Pearl silkHaute couture (/ˌoʊt kuːˈtʊər/; French pronunciation: [ot ku'tyʁ]; French for "high sewing" or "high dressmaking" or "high fashion") refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive 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" means dressmaking, 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" means elegant or high. An haute couture garment is made specifically for the wearer’s measurements and body stance.