couture

[ koo-too r; French koo-tyr ]
/ kuˈtʊər; French kuˈtür /

noun

the occupation of a couturier; dressmaking and designing.
fashion designers or couturiers collectively.
the clothes and related articles designed by such designers.
the business establishments of such designers, especially where clothes are made to order.

adjective

created or produced by a fashion designer: couture clothes.
being, having, or suggesting the style, quality, etc., of a fashion designer; very fashionable: the couture look.

Origin of couture

1905–10; < French: literally, sewing, seam < Vulgar Latin *cō(n)sūtūra, equivalent to Latin consūt(us) past participle of consuere to sew together ( con- con- + suere to sew1) + -ūra -ure; cf. suture, accouter

Words nearby couture

couteau, couter, couth, couthie, coutil, couture, couturier, couturière, couvade, couvade syndrome, couvelaire uterus

VOCAB BUILDER

What does couture mean?

Couture most commonly refers to or describes clothing that was designed by a fashion designer or has that level of quality.

Couture can also refer to fashion designers collectively, their profession, the clothes designed by them, or their businesses. Couture is found in (and can be used as a shortening of) the term haute couture, which refers to the world of high fashion and custom-made garments.

Example: She’s known for wearing couture looks that are straight from the runway.

Where does couture come from?

The first records of couture in English come from the early 1900s. Couture is a French word that means “sewing” or “dressmaking.” The phrase haute couture translates as “high sewing” or “high dressmaking” and is synonymous with high fashion.

In France, clothing cannot be labeled haute couture unless it meets certain standards set by an official organization. Couture sometimes refers to haute couture garments, but it can also be used in a more general way to refer to high fashion clothes. Still, garments that are considered couture are often handmade, or at least designed by a fashion designer. Couture is often custom-made for the people who will wear it, typically models and wealthy clients. While couture is often used as a noun, it is also used as a modifier in phrases like couture look and couture collection. It is also often used in high-fashion brand names.

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How is couture used in real life?

Couture is always used in the context of fashion, especially to refer to the most high-end or exclusive designer and designs.

 

 

Try using couture!

Is couture used correctly in the following sentence?

The couture that has been featured at fashion week took hundreds of hours to make by hand.

Example sentences from the Web for couture

British Dictionary definitions for couture

couture
/ (kuːˈtʊə, French kutyr) /

noun

  1. high-fashion designing and dressmaking
  2. (as modifier)couture clothes

Word Origin for couture

from French: sewing, dressmaking, from Old French cousture seam, from Latin consuere to stitch together, from suere to sew