ready-to-wear

[ red-ee-tuh-wair ]

noun

1. clothing made in standard sizes; ready-made clothing.

adjective

1. pertaining to or dealing in such clothing:

   the ready-to-wear business; a ready-to-wear shop.

ready-to-wear

adjective

1. (of clothes) not tailored for the wearer; of a standard size

noun

1. an article or suit of such clothes

Word History and Origins

Origin of ready-to-wear¹

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95

Example Sentences

He taught himself on a small loom, creating intricate swatches of fabric, before expanding into ready-to-wear and formally launching his brand in 2020.

From Los Angeles Times

Its new retail space illustrates the spirit of the heritage fashion house, offering men’s and women’s accessories, leather goods and ready-to-wear.

From Los Angeles Times

Cortez likes to think of his work as a bridge between fetish and ready-to-wear.

From Los Angeles Times

Bangladesh has become a powerhouse of ready-to-wear clothing exports.

From BBC

First up was “Cristóbal Balenciaga,” a look at the career arc of the Spanish master and the trauma he suffered as a closeted gay man and with the advent of ready-to-wear.

From New York Times