Cummerbund

A cummerbund is a broad waist sash, usually pleated, which is often worn with single-breasted dinner jackets . The cummerbund was first adopted by British military officers in colonial India as a cool alternative to a waistcoat, and later spread to civilian use. The modern use of the cummerbund is as a component of the semi-formal black tie dress code.

The form of the cummerbund is a wide band around the waist, and its origin as part of black tie determined the acceptable colors. Once it was adopted as civilian dress, beginning as a largely summer option with informal dinner jackets, such as Burmese fawn and white, it was restricted to the narrow range of colors which accompany black tie. These were predominantly black, sometimes midnight blue to match the trousers, and occasionally maroon (the normal hue for colored accessories). Note that the bow tie itself always matched the trousers and was never maroon or otherwise colored. The pleats face up because they were originally used to hold ticket stubs and similar items, explaining the slang name 'crumb-catcher'. The contemporary use of the cummerbund is purely aesthetic, providing a transition between the shirt and the waistband. The fastening is a ribbon around the back, tied or held shut by a buckle or velcro.

In contemporary use, it is now common to see coloured bow ties and cummerbands, often matching, but this is still condemned by dress authorities. They have also expanded in less formal situations into use with components of white tie, particularly by musicians, who sometimes wear a white cummerbund instead of the traditional marcella waistcoat.

Military Cummerbands

Similar to the cummerbund, a cummerband is an accessory to the dress uniform used extensively in both the modern Indian Army and Pakistan Army. This sash like item traces its origin to the uniforms of the Indian regiments raised during the period of British rule. It is generally worn during ceremonial parades and dinners. Like the cummerbund it is a long strip of cloth which is tightly worn around a soldier's waist. The color or combination of colors varies widely according to regiment or corps. Unlike the civilian cummerbund, a leather belt is worn above this cloth piece and one end hangs free displaying an ornamental fringe.