Pret-a-porter and Haute couture

If you've ever shopped online then you've come across the category "ready-to-wear" and if you've ever watched ANTM, you've heard Tyra Banks throw the phrase "high fashion" into every sentence. But really, how many of you can define ready-to-wear and high fashion??

Lets start with the ubiquitous term "ready-to-wear" which is a translation of the French phrase pret-a-porter (think NAP). Ready-to-wear can be thought of as the line of clothing that puts bread on the table for every designer out there. These are the designs that are mass produced and designed with the everyday in mind. LA and NY fashion week are both centered around ready-to-wear collections and these are the clothes that slowly but surely filter into designer boutiques and high-end department stores after the spring and fall collections are shown. Depending on the designer, ready-to-wear clothes start in the mid-hundreds and run into the thousands but rarely go above $10K. However, just because something is ready-to-wear does not mean theres one available for every Joe Schmo on the street. Although ready-to-wear will never be one-of-a-kind, many designs from top designers are produced in very limited numbers for very limited periods of time.

The phrase "high fashion" is originally derived from the French phrase haute couture which literally translates into "high sewing". Haute couture is the most coveted category in all of fashion. In fact, there are currently only 10 design houses that are legal haute couture members; Adeline Andre, Chanel, Dior, Lacroix, Dominique Sirop, Emanuel Ungaro, Franck Sorbier, Givenchy, Gaultier, and Jean-Louis Scherrer. There are only 4 foreign members; Valentine, Elie Saab, Armani, and Valentino. The members are protected by law and must adhere to 3 rules: 1. Designs are one-of-a-kind made to order items with at least one fitting with the client 2. Design house operates a workshop with at least 15 workers and 3. Present at least 35 items per season to the Paris press with both day and evening wear designs. Haute couture shows can be identified from the dramatic hair and make-up and the over-the-top designs that often look unwearable. Unwearable because haute couture is not the everyday and is definitely not for everyone...designs start at $10k and can go as far up as $100K. Expensive haute couture is but most fashion insiders will tell you that haute couture items are usually sold at lower prices then it took to make that item. Now that may sound like a joke but haute couture designers use the most expensive fabrics and everything is hand sewn, stitched, and painted; we're talking hours upon hours of careful detailing. Whats even more startling is that haute couture items are rarely sold but are used mainly to boost up the design house's reputation. Couture is one of the most misused and abused fashion terms; just because something is hand-sewn does not make it couture...remember, there are only 14 legal couture members in the world!! My new goal? Wear a haute couture gown for my wedding...hehehehehehhe :)