What is Couture?
The French word "couture" simply means sewing. To the dressmaker, couture is the timeless
tradition of creating an exceptionally high-quality garment with meticulous skill and accuracy.
But "The Couture", as is it is known in the high-fashion industry, connotes a concept,
a statement, an attitude. It is the creative flair that suffuses clothing with art, drama,
and originality, as well as with ingeniously engineered function. It elevates clothing from the
ordinary to the aesthetic.
Couture garments comprise five properties:
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The use of fine fabrics, chosen and manipulated according to the dressmaker's knowledge
of their contribution to the garment's appearance and performance.
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Innovative design, suited to the wearer and the occasion.
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Emphasis on fit and proportion for appearance and comfort.
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Thoughtful engineering to provide proper structure, support, and function.
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Highly skilled construction techniques focused on control, precision, and
attention to detail.
The true couture garment speaks for itself:
- Detailing is integral to the garment's design and purpose. Pleating, tucks, ruching,
beading, embroidery, passementerie, and hundreds of other fine techniques add visual impact
and confer one-of-a-kind status.
- Tiny, visible hand stitches may finish the garment, because the dressmaker's hands often provide
better control over the work than the sewing machine can.
- Because of their characteristic beauty and performance, the natural fibers - cotton, wool, silk,
and linen - are favored over synthetics.
- Elegant touches, such as hand-worked buttonholes, decorative linings, or silk-covered snaps add
subtle luxury.
- Applied judiciously, inner construction elements such as underlining, boning, twill tape, or sleeve
heads enhance the fabric's traits and help to define the style.
- A certain substance and an understated richness in appearance is apparent when compared with
mass-produced ready-to-wear.
Custom-made couture is no longer reserved for the elite. It is both available and affordable.
For special occasions, or simply for personal enjoyment, clothes-conscious women deserve the
individual style and fit of custom couture.
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