Couture Clothing

Perfectly fit, well made, fashionable clothing is a dream for many women. Who would not love to drape themselves in a gorgeous evening gown made for their body and of the finest fabrics? To own a garment made with painstaking precision, hand sewn with only the best embellishments, is a fantasy and is the essence of couture clothing.

Couture clothing has its roots in the home of high fashion, Paris. Couture got its start beginning in the nineteenth century with a designer named Charles Frederick Worth. Mr. Worth changed the way the dressmaker was perceived from a simple seamstress to an artist. He not only made garments exclusively for his wealthy patrons but also birthed the fashion show. Mr. Worth would make samples of his designs and have live models show these garments to his costumers who would then have him make the clothing to their color, fabric, and size specifications.

In France, where the term “Haute Couture” or as translated, high sewing, is protected by legal copyright they take it very seriously. In order for a designer to call itself a couture house they must adhere to strict standards set forth by the Ministry of Industry in France. The three rules they must follow include: must design made-to-order for private clients with at least on fitting, must have a Paris based workshop with at least fifteen full-time employees, must present a collection each season with at least thirty-five runs including both evening wear and daytime wear.

Couture clothing is an investment, like buying a piece of art or expensive jewelry. The clothes are made of the finest fabrics, leather, silks, fur only the most expensive and finest will do. The quality of couture clothing is the best, always. The garments are tailored to the patrons’ specific body dimensions so that it never pulls in the wrong spot pushing the body in a less then attractive way. These clothes are not for every day wear, but instead for extremely special occasions or just to enjoy the pure beauty and artistry of the design. One has to remember though that it is an expensive investment. Depending on the design a single garment can be thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars. A price which many people pay for a car or a home.

These rules and extremely high cost can make the fantasy of couture clothing seem a bit far off for the average girl. However, all is not lost because designers understand that true couture is intangible for most so they loosen the rules a bit to sell to regular woman. This is a win-win for everyone, even the designer who often does not make much of a profit on couture clothes if he sells them at all. Designers might show couture clothes but make them virtually unavailable for purchase. They then take that trademark and make similar, ready to wear clothing and accessories which are available to a mass market. Thus making all women feel like they have a little piece of the couture clothing dream.