Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Wiktionary
n. 1 A common term for high fashion as produced in Paris and imitated in other fashion capitals such as New York, London, and Milan. 2 The fashion houses or fashion designers that create exclusive and often trend-setting fashions 3 Any unique stylish design made to order for wealthy and high-status clients. 4 French fashion
WordNet
n. trend-setting fashions [syn: high fashion, high style]
Wikipedia
Haute couture (; ; French for "high sewing" or "high dressmaking" or "high fashion") refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is high end fashion that is constructed by hand from start to finish, made from high quality, expensive, often unusual fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable sewers, often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques. Couture translates literally from French as "dressmaking" but may also refer to fashion, sewing, or needlework and is also used as a common abbreviation of haute couture and refers to the same thing in spirit. Haute translates literally to "high". A haute couture garment is often made for a client, tailored specifically for the wearer’s measurements and body stance. Considering the amount of time, money, and skill allotted to each completed piece, haute couture garments are also described as having no price tag: budget is not relevant.
The term originally referred to Englishman Charles Frederick Worth's work, produced in Paris in the mid-nineteenth century. In modern France, haute couture is a protected name that may not be used except by firms that meet certain well-defined standards. However, the term is also used loosely to describe all high-fashion custom-fitted clothing whether it is produced in Paris or in other fashion capitals such as London, Milan, New York or Tokyo. In either case, the term can refer to the fashion houses or fashion designers that create exclusive and often trend-setting fashions or to the fashions created.
Usage examples of "haute couture".
He had asked the driver to take him round the block twice, an American tourist whose wife was shopping in the strip of haute couture.
If haute couture ever discovers kevlar, I'll be doing turns on Paris runways.
Such forgiveness of one's flaws was unprecedented in the world of haute couture.
My mother was palpably pleased to be inside a house of haute couture.
He turned her bony arm around behind her, then took her by the back of her haute couture top and led her out beyond the rail.
Iran, Chile, the Phoenix program, Angola, Cambodia, one monstrous miscalculation a few thousand body counts later and they're right there holding their heads up in Le Cirque and Acapulco, obsequious interviews in the Times and discreet dinner parties comparing their little black books with the other black tie refuse, even an expresident or two or their dazed widows, a few decorators, haute couture, any transient damned joke on reality while he's peddling the thing itself on the side in a poisonous little package like Lester.
What I want is to learn haute couture, that's where all the secrets are.
Luckily for me, but unluckily for the thug concerned, Olga's childlike enthusiasms include embroidery, violins, haute couture, and semiautomatic weapons.
I'm not used to haute couture and don't know how to handle it, but Mr.
I suppose I have no choice but to throw myself on the altar of haute couture.