A broad waist sash, especially one worn as part of men's formal evening wear with a tuxedo. It is typically made of silk and pleated.
From Hindi कमरबंद (kamarband), literally meaning 'waist-band' from कमर (kamar) 'waist' and बंद (band) 'fastening'. The word entered English in the early 19th century through British military officers in India who adopted the practical waist sash. It later became incorporated into Western formal wear.
British officers adopted the cummerbund because Indian summers made European military uniforms unbearably hot, but they needed something to hold their swords! What started as practical colonial gear became the height of Western formal fashion, though most people have no idea they're wearing a Hindi word to black-tie events.
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