A cummerbund may be defined as broad pleated waist sash generally worn with single-breasted dinner jackets. The cummerbund was first popularized by the British military officers in colonial India and it subsequently caught on with the civilians.When weighted MOLLE pockets were attached to the cummerbund and the user moved up and down, the cummerbund became dislodged from the Velcro attachment and the top edge rolled over. Correspondingly, the upper portions of the pockets also rolled over, inhibiting access to the MOLLE pockets and reducing the ability of the user to rapidly retrieve his equipment.
The contemporary use of the cummerbund is purely aesthetic and fashion experts opine that it stands midway between a shirt and the waistband. The one other practical use of cummerbund is its convenience for the expandinf girth of diners during a sumptuous meal.
Several leading fashion houses offer formal cummerbunds and the foremost designers of cummerbunds include Thomas Pink, Turnbull & Asser and Robert Charles. Robert Charles is especially famous for cummerbunds made of silk with attractive and colourful floral designs.
Traditionally worn with a dinner suit, a cummerbund has no specific function, beyond helping the wearer to stretch the legs and even making the obese people look taller and sleeker.
