What is Haute Couture?

Fashion is one of the most observed aspects worldwide. What is fashion? According to an English Dictionary, Fashion is a term commonly used to refer to people’s clothing style and the study of clothing. The role of fashion in people’s lives is seen as, in some way, to “lend variety to our lives, providing an element of excitement in trying out something new” (Ranat, 2007). Teenagers are the most common victims of its prevailing influence as it leads them to behave in different matters. Fashion has a wide range of varieties ranging from RTWs to Mass Market. One of the most misunderstood topics in fashion is Haute Couture. Haute Couture is the designers’ unusual approach to show appreciation of clothing through expensive garments.

Prior to the invention of the sewing machine, more than half of the clothes worn by people were hand stitched by the wearer themselves. Around 1850s, Haute Couture was born through the works of an English dressmaker named Charles Frederich Worth (Pemberton-Sikes, 2009). His works became popular that the name ‘Haute Couture’ in Modern France is “a protected name that can be used only by firms that meet certain well-defined standards” (“History of Haute Couture”). As its definition suggests, Haute Couture means “excellently sewn”. This implies that Haute Couture could or must be pricey, and indeed it is. One of its limitations is its cost. The fabrics used in Haute Couture are highly expensive, using only expensive silks, cashmeres, linens, cottons, suede, leather and all kinds of furs. Because expensive fabrics are used to make Haute Couture clothes, fashion designers make use of sample garments called toiles (Grotton, 2007). According to Pauline Weston Thomas’ article ‘Haute Couture’, toiles can either be muslins or linen canvas depending on which initial designs are to be created. “Toiles can be manipulated, marked and adjusted to fit particular live models measurements until the designer and his sale staff is all satisfied.” (2006)

Haute Couture is not a phrase one usually hears everyday. People oftentimes had mistaken Haute Couture as weird or eccentric. Because of its cost, some people view it as something not worth spending on. Haute Couture is oftentimes compared with Ready-To-Wear clothes. Most people prefer the latter because RTWs are more accessible and less expensive. However, Haute Couture is something designers spend time on because they want to show appreciation for arts. Haute Couture became the foundation for the success of many famous designers nowadays. It was Haute Couture that made the names Balenciaga, Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier, Georgio Armani, Valentino, Donatella Versace, Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Cardin and many more, popular and known worldwide (“List of Haute Couture designers”).

Haute Couture became the medium for designers to show their creativity through clothing. Since the creation of an Haute Couture piece requires a huge amount of money, it has been marked as an exclusivity for the rich and for those who are on top of the social hierarchy. This leads to the conclusion that there are a few regular clients of couture houses. Although only a few support or patronize Haute Couture, it continues to develop and create. The more people would understand Haute Couture, the more it will improve and be known globally. Each one is entitled to his thoughts, so whether or not Haute Couture is an art or just a waste of time and material is best left for people’s own mentality.

List of References:

Ranat, A. (2007, August 23). Role of Fashion in our lives from

http://amit-ranat.sulekha.com/blog/post/08/role-of-fashion-in-our-lives.htm

Pemberton-Sikes, D. (2009). The History of Haute Couture from

http://www.fashionforrealwomen.com/articles/haute_couture.html

Haute Couture. (2009, December). from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haute_Couture

Grotton, A. (2007, October 11). Introduction in Haute Couture from

http://chicstories.com/history/introduction-in-haute-couture/

Thomas, P.W. (2006). Haute Couture from

http://www.fashion-era.com/haute_couture.htm