Haute Couture - Sew News Magazine

Sewing Q&A
Terry Siemsen
August 2002 Sewing Q&A Index

For years I've heard the term "haute couture." I know it has to do with fashion, but I don't know what it means or where it came from.
Ramona,
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Haute couture (pronounced ot-koo-'toor) is a French word that translates as "high sewing" and refers to the houses or designers that create high-fashion, trend-setting garments for women. There are many qualities that comprise haute couture sewing:

Exclusive: Each garment is custom fit and made exclusively for an individual.

Handmade: Much of the garment is hand stitched. Machine stitching is limited to straight stitching.

Style: These garments are the fashion trendsetters.

Exquisite details: Welt pockets, bound buttonholes, seam finishing, etc.

High quality: The garment is the best that there is.

Haute couture garments demand a very high price and aren't available off-the-rack.
To be truly haute couture, garments must meet the very strict standards dictated by Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, the French governing body of fashion houses. These standards include the number of employees in a house's workroom and the number of designs in both the spring/summer and autumn/winter collections. Some of the more familiar French couture houses are Chanel, Christian Dior, Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurent.
For more information on couture sewing, look for Couture Sewing Techniques by Claire Shaeffer and The Art of Sewing by Shirley L. Smith.

As a former home economics teacher, Terry Siemsen is always looking for the easiest way to achieve a beautiful-looking garment, both inside and out. She is the owner of Thimbles, Etc., specializing in custom-sized sterling and gold thimbles.

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