| 释义 |
boutique|buːˈtiːk|
[F. (14th c. in Littré), f. OPr. botica (It. bottega), ad. L. apothēca, a. Gr. ἀποθήκη (see apothec).]
A small shop.
1767J. Long Sel. Unpubl. Rec. Govt. (Fort William) (1869) 501 The street..has been greatly encroached upon by a number of golahs, little straw huts, and boutiques. 1780India Gaz. 9 Dec. (Y.), Mrs. Henpeck..is a great buyer of Bargains, so that she will often go out to the Europe Shops and the Boutiques, and lay out 5 or 600 Rupees in articles that we have not the least occasion for. 1854Househ. Words IX. 43/1 A collection..presided over by a very solemn man..calling aloud at intervals to the passers-by to patronise the boutique at six sous. The attractions of his booth include soaps of all colours and patterns. 1859Sala Twice round Clock 185 The merchants who have here [Burlington Arcade] their tiny boutiques. 1926Glasgow Herald 18 Sept. 4 A small Sinhalese child..disappears into one of the ‘boutiques’ (small native shops) on the other side.
b. spec. A small fashion-shop or department that sells ready-to-wear clothes designed by a couturier; a small shop selling ‘trend-setting’ clothes or other articles, esp. for young or fashionable people. Also attrib.
1953N.Y. Times 26 Jan. 12/5 The usual boutique sports clothes were not so evident as swirls of summer cocktail and evening dresses went by. 1954New Yorker 27 Nov. 143/1 On the first floor is still another boutique, this one awave with ostrich-feather fans on new or antique mountings. 1957Times 21 Oct. 13/1 Boutique departments in the big stores, designed to fill the gap between custom-made couture clothes and those made by wholesale houses are now well established. 1957Observer 17 Nov. 11/3 The idea of ‘Boutiques’, those small shops set inside couture establishments to sell ready-to-wear. 1964Queen 1 Jan. 57/2 [In] the third of the..boutiques..is a pot-pourri of pretty rococo and sometimes gilded objects, handsome ranges of household glass and china, and a special men's section. 1966Vanity Fair May 116/2, I..love the look of boutique clothes. 1966M. Quant Quant by Quant 35 It was agreed that if we could find the right premises for a boutique..we would open a shop. It was to be a bouillabaisse of clothes and accessories..sweaters, scarves, shifts, hats, jewellery, and peculiar odds and ends.
▸ adj.1. Characteristic of or likened to the type of goods sold in boutiques; spec. designating a product or service offered by a small, exclusive, or specialized business; (hence more generally) exclusive, highly specialized, appealing to connoisseurs.
1964N.Y. Times 27 May 4 (advt.) Dusky linen-like spun rayon—..very boutique with just the right touch of embroidered yarn. 1978Washington Post 22 June (Maryland section) 7 (advt.) The newest and largest selection of California boutique wines in Montgomery County. 1993Institutional Investor Sept. (Advt. Suppl.) 9/2 Its [sc. the bank's] small size, high profitability and exclusiveness enable it to provide boutique services. 1996N.Y. Rev. Bks. 19 Sept. 6/4 But they are also all boutique movies—imports, personal projects, film festival fare. 2000What Mountain Bike Winter 81/3 The rest of the kit is decent light gear from house brand Bontrager but you could get the bike down below 21lb with a bit of boutique upgrading.
2. Designating a (usually small) business which offers a highly specialized product or service or caters to a sophisticated or exclusive clientele.
1968N.Y. Times 17 Mar. iii. 17/4 A guy here has a better chance of making a statement than in any of the so-called small boutique agencies. 1975Washington Post 30 Oct. d17/4 Cabernet and chardonnay prices are below many of the so called boutique wineries. 1991Aloha Feb. 39/1 The Waikīkī Joy is touted as being the most elegant boutique hotel in Hawai'i. 2003Gap-year Guidebk. (ed. 11) ii. 113 All placements are in bush camps, safari lodges, private ranches and boutique hotels.
▸ A (usually small) business which offers a highly specialized service or caters to a sophisticated or exclusive clientele.
1984Times 22 May 21/2 (headline) Edinburgh says no to mergers and opts for financial boutique. 1991New Internationalist Mar. 9/1 By the mid-1980's, UCLA had passed the patent to a small Boston biotech ‘boutique’. 2002N.Y. Mag. 25 Nov. 124/2 This February, look for Toronto's first two trendy boutiques: Hotel Le Germain,..and the 88-room Soho Metropolitan. |