couture

Where does the word "couture" come from? It comes from Old French cousture, passing through French before entering English (1908).

Couture’s story begins in Old French: cousture meant “sewing, needlework.” Sewing, needlework, from coudre (to sew). By 1900s, the word had taken hold in French as couture. Narrowed to mean the design and creation of fashionable, made-to-order clothing. It reached English by 1908 as couture. Charles Frederick Worth founded the first Paris couture house in 1858. Today, couture means the design and creation of high-fashion, often custom-made clothing.

1. Stage 1 · Old French · medieval cousture "sewing, needlework", sewing, needlework, from coudre (to sew).
2. Stage 2 · French · 1900s couture "high fashion design and dressmaking", narrowed to mean the design and creation of fashionable, made-to-order clothing.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1908 couture "the design and creation of high fashion clothing", Charles Frederick Worth founded the first Paris couture house in 1858.