The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word MODISTE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
M
O
D
I
S
T
E
More clues leading to the result MODISTE
- Milliner, second on street going into decline
- I’d turned up, clothed by greatest European dressmaker
- Smartmilliner fashioned items for clothing on demand
- Dressmaker Tom dies in agony
- Yours truly will entertain poet, being a person of fashion
- ‘She’ll make, she’ll profess/An elegant dress’
- Fashionable dressmaker may bring out the poet in me
- Fashionable costumier, poet is dressed by me
- Sixties teenager’s first point for milliner maybe
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Dressmaker" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case dressmaker = modiste.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does MODISTE mean?
MODISTE noun- A person who makes or sells fashionable women's clothing, especially dresses or hats.