“What’s the difference between couture and ready-to-wear?”
It’s a question that’s been hitting my inbox a lot of late from
women all over the world. They may have been reading high
fashion magazines like “W” or “Vogue” or are thinking about
upgrading their wardrobes, and are wondering what, exactly, the
difference is between these designer categories.
Basically, it boils down to fit – and money.
* COUTOUR (koo TOOR) is the French word for “sewing.” Couture
clothes are those that are fitted and sewn specifically for a
client, often requiring several fittings for an exacting fit.
The clothes may be specifically designed for the client, such as
a one-of-a-kind wedding dress or a one-of-a-kind red carpet
ensemble, or they may be part of a designer’s couture
collection, which are the pieces the designer shows that are
available for custom fit.
Typically, couture pieces are made of fine fabrics or feature
extensive hand work (like beading or embroidery) that drive up
the price to thousands or even tens of thousands PER PIECE.
Because of the cost, couture clothing, which once had 35,000
regular customers during its heyday after World War II, has an
ever-shrinking regular buying base of about 1,200 people
worldwide today.
Couture is also known as made-to-measure or bespoke (British).
* HAUTE COUTURE (oht koo TOOR) means “high sewing,” and is the
term reserved exclusively by those European fashion houses that
offer made-to-measure apparel in or around Paris and belong to
the Fédération Française de la Couture (which began as the
Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in 1868 by Charles
Frederick Worth). Following strict guidelines regarding number
of pieces shown per collection and number of collections shown
per year, current members include venerable fashion houses like
Balenciaga, Chanel, Hermès, and Valentino.
You can learn more about the Fédération Française de la Couture
at:
http://www.modeaparis.com
* READY-TO-WEAR, or prêt-à-porter (prêt a poor TAY) is designer
apparel that’s made ready-to-wear in standard sizes and sold
through boutiques, better department stores, mail order, and
online. While consumers can have pieces tailored to fit after
purchase, customization is not included in the cost of
ready-to-wear apparel. Many brand-name designers, like Vera Wang
and Carolina Herrera, only show ready-to-wear collections, but
still create a handful of couture pieces upon request for
influential clients.
So when you read in a fashion magazine or hear on television
that designers are showing their ready-to-wear collections, you
know that those are the pieces that you’ll find in their
boutiques or in department stores come the new fashion season.
Couture collections are those shown to high-paying clients who
either go to the fashion house directly to be fitted, or who
order from the designer’s “look book” and have pieces made up
from the measurements the designer has on file from the client’s
previous fittings.
If you like to read the society pages to see who’s wearing what,
you’ll notice that socialites who can afford to buy couture
often say so. The caption under a photo might read, “Jane Doe in
Versace, Susan Smith in Donna Karan, and Tiffany Jones in
Givenchy couture.” Translation? Jane and Susan bought their
gowns ready-to-wear, while Tiffany had hers custom made.
So should YOU indulge in designer labels as your income allows?
It depends.
Yes, designer labels have a certain cachet and are associated
with an elevated income, and yes, you can look like you have a
lot more money than you do by buying your favorite labels at
discount designer websites or at overstock retailers like TJ
Maxx and Marshall’s.
But you have to be careful of the message you’re sending.
If you’re a receptionist dressing like a jet setter, it will
raise eyebrows – particularly your employer’s. Your boss may
wonder how you’re funding your clothing obsession. Are you
living in a dive and driving a junk heap? Maxing out your credit
cards? Skimming a little off the company coffers (which is how
one fashionable thief was caught, showing up to work every day
in designer apparel)? Whatever the reason, unless you’re very
vocal about how you cleverly come by your high-end finds, your
luxury image may have your higher-ups questioning your ability
to handle money – and stall your career in its tracks.
Similarly, if you have a job with a typically high income
(doctor, lawyer, stock broker) but are running around in
discount apparel, you’ll have people wondering just how bad you
are at your job that you’re not able to afford nicer things.
True, illness, school loans, job losses, and other financial
hardships happen, even to people with high incomes. But if
you’re dressing discount in a designer environment, people will
begin to question your ability – and your income will suffer.
Call it human nature.
So how can you dress appropriately for your income WITHOUT
raising eyebrows? By keeping the number of labels you wear in
line with the amount of your paycheck.
If you have a lower income, one or two pieces by your favorite
designer (like a jacket or pair of jeans) would not be out of
line – provided you buy them second hand (like on eBay) or at an
overstock outlet like Loehmann’s or TJ Maxx.
Have a higher income? A status handbag, watch, or pair of shoes
will instantly telegraph your position. Even if you don’t care
about such things, your status-y clients will, and since people
talk, you may be surprised by how your business grows by adding
a few of these pieces to your wardrobe.
And who knows? If you play the game right and meet your goals,
you may someday find yourself seriously contemplating whether
you should buy a special piece ready-to-wear, or have your
favorite designer whip it up just for you from his couture
collection…