The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-02-03

I ments which Americans shall wear
are determined by the wearers them
selves. Comfort and conservatism
are the keynotes of mems dress in the
United States. After he energies from
the college-boy stage of extremes and
a~ffectations, the American is slow to
accept changes in his costume. He
Is far less conventional in the matter
of what he shall wear than is either
the Briton or h Frenchman, but he is
also far more conservative. Attempts
have been made again and again to
induce men to adopt colors for eve
ming wear or to look favorabIy upon
this or that garment new to their
scheme of daylight dress, but these
attempts invariably have failed.
Since fashions do change, however.
and these changes are adopted with
more or less uniformity among we'll
dressed men in all parts of the coun-
try, it follows that there must be
some court, congress or other law
making body to decide what changes
shall be accepted in the cut and
fabric of mems garments from year
to year and likewise to frown down
attempted innovations that do not
recommend themselves as based in
sound sense Of conforming to the re-
quirements of American tastes and
conditions. There is such q body and
1t does its work very effectively but
| so quietly that few people outside of
those who are connected with the
business of supplying mems wants in
the matter OF clothes, know wen of
it's existence.
mkt nIA5.v ~rL4-I. I~4s1A- A--z -A.
to year what we are to wear is made
UP Of the tailors of the country, or at
least of the leading members Of this
ancient n honorable profession, who
are banded together under the name
of the National Association of Mer-
chant Tailors of America, with a
membership Of about 1000. The title
sounds formidable, n in fact the
society does many things besides de-
termining upon current styles, it's
purpose being TO look after the in
~terests Of the tailoring craft gener-
ally. This, however, is the most in
teresting Of its functions to the or
binary nan
Every year the prominent tailors
who are members of this organization
hold a convention. The next one is
to assemble In this city on Feb. Is.
One OF the failures of this conven
ton is an exhibition of new garments
to which any member OF the organic
alton is permitted to submit sample
suits or single garments embodying
ideas which in his opinion are in any
way an Improvement upon the exist
ing styles. Some of these costumes
are weird and wonderful, and would
cause CONSERVATION to the ordinary
man IL he were asked to wear them.
They are carefully examined, how
ever, by a committee whose functions
are very much like those Of the ''hang-
ing committee in an art exhibition.
Those that recommend themselves as
having meritorious features are
mounted On models while others are
sent to the 'sky line" or are barred
out entirely. This yearly exhibit is
carefully inspected by members of the
organization who often gain from il
valuable ideas for use in their work.
All outsiders are rigidly barred from
seeing these works OF sartorial art
although at it's convention the assoc
citation has decided to let down the
bars to the extent Of admitting to it
tailors who are not members OF their
organization upon payment OF a fee
of $40. The purpose of this departure
is announced to be q desire to inn
prove the general standard OF Amer
lean dress by reaching as many men
as possible through the tailors OF the
country even though many OF the lat
ter cannot afford to belong to the ex-
elusive association.
The mere admittance Of a garment
to the exhibition, however, does not
mean that it 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
urally esteemed a high honor and care
is exercised to select conservative
men as well as those who occupy a
prominent position in the trade for
this work. The fashion committee
carefully studies the exhibit of new