Cumberbund or Cumberbund and Vest

What the hell is a cummerbund? And is it a cummerbund or cumberbund ? A cummerbund is like a big, frilly belt made of silk that wraps around your waist like a WWF title belt. Wear it, or wear a vest.

What is a cummerbund?

The cummerbund is a throwback to another era (namely the 1970s) when wearing a cummerbund was popular. For whatever reason, the cummerbund persists today, even though it hasn't been in style since the 1990s. Made of silk or satin, a cummerbund is worn in place of a vest (ie. You wear either a cummerbund or a vest, but not both).

How to wear a cummerbund...

When you open you rental tuxedo package, you're likely to discover a piece of fabric that vaguely resembles a g-string for a larger woman. That's the cummerbund. It is elastic, has pleats and looks frilly. If you're going to wear a cummerbund, remember that the pleats should open upward. Traditionally, this was so that the pleats could hold theater tickets or catch crumbs that fell off your dinner table. Of course, it's not likely you'll open the pleats of the cummerbund after a night of partying and exclaim: "Ha! Who knew - bread crumbs!" Accordingly, cummerbunds are used as decoration. They're not totally useless, however; if you are a short groomsman or groom, the cummerbund may be a better option than a morning coat or a vest as it has the effect of making you look taller.

The vest or waist coat

In terms of a vest, the groom should choose between a full back (the vest covers your back) or a flimsier (though less expensive) open back with straps behind your neck and across your lower back.

One important point: never button all the buttons on your vest. As a rule, button one less than you have, and always leave the bottom button open.

With a vest, you can get away with not having a tuxedo shirt underneath as the vest will conceal most of the shirt and not reveal the shirt studs. In fact, you may be better off using one of your good white dress shirts rather than a cheap, poly-cotton rental.

Read more about wedding attire from GroomGroove.com:

How to get the groomsmen outfitted in tuxedos, painlessly
An intro to formal wear for the groom:
- Tuxedo Jacket
- Pants
- Shirts
- Ties
- Cufflinks
- Shoes (and socks)
- What the hell is a cummerbund and do you need one?
- Boutonnieres (aka the only flowers a groom needs to think about)
Morning coats
Wearing a suit instead of a tuxedo
Whether to buy or rent a tux
If you're buying a tux, whether to get it custom-made or off the rack tuxedo
Beach wedding attire (you lucky bastard!)

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Phil Spencer

Fri, Dec.19th 2008
Rating:

"Tuxedo fashion" is a crock. Well-dressed men follow the examples of other well-dressed men, not the mandates of rental companies. That means sticking to established rules instead of going with the flow. Ultimately, it's your call: Look like every other slob, or look like James Bond.

Groom Groove

Fri, Aug.1st 2008
Rating:

Hey Phil - we respectfully disagree. Obviously cummerbunds have been around since they were used in British Army dress uniforms, but that doesn't mean that they haven't been around since the 70s as part of wedding attire. And while Bond still sports a cummerbund, tuxedo fashion has moved away from them over the past 15 years.

Phil Spencer

Mon, Jul.28th 2008
Rating:

I continue to be appalled by the lack of fashion knowledge on this site. For one thing, cummerbunds have been around since the 1870s, not the 1970s. They continue to be in style among sophisticated dressers. The tuxedo rental industry--the same one that used to rent frilly shirts and powder-blue tuxedos--now promotes three-piece suit vests with tuxedos, instead of the traditional low-cut vest. This only succeeds in making the groom look like a butler. A black cummerbund and bow tie is the only available option for men who don't want to look like idiots. Oh, and one more thing: James Bond has worn a cummerbund since 1962.

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