May 4, 2009   The History of The Cummerbund in Mens Fashion  For
several centuries the cummerbund is a formal piece of clothing
accessory used for so-called black tie events. Although having a
purely decorative purpose in contemporary black tie attire, the
cummerbund did actually serve a purpose at one point in time.
The cummerbund is a belt like piece of clothing accessory that
is typically black in color with pleated pattern. It has a
military origin and dates back to colonial India in the 17th
century. British military officers used to wear a waist-coat,
but the higher temperatures in India made this piece of uniform
much less comfortable. As a result, the cummerbund was created.
The word cummerbund was adopted into English in 1616 and was
derived from the Persian word “Kamar” meaning waist. In German
it is called “kummerbund” meaning “band of sorrow”. The
cummerbund is traditionally worn with the pleats facing upwards
which were at one point used to hold ticket stubs. For black tie
attire men should eit