huppée

Huppée is a French adjective and noun used to describe fashion, style, and social status. As an adjective, it denotes someone who is well-dressed, refined, and fashionable, often with connotations of conspicuous display. In gendered forms, the masculine is huppé and the feminine is huppée; the noun usage la huppée refers to the fashionable social circle or the upper class, the “posh crowd.” Common phrases include un homme huppé, une femme huppée, or la bourgeoisie huppée to specify affluent, stylish groups or individuals.

Etymology and sense: the term derives from the French word huppe, meaning crest or tuft. The participial suffix -é yields a sense of being adorned or decorated, originally describing physical appearance and, by extension, social appearance and status.

Usage: huppée is primarily literary or journalistic in contemporary French. It can be neutral when describing attire or milieu, but it often carries a nuance of elitism or snobbery depending on tone and context. In English-language writing, huppée is rarely used as a loanword and is usually rendered as “posh,” “stylish,” or “the upper crust,” though it may appear in translations that aim to convey French social nuance.

Related concepts: haute société (high society), bourgeoisie, élite, mondain or mondaine (society or socialite). The term provides a concise label for discussions of fashion-forward elites and the cultural capital associated with their lifestyle.