The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-12
LEADING TAILoRS MEET.
To Discuss and Formulate the Styles
for Mems Garments.

/ 4OE A40l- 5 0dI14OAIS.
Cleveland, Feb. 12.-This week Cleveland
! is entertaining nearly 200 of the leading
merchant tailors of the United States.
/ The occasion is the annual convention
of the Merchant Tailors' National ex-
change. The meetings continue during
the week. and among questions to be dis
cussed will be the tariff.
It is the desire of the merchant tailors
to have the tariff on foreign goods con
siderably increased The tailors say the
difference between wages in this country
and England, for instance, are such that
very much interfered with. An increase
OF 299 per cent they say, you'd make up up
I pays 81 for the work on a garment the
likely that a committee will be appointed
before the, ways and means committee Of
to enact tariff law, to plead for an in
crease in the tariff custom made
clolnes:. Inc members OF the exchange
most of them, desire an ad valorem and
specific duty
An Interesting feature of the convention
VIII be an exhibition of custom made
clothing from the leading taflors of the
country, representing the extreme eastern
and western sections of the country The
exhibition will be held in The HoIlenden
on the parlor floor and viii be open We'd
nesday and Friday Nearly 100 express
packages have already been received for
the exhibit and a great number will be
opening. This exhibition will reflect styles
of all kinds and grades of gentlemen's
teresting feature of the convention
One of the objects of the exchange is to
bring about a uniformity of dress. That
is, to have the various styles appear
simultaneously in San Francisco, for in
stance, as they do in New York This is
| being accomplished by means of a book
of fashions published twice a year, in
FEBRUARY and August, just prior to the
opening of the seasons, and put into the
hands of members of the exchange exclu-
sively. The fashions of New York are
thus put into the hand of the leading
tailors of the land. Speaking of this feat
ure of the exchange work. Thomas o.
Denny. of the Herald of Fashion Co. of
! New York a tailoring trades journal
identified with the exchange, said the day
! is fast fading away when a person would
detect New Yorker by his ultra fash
Under the methods by which the ex-
change is working, said he, "a man can
country as in New York and almost as
soon, al least, not season behind
speaking OF fashions, said Mr. Den
ny, do you know that America sets the
pace for the world in gentlemen's gar
ments? We no longer go abroad for our
styles but the foreigner comes to America
for his style of dress The Prince of
| Wales is no longer a leader of style, and
if he follows the English fashions today
! he IS following an American style. In
/ the American shoulder and is nothing
more or less than broad, padded Shout
| der discarded by us score of years ago.
! There is also big demand for our fash
| ion plates in the old world, especially in
| Germany and France.
Where do the American styles come
| from? Well they come from the SWEETEST
dressers in New York city, from men who
have plenty of money and considerable
/ brain, who study the art of dressing we'll
and who are striving for some individual
ity in dress We watch them closely and
! thus the styles of dress are put upon the
market. Style simply reflects the taste of
men who desire to be faultless in their at
| tire.
In the spring styles soon to be shown
/ the purely business suit will be a sack
! coat in fancy cheviots and rough faced
goods. Cheviots will be exceedingly pron-
inent this spring and will be found in
brown and soft gray effects. By effects
/ is meant little color. not prominent, but
| harmonious blending, giving an inde-
scribable effect. These goods will be
shown in small checks with plaids run,
ming over pla1ds, giving the appearance
! of small checks. the plaidS being so in
distinct The coat will be cut shapely,
but not tight fitting. In length it should
young men who fam would set the pace
may wear the coat couple of inches
shorter
Another business suit of the raw ma
terial is a three-button cutaway coat a
/ trifle shorter in waist and length than
! last seasons garment. There will be flaps
and pockets beneath the flaps at the waist
/ seam, with medium width collar and
lapel. The demi-dress suit is a three-but-
/ ton cutaway in black goods and without
/ the flaps and pockets, and a trifie longer
/ than the business coat.
''Frock coats are slightly shorter than
/ last year. The skirt, while tight fitting
! at the waist, has enough spring to give
/ ease and comfort while walking. It is
/ faced with silk to the buttonholes In
coat will be generally worn for spring
wear 1t is, like the coat beneath. trihe
| ert coat 1t is of the same material and
! considerably shorter than the other style
! 1t is more of coat to carry over the arm
( in anticipa ton of use than for actual use
t 1t should never be put on except with a
/ sack coat It's length won't permit it.
! There is no change in the fall dress
fancy vests will be the order of the day
/ and double breasted largely