# couture

/kuˈtʊɹ/ (US) · /kuːtˈɔː/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/couture
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Definition

the business of designing and making expensive, high-quality clothes for specific customers. It usually refers to the work of famous fashion designers.

For teachers: the design and manufacture of high-fashion, custom-made garments. Often used to refer to the industry or the clothing itself; frequently associated with exclusive fashion houses.

## Examples

- She spent thousands of dollars on French couture.
- The designer spent hundreds of hours on the hand-stitched details of the couture gown for the film premiere.
- While ready-to-wear lines provide the bulk of the brand's revenue, their couture collection serves as a prestigious laboratory for experimental techniques and avant-garde silhouettes.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.