What Is a Couture Dress?
Couture is from the French term for sewing or "to be sewn." Haute couture is "high sewing" or "high dressmaking." If a dress is a couture dress, it is either a custom-made dress for an individual woman using hand-sewing techniques or a dress made by a designer. Couture is different than a designer label, because couture is custom made for an individual client rather than made for the general public to be sold in a retail store or outlet. Does this Spark an idea?
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History of Couture
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In 18th century Europe, when rail travel was used for regional trips, women would take short trips to Paris to shop in the boutiques and to have custom dresses made for them. Charles Worth, an Englishman with a shop in Paris, is known to be the founder of couture dressing. He had an extensive portfolio and showed his fashions at the House of Worth, but he was best known for making custom clothing for his wealthy female clients.
Current Couture
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Currently, trendy designers work under the names of couture houses like Dior, Balenciaga, Pierre Cardin, Yves Saint Laurent and Emanuel Ungaro. Although these original couture designers obtained their name from their established couture houses, much of the income for these companies came from mass-market items, such as perfumes, and from ready-to-wear collections.
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Ready-to-Wear Dresses
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Many ready-to-wear designers make dress designs for the commercial market based on the trends of couture. If dramatic, high, ruffled necks on a couture dress is popular in the couture of the season, then ready-to-wear designers produce a collar based on the couture design that is less dramatic and more wearable. Although the ready-to-wear designs are inspired by the luxury couture design, the ready-to-wear version is more subtle than the original couture design.
Ready-to-wear designers are more aware of an everyday woman's lifestyle when designing a dress. A woman will choose a ready-to-wear dress that she is able to wear to the office or a social event. For example, a couture designer may use a corset as the top part of a dress, but a ready-to-wear designer would adapt this style by using boning to give the shape of a corset, making it more practical for everyday wear.
Couture Locations
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Although Paris was the original home for couture designers, couture designs can come from London, Milan, New York and other fashion-conscious cities. Although couture started in Paris, other cities call custom-made clothing for individual clients couture.
Couture Rules
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For French couture, there are several regulations, according to the Chambre de commerce in Paris, France. The original rules were made in 1945 and then updated in the mid-1990s. For a couture house to use the term couture, it must make made-to-order clothing for clients with private fittings. There must be more than 15 employees in the workshop and the designer must present a collection to the Parisian fashion press twice a year.
Couture in other cities is not ruled by governing bodies. Couture for in Milan, London and New York are defined mainly by the fashion industry and critics as clothing custom made for individual clients.
Materials
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Materials used for couture dresses are exclusive to each couture designer. These materials are the finest available and are most likely designed and manufactured exclusively for a single couture designer. A couture dress may be made of fine silk, high-grade cashmere or even soft leather.
How to Get a Couture Dress
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You will need to make an appointment to get a couture dress custom made for you. You can contact the designer's showroom directly and make and appointment for a private consultation and fitting. Since a designer can only handle a small amount of clients a year, do not expect to be immediately accepted. Once you become a client of the designer, a vendeuse or salesperson, will supervise your couture experience. Expect to pay a starting fee of $20,000 for a couture dress. This will include all your fittings, the materials and delivery of your dress.
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