History of Feminism

from an Art/Craft/Artisan perspective.

Haute couture (/ˌoʊt kuːˈtjʊər/; French pronunciation: ​[ot ku'tyʁ]; French, for "high sewing" or "high dressmaking" or "high fashion&quot refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is fashion that is constructed by hand (without the use of sewing machines and sergers/overlockers)[citation needed] from start to finish, made from high quality, expensive, often unusual fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable seamstresses, often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques. Couture translates literally from French as "dressmaking", but may also refer to fashion, sewing, or needlework[1] and is also used as a common abbreviation of haute couture and refers to the same thing in spirit.[2] Haute translates literally to "high". A haute couture garment is often made for a client, tailored specifically for the wearer’s measurements and body stance.[1] Considering the amount of time, money, and skill that is allotted to each completed piece, haute couture garments are also described as having no price tag - in other words, budget is not relevant. Each couture piece is not made to sell. Rather, they were designed and constructed for the runway, much like an art exhibition.

The term originally referred to Englishman Charles Frederick Worth's work, produced in Paris in the mid-nineteenth century.[3] In modern France, haute couture is a "protected name" that can be used only by firms that meet certain well-defined standards. However, the term is also used loosely to describe all high-fashion custom-fitted clothing, whether it is produced in Paris or in other fashion capitals such as London, Milan, New York or Tokyo.

more at link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haute_couture