French fashion has long been considered the epitome of style, and as such, many French terms have made their way into the global fashion vocabulary. Whether you’re a fashion enthusiast, a student of the French language, or a professional in the industry, understanding these terms can be quite useful. Here is an array of French terminologies in fashion and clothing, complete with their definitions and examples.

Haute Couture
Haute Couture refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. This fashion is high-end and made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail by the most experienced and capable seamstresses.

La robe qu’elle portait était de la vraie haute couture parisienne.

Prêt-à-porter
Prêt-à-porter means “ready-to-wear” and is high-quality fashion that is produced in small quantities to ensure exclusivity, but is not made for individual clients.

Le prêt-à-porter de cette marque est très populaire auprès des jeunes professionnels.

Couturier/Couturière
A couturier (male) or couturière (female) is a fashion designer who makes original garments to order for private clients. They may work within their own established house of fashion.

Le couturier a pris ses mesures pour créer une robe sur mesure.

Taille
Taille is the French word for “size” and refers to the sizing of clothes.

Je dois connaître votre taille avant de commander cette veste.

Mannequin
Mannequin is the term used for a fashion model in France. This can also refer to a dummy used to display clothes in a store.

Le mannequin a défilé sur la piste avec élégance et assurance.

Marinière
A marinière is a cotton long-armed shirt with horizontal blue and white stripes, traditionally worn by French navy seamen. Nowadays, it’s considered a timeless wardrobe staple beyond sea-related professions.

Il portait une marinière classique, qui lui donnait un air nautique chic.

Couture
Couture refers broadly to the business of designing, making, and selling fashionable custom-made women’s clothing. It’s also a common term in sewing, referring to the process of creating garments.

Elle a étudié la couture à Paris avant d’ouvrir son propre studio.

Flou
In the world of French fashion, flou refers to garments that are soft and flowing. This term is often used in the context of designing dresses or blouses.

La robe flou qu’elle portait était d’une élégance souple et romantique.

Tailleur
Tailleur is a tailored suit for women, which generally includes a jacket and a skirt or trousers. The word can also be used to refer to a tailor who makes the suit.

Elle a acheté un nouveau tailleur pour son entretien d’embauche.

Silhouette
In fashion, silhouette refers to the shape or outline of a person’s body or the shape created by wearing clothing of a particular style or period.

La silhouette amincie par cette robe est très flatteuse pour elle.

Atelier
An atelier is a workshop or studio, especially of an artist, artisan, or designer. In the context of fashion, it’s where the magic happens: clothes are designed and created here.

Il a passé toute la journée dans l’atelier à travailler sur sa dernière collection.

Developing an understanding of these terms not only enriches your vocabulary but also allows you to appreciate the nuances of the industry. Keep practicing, and you’ll be conversing about fashion like a Parisian couturier in no time!