This is an old revision of this page, as edited by TheEditrix (talk | contribs) at 06:03, 8 June 2006. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 06:03, 8 June 2006 by TheEditrix (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) | It has been suggested that this article be merged with cummerband. (Discuss) |
A cummerbund is a broad waist sash, usually pleated, which is often worn with black tie. The cummerbund was first adopted by British military officers in colonial India and later spread to civilian use.
It means, in Persian, waist restraint: kumar "waist" and band "band, rope", but was borrowed into English from the Hindi word meaning "loinband" in 1616.
It should be worn with the pleats facing up to hold ticket stubs (e.g., coat check, theater tickets, etc.), or (as reflected in the original English appropriation of the word "crummerbuund") to catch falling crumbs or other debris during a formal dinner.
Cummerbunds in Diving
Cummerbund is also an informal word used in SCUBA to mean a wide waistband on a diving stability jacket—Buoyancy Control Device—designed to provide more comfort to the user than a standard waistband and usually made of a stout fabric backed with velcro fastenings.
Category: