Ready-to-wear is clothing made in standard sizes and offered for sale as finished garments.
Prêt-à-porter is the French term for ready-to-wear clothing, produced in standard sizes rather than made individually to a client’s measurements. The French Ministry of Culture distinguishes luxury ready-to-wear, made in industrial series, from haute couture’s unique pieces made entirely to measure in French ateliers under specific criteria. Ready-to-wear can still involve specialist garment development, including the distinction between soft garments and structured tailoring. Altering a finished garment for a client does not change its original production category. Paris Fashion Week includes ready-to-wear collections, as the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode’s calendar shows.
In job listings
CHANEL’s Alterations Lead role in Toronto combined the boutique Ready-to-Wear experience with precise client fitting and tailoring expertise. This illustrates how clothing produced in standard sizes can receive individual alterations after production. The employer used the English category name, which carries the same clothing meaning as prêt-à-porter. Search local jobs for “ready-to-wear”.
