What Does The Word Couture Mean?

Couture is a rare first name although it is slightly more common as a French surname. There are a large number of communes located in France that go by the name Couture or La Couture. It is a French word, meaning sewing; coming from Old French cousture; it comes from the Vulgar Latin term *cōnsūtūra; with its roots in the Latin term cōnsuere, cōnsūt-, meaning to sew together.

As a noun it refers to the business revolving around the designing, making as well as the selling of highly fashionable, typically custom-made women's clothing. The term may be applied to dressmakers and fashion designers regarded as a group. It could also simply refer to the high-fashion clothing which is created by designers.

It is generally referred to as Haute couture, which is a French term that translates as "high sewing" or "high dressmaking.