Cummerbund

Black tie cummerbund

A cummerbund is a broad waist sash, usually pleated, which is often worn with single-breasted dinner jackets (or tuxedos).[1] The cummerbund was adopted by British military officers in colonial India, where they saw it worn by sepoys (Indian soldiers) of the British Indian Army.[2] It was adopted as an alternative to the waistcoat, and later spread to civilian use. The modern use of the cummerbund to Europeans and North Americans is as a component of the traditional black tie Western dress code.[2]

  1. ^ Villarosa; Angeli (1990), The Elegant Man: How to Construct the Ideal Wardrobe, p. 148.
  2. ^ a b "Black Tie Guide: Vintage Evening Waistcoats & Cummerbunds". Gentleman's Gazette. n.d. Retrieved 28 September 2023.