couture

American  

[koo-toor, koo-tyr] / kuˈtʊər, kuˈtür /

noun

1. the occupation of a couturier; dressmaking and designing.

2. fashion designers or couturiers collectively.

3. the clothes and related articles designed by such designers.

4. the business establishments of such designers, especially where clothes are made to order.

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adjective

1. created or produced by a fashion designer.

   couture clothes.

2. being, having, or suggesting the style, quality, etc., of a fashion designer; very fashionable.

   the couture look.

couture British  

/ kuːˈtʊə, kutyr /

noun

1. 1. high-fashion designing and dressmaking

   2. ( as modifier )

      couture clothes

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Usage

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.

Etymology

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 sew ¹ ) + -ūra -ure; cf. suture, accouter

Explanation

Couture is the design, manufacturing, and sale of designer clothing. You might like to wear couture styles, but your job at the ice cream shop makes jeans and T-shirts a more appropriate choice. Haute couture, or "high" couture, is a step above couture, referring to the most exclusive designers and their wares. The closest the average person gets to haute couture is watching movie stars walk the red carpet on Oscar night. If you like couture but live on a budget, you can shop at high-end consignment shops. Or if you can sew and have an artistic bent, you can design your own couture gowns for yourself and your friends.

Example Sentences

Old Bad Bunny and statue couture at the Met Gala.

From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026

"The Devil Wears Prada 2" debuted atop the North American box office this weekend, industry estimates showed Sunday, 20 years after the hit original took audiences inside the cutthroat world of haute couture.

From Barron's • May 3, 2026

Displaying as always her couture hauteur, Miranda, who doesn’t even remember Andy from her long-ago gig, tosses the former assistant in a terrible office and tells her she will inevitably fail.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

Nevertheless, kudos to the costume team for a different outfit that Grace wears in the second half of the film that’s an absolute jaw-dropper of goth couture with black netting and a tiara.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

Even so, the social columnists still did not write about his wife’s dresses when he and she attended the opera, the way they described the nightly couture of mesdames Palmer, Pullman, and Armour.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson