The cummerbund is having a fashion moment. But did you know India wore it first?
From its roots in the Indian kamarbandh to contemporary interpretations by designers across the globe, the waist sash has stepped into the spotlight this season
Words by ŌUSHQ Desk
Let’s take a little trip down memory lane. While traditionally the cummerbund has been synonymous with suave tuxedos and bow ties, it traces its origin to the kamarbandh, a waist sash that was worn across the Indian subcontinent by royals and sepoys alike. British officers stationed in colonial India took this fabric sash and gave it a new anglicised identity, making it a permanent fixture of men's formal dressing, worn as an alternative to the waistcoat. It continues to be a part of ceremonial dressing in India, and grooms still wear it as part of their sherwani on the wedding day.
Today, it’s enjoying something of a fashion renaissance, with everyone from Zegna to Zara entering this group chat. The cummerbund’s many iterations have been spotted across the runways of Valentino, Issey Miyake, Celine, Ahluwalia and Kallmeyer among others. Rendered in candy colored hues, intricate embellishments and playful prints, it has slipped into everyday wardrobe, and is being styled with everything from tailored trousers to midi skirts.
“We are seeing a lot of construction and corsetry being applied to menswear today,” notes stylist Akshay Tyagi. “The cummerbund helps keep the shirt tucked in, making the waistband sit at a natural high waist, and creates the illusion of an elongated leg, a narrow waist and a broader chest.”
Indian designers too are reclaiming the narrative by experimenting and giving their own spin to this sleek waist wrap. Rimzim Dadu's sculpted jaal cummerbund, inlaid with mother of pearl is craftsmanship at its finest while Saggar Mehra’s embroidered silk sash paired with a sherwani jacket provides a contemporary upgrade to classic Indian menswear.
Akbar Hamid, Partner at ŌUSHQ, has been a long time connoisseur of the element, and even picked Dadu’s take on the cummerband for the ŌUSHQ’s Diwali Noir party. “My favourite trousers are a pair of Alexander McQueen tuxedo pants with a high cummerbund built in. This season, it’s been on runways from Paris to New Delhi. Given that it has been part of how men dressed in India long before it was part of how I dressed, makes the piece feel special. It doesn’t feel like I am borrowing from black tie. I’m wearing something that was ours first.”
