The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-10

tive Association. The title sounds formidable and in fact the society does many things besides determining upon current styles. It's purpose being to look after the Interests of the tall oring craft generally. This however. is the most interesting of its functions to the ordinary man.
 who are members of this organization, hold a conyention. The next one 10 to assemble in Chicago on February 1. One of the features of this con vention is an exhibition of new gar ments to which any member Of the organization is permitted to submit sample suits or single garments em- bodying ideas which in his opinion are in any way an improvement upon tne existing styles. Some of these cos tunes are weird and wonderful and eyould cause consternation to the or dinary man if he were asked to wear them. They are carefully examined. however, by a committee whose func- tions are very much like those of the hanging committed" in an art exhfbi-i tion. Those that recommend them selves as having meritorious features are mounted on models while others are sent to the sky line" or are barred out entirely. This yearly ex- hibit.is carefully inspected by mem bers of the organization who often gain from 1t valuable ideas for use in their work. All outsiders are rigidiy barred from seeing these works of sartorial art although at It's coming convention the association has decid- ed to let down the bars to the extent of admitting to 1t tailors who are not members of their organization upon payment of a fee of ten dollars. The purposes of this departure Is an- nounced to be desire to improve the general standard of American dress by reaching as many men as possible through the tailors of the country even though many of the latter cannot afford to belong to the exclusive as- sociation. 8s9
 The Taiiors Exhibitien.
 The mere admittance of a garment to the exhibition, however, does not mean that 1t is accepted as good form or the proper style The tailors or ganization attends to that matter by appointing another special committee to prepare its official fashion report Membership in this committee is nat uraily esteemed a high honor and care is exercised to select conservative men as well as those who occupy a promi- nent position in the trade for this work. The fashion Committee careful iy studies the exhibit of new gar ments. It considers past styles, wherein they recommend themselves to men who are particular in the mat ter of dress and wherein they failed of popularity. It accepts suggestions from other members of the organiza- ton and considers the subject from every possible angle. As a-.result of these deliberations the fashion com mittee issues its report, or rather its reports for they are put out twice each year. the first one shortly after the yearly convention outlining the styles for the spring and summer sea- sons and the second at the beginning of autumn defining the correct winter styles. These reports are as authori- tative as any pronouncement on this subject can be and, while they are not followed slavishly by the fashionable tailors of the country who naturally exercise their individual opinions in advising their customers, they form the guide which is followed generally in the planning and finishing of tail- ored garments.
 The greatest care Is taken to pre- vent these books from falling into the hands of persons outside the charmed circle Of the tailors' organ ization. They cannot be bought and every copy is guarded as jealously as the secrets of an important financial report or of a diplomatic transaction. When the garments described in the reports are on the backs of wearers there Is of course no way to prevent them from being copied but that is too late to make the information of fAnyF great usefulness. There are plenty of instances on record, how ever, where hundreds if not thousands of dollars have been offered to secure copy of one of these records of com ing styles.