Haute Couture

These days the words couture gets thrown around pretty loosely. Brands like Juicy Couture have associated the term with everything from sweatpants to key chains. The result is the common misconception that couture simple means "clothing." The truth is that haute couture is an exclusive category of fashion that refers to very high-end custom clothing. The term is French and it translates roughly to "high sewing http://dictionary.reverso.net/french-english/haute%20couture" in English. In fact, the French government has very strict rule for which fashion labels actually qualify. The current list of official members is only 12 names http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haute_couture#Members_of_the_Chambre_Syndicale_de_la_Haute_Couture long and contains well known brands like Chanel, Christain Dior, and Jean Paul Gaultier.

Due to the the staggering price of owning haute couture, the market for the clothing is very small. Some reports say there are only 2,000 customers in the world, of which 60% live in the United States. http://www.infoplease.com/spot/fashionside1.html

Despite the tiny market haute couture businesses churn out lavish collections season after season - sometimes at a loss. The general consensus is that these businesses do this for the prestige and the marketing power. That is, they are "selling a dream." http://www.fashion-era.com/haute_couture.htm#Selling%20The%20Haute%20Couture%20Dream Once a label has couture status, their lower-priced products immediately become more desirable. The average woman probably can't afford to spend 50 grand on a dress, but she can spend 50 dollars on a bottle of perfume or a scarf.