What Makes a Gown Haute Couture (like House of Worth) in the Victorian and Edwardian Eras?

💻Check out https://www.squarespace.com/abbycox to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code "abbycox"! Thanks again to Squarespace for sponsoring this video! So many of us in dress history and the fashion world hold up haute couture design houses as beacons of design and technical construction, and while that might be the case today (I mean, who doesn't obsess over those Dior couture timelapse videos?) Was the label "haute couture" that significant in the late Victorian and Edwardian eras when it comes to construction or even design? Since I'm working on completing my Edwardian evening gown (actually, I think the bodice video will be out next week!) I wanted to explore what seems to be Victorian couture sewing techniques by looking at and comparing some original bodices in my personal collection. Since I don't have anything from the House of Worth, we have to use hi-res images of Worth bodices (http://www.thejohnbrightcollection.co.uk/costume/dress-05/) and a bunch at https://www.antique-gown.com/en/ to identify and break down some trends and then use those to compare to the different designer pieces I own. What will we find? What are the differences and similarities in construction between haute couture and a local dressmaker (or high-end department store?) I think what we will discover is that couture sewing techniques of the Victorian and Edwardian eras are much more relatable and achievable than what we might expect... Hello Vintage: https://