couture

1 of 2

noun

cou·​ture kü-ˈtu̇r  -ˈtᵫr 

1

: the business of designing, making, and selling fashionable custom-made clothing

the world of Paris couture

2

: the designers and establishments engaged in couture

For more than a century, the couture was the undisputed fashion source for women in the Western world.

—Bernadine Morris

3

: the clothes created by couture

For them, buying French couture has become a status symbol, something to rack up along with their brand-new BMWs and their hacienda-style villas …

—Vogue

couture

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or being high-end custom-made fashion

Neither are these designers unduly concerned about styles that lend themselves to being folded and packed—the couture clientele travels with trunks, not duffel bags, and, presumably, there is always someone on the other end to take care of the wrinkles.

—Bernadine Morris

However, Owens credits his success to the ease of what he calls his "T-shirt versions of couture dresses."

—David Colman

Examples of couture in a Sentence

Noun

The book discusses the relationship between culture and couture.

I can't afford to wear couture.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Beneath the sandstone cliffs of Diriyah, on a runway at the UNESCO World Heritage site, models strutted couture from Vivienne Westwood and Stella McCartney, giving the recent Riyadh Fashion Week global cache. —Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 24 Oct. 2025

Utilizing the ornate and often colorful technique for the designer’s creations, the style features throughout Elie Saab’s collections over the years, notably in the early 2010s and incorporated in the designer’s couture curations. —Julia Teti, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2025

Adjective

The pandemic gave them the space and time to develop semi-couture line Judassime, with a first collection revealed in 2021, one day before the Royal Academy of Fine Arts’ traditional annual student fashion showcase as a tongue-in-cheek nod to their unsuccessful applications. —Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2025

Focus showed a sneak peek of its brand-new trailer for Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, a whimsical, heartwarming comedy starring Lesley Manville as a British housekeeper whose dream of owning a couture Christian dress and travels to Paris. —Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Apr. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, from Old French cousture sewing, from Vulgar Latin *consutura, from Latin consutus, past participle of consuere to sew together, from com- + suere to sew — more at sew

First Known Use

Noun

1908, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1916, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing couture

• haute couture

Rhymes for couture

• abjure
• adjure
• allure
• assure
• brochure
• cocksure
• coiffure
• contour
• demure
• detour
• endure
• ensure