Styled On

couture: French – pronounced koo-toor
Widely used throughout the fashion industry to describe original designer styles, the ultimate in fine sewing and tailoring, made of expensive fabrics. Couture collections are shown twice a year for spring/summer and fall/winter. – Fairchild’s Dictionary of Fashion

haute couture: French – pronounced oht koo-toor
Refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted fashions. It 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 can be used only 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 Milan, London, Rome, New York and Tokyo. Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finish, often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques. – Fairchild’s Dictionary of Fashion & Wikipedia

Juicy Couture: Not couture in any way, shape or form.

Questions? Email us 24/7 at editors@styledon.com
Above images by Gianni Pucci, courtesy of Style.com