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| | Fashion—What is Haute Couture? (Site not responding. Last check: ) |
 | | Haute means "high" or "elegant." Couture literally means "sewing," but has come to indicate the business of designing, creating, and selling custom-made, high fashion women's clothes. |
 | | To be called a haute couture house, a business must belong to the Syndical Chamber for Haute Couture in Paris, which is regulated by the French Department of Industry. |
 | | Despite the small market, designers maintain haute couture operations partly because the prestige helps sell other products, such as perfume, cosmetics, and their ready-to-wear lines available in stores. |
| www.infoplease.com /spot/fashionside1.html (325 words) |
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