often requiring several fittings for an exacting fit.
The clothes may be specifically designed for the client, such as
a one-of-a-kind wedding dress or a one-of-a-kind red carpet
ensemble, or they may be part of a designer's couture
collection, which are the pieces the designer shows that are
available for custom fit.
Typically, couture pieces are made of fine fabrics or feature
extensive hand work (like beading or embroidery) that drive up
the price to thousands or even tens of thousands PER PIECE.
Because of the cost, couture clothing, which once had 35,000
regular customers during its heyday after World War II, has an
ever-shrinking regular buying base of about 1,200 people
worldwide today.
Couture is also known as made-to-measure or bespoke (British).
* HAUTE COUTURE (oht koo TOOR) means "high sewing," and is the
term reserved exclusively by those European fashion houses that
offer made-to-measure apparel in or around Paris and belong to
the F