Couture versus Ready-to-Wear

"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...