Cummerbund
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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.
The name comes from the Persian for waist restraint (kamar "waist" and band "to close") and was borrowed into English from the Hindi word meaning "loinband" in 1616.
Cummerbunds should be worn with the openings of the pleats facing up to hold ticket stubs (e.g., coat check, theater tickets, etc.).
[edit] Cummerbands
Similar to the cummerbund, a cummerband is an accessory to the dress uniform used extensively in the Indian Army, a holdover from the original use by the British military. It is generally worn during ceremonial parades and dinners. Like the cummerbund it is a long strip of cloth (usually based on the regimental colours) which is tightly worn around a soldier's waist. Unlike the standard cummerbund, a leather belt is generally worn on top of this cloth piece.
[edit] Cummerbunds in diving
A cummerbund is also an informal word used in SCUBA diving 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.de:Kummerbund ja:カマーバンド sl:cummerbund
