prêt-à-porter

English

Etymology

1957, reborrowed from French prêt-à-porter (1951), itself a calque of English ready-to-wear.

Adjective

prêt-à-porter (not comparable)

1. ready-to-wear

Usage notes

Synonymous with ready-to-wear, of which it is a reborrowing, but more upscale, due to prestige of French.

Anagrams

• perpetrator

French

Etymology

1951, calque of English ready-to-wear.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pʁɛ.t‿a.pɔʁ.te/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

prêt-à-porter m (plural prêts-à-porter)

1. ready-to-wear clothing, off-the-rack clothing, off-the-peg clothing
   • 1951, Le Figaro, 28 Dec 1951, p.3, col. 6:

     Entre le prêt à porter et le sur-mesures classique un des plus grands tailleurs de Paris a lancé une formule inédite pour hommes.

     In between ready-to-wear clothing and traditional bespoke attire, one of the biggest tailors in Paris has launched a new option for men.

Descendants

• → English: prêt-à-porter
• → Japanese: プレタポルテ (puretaporute)