Plural of cummerbund; wide sashes worn around the waist, typically with formal evening wear like tuxedos.
From Hindi 'kamarband,' where 'kamar' means waist and 'band' means band or tie; the word entered English through British colonization of India in the 19th century.
Cummerbunds are a perfect example of how fashion items travel along trade routes—this Persian-Indian accessory became a symbol of Western formal wear, even though most English speakers never knew it was a Hindi word!
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