Following a black tie code is not complicated but most gentlemen get confused between vest and Cummerbund. They want to know which will look best with tux. If you have the same question then you are at the right place and I will clear your confusion.

Vest or cummerbund with tux

It is not an unhidden fact that vests are a popular choice when it comes to wearing a tuxedo or suit. However, this does not make Cummerbund a bad choice. The only reason behind the unpopularity of Cummerbund is that most people don’t know about that and they can only be worn with tuxedos.

On the other hand, you can wear a vest with a suit, with a tuxedo, or without anything and still look dressed.

So which will look better? Well, both like look best and there is no doubt but there are a few things that you should consider when you are deciding between a Cummerbund and a tuxedo.

Do you want to look dressed without a tuxedo?

If yes, then a vest is a better pick. Most people take off their jackets when they are at an event due to suffocation or when they want to dance, or they want to move freely.

So, if you want to look still dressed even after taking your jacket off then a vest would be a better pick.

Do want to show your cuffs and studs?

If yes, then Cummerbund is a better option. Cufflinks and studs are often left unseen when you wear a vest with a tux.

But if you want to highlight your cufflinks then Cummerbund is a better option.

Do you want to elongate your body and want to look tailored in a tux?

If yes, then also Cummerbund will make this happen. Cummerbunds are meant to be worn around your waist. Half of the Cummerbund should be on your shirt and half will cover the waistband.

This will create an illusion of an elongated torso and make you look taller. And because it is tied around the waist firmly, it will make sure the fat around the belly and love handles will not show up through the shirt.

On the other hand, if you are already on the lean side, you can pick any option.

Wearing a Cummerbund is also not as common as a vest in formal events. However, when the black tie attire principles were made back in the day, Cummerbund was considered as an accessory that could uplift the overall outlook of black tie attire.

But if you want me to answer straight, then I would recommend you to wear a vest when you go to any formal event like a wedding. On the contrary, if you are going to any late-night formal party or dinner party then Cummerbund will make you stand out and look more appealing.

Lastly, do you want to match your attire with your partner’s dress?

In modern times many couples want to match their attire with their partner’s attire. If not match, they want their attire to compliment the other person’s attire. If you are thinking about that, then Cummerbund is a better option.

But why? The main reason is that you can wear a Cummerbund of color that compliments your partner’s dress and it doesn’t overpower the whole attire, you will still look formal and don’t breach any black tie principles.

In the case of the vest, it is totally different as it covers the whole torso, and the vest under a jacket will overpower the whole attire if the color doesn’t match the whole attire.

If you want to match the color of your Cummerbund with your partner’s dress then simply get a matching color Cummerbund and make sure the bow tie color is also the same.

Things to consider

Whether you decide to wear a Cummerbund or a vest, the first thing is to choose the right type of fabric and color.

There are many different Fabrics used to make tuxedo but the most common are wool, velvet, silk, and mohair.

You get a variation or blend of two of these fabrics in most tux jackets. But when it comes to Cummerbund the best fabric is silk or satin.

Satin is used most commonly because of the shine it provides. Further, satin is available in two types weft and warp satin.

Usually, Cummerbunds you will see in the market are made of weft satin because they are easy to produce and cost less.

However, warp satin Cummerbund has a more luxurious and elegant look, but it is costly.

When it comes to the vest, the wool fabric is the best. But the fabric you choose for the vest depends on the fabric of the tuxedo.

If the tux jacket is made of wool fabric then it makes more sense to pick a wool fabric rather than a silk fabric.

When it comes to wool fabric, you should know that you have to pick a high-quality wool as you want shine and a luxurious feel. The best wool that is used commonly to make tuxedos is wool barathea or wool serge

A tuxedo has been a first choice for gentlemen’s formal attire. When it comes to wearing a tuxedo, the cummerbund is often discussed and praised for the polished look it creates. But many gentlemen don’t know how to wear a Cummerbund with a tuxedo. In this article, I will share some tips and rules that you should always keep in mind when wearing a Cummerbund with a tuxedo.

How to wear Cummerbund with a tuxedo?

There are some things that one should consider before wearing a Cummerbund with a tuxedo like color, fabric, size, and fit. But don’t worry we will discuss this later in this article. First, let’s focus on how to wear it.

The first and foremost thing is to wear a dress shirt that has a satin stripe and buttons, cufflinks, or studs in place of buttons.

Cummerbund looks good when you follow a proper black-tie dress code. Similarly, trousers with a satin stripe that covers seams complement the Cummerbund.

The first rule of wearing a Cummerbund is to make sure the pleats are upward. Pleats in a downward direction are the wrong way to wear a Cummerbund. This creates an elegant and sleek look.

The second thing to consider is to make sure Cummerbund sits at a comfortable position on your waist. The Cummerbund should be worn in a way that it covers the shirt and trousers.

In simple words, 50 percent of Cummerbund should be on your shirt and the other 50 percent should be on your trouser waist.

This will serve the purpose of Cummerbund which is to create a polished look by hiding the bunching of the shirt, hiding the awkward waist area of trousers, and creating a thinner waist look.

If you want to know more about the purpose and history of Cummerbund then check out this article – What Is The Purpose Of a Cummerbund?

Next, you have to fasten the Cummerbund firmly in a way that it creates the appearance of a thinner waist. When you fasten a Cummerbund around your waist make sure you feel a gentle compression around your waist.

Moreover, don’t compress it tightly so that you will feel uncomfortable or any discomfort while sitting and moving.

At the same time, it should be tight enough that it remains in one position throughout the event. You don’t want to see yourself adjusting Cummerbund during an event.

The best thing about Cummerbund is that you can wear it without a vest or waistcoat. Where Vest and waistcoat limit the body movement, Cummerbund gives you more freedom while giving a touch of sophistication to your tuxedo ensemble.

Moreover, Cummerbund follows the principle of black tie attire set by artistry more than a vest.

If you have fat on your belly or you have love handles then Cummerbund is the best pick as it will make your waist look thinner and create a sleek look which is important for any black tie attire.

Things to avoid when wearing Cummerbund

Though wearing a Cummerbund is not a complicated task, still there are some common mistakes that people make while wearing a Cummerbund. And you should avoid these mistakes

Wearing Cummerbund very high or very low

As discussed above, you should avoid wearing Cummerbund very high or very low. Wearing a Cummerbund very high can overpower the attire. On the other hand, wearing it too low can leave the gap for awkward shirt bunching.

Wear your trousers in a way that the waistband is just below the navel. Now, wear a Cummerbund over it in a way that half of it is on the trousers and half covers the shirt.

Wear wrinkle-free Cummerbund

Another thing to always make sure is to wear a wrinkle-free Cummerbund. Wrinkle Cummerbund looks informal and disobeys the principle of black tie attire.

Match Cummerbund with the cowboy tie

This is very important, as many people think that it is not necessary to wear a bow tie with Cummerbund. Some people don’t know but Cummerbund and bow tie go hand in hand.

Wearing the same color bow tie as Cummerbund not only complements each other but also completes a dress code.

So, if you had any doubt about wearing a bow tie with Cummerbund then I hope it is clear now.

Related: Vest or Cummerbund with Tux – A Stylish Choice for Formal Attire

How to buy Cummerbund

Color and fabric

Color and fabric is the first things that you should consider in a Cummerbund. Mostly black color is popular because it comes under a black tie attire.

But the rule of thumb is to match the Cummerbund with the lapel of your jacket.

When it comes to the color of the Cummerbund, you should also consider matching it with the bow tie.

Earlier black color is the most popular and you can say only choice in Cummerbund. But now because of evolving fashion and most gentlemen want to match their attire with their female partner, you have a lot of color options in Cummerbund.

Most men nowadays prefer matching Cummerbund with their partner attire. They think it is better than matching vest color and I think they are right.

If you match the vest color, it will overpower the dress code because the vest covers more area.

Cummerbund only covers the waist and maintains the dress code while you can also match it with the complementary color of your partner’s dress.

Now, let’s talk about fabric. The only fabric you should be looking at is silk. Silk gives shine and a luxurious touch and is considered the best fabric choice for Black tie attire.

Another reason is that silk gets less wrinkles than other fabrics.

Size

The sizing of the Cummerbund is also very important. Avoid Cummerbund that is too narrow or too wide.

If you wear too narrow Cummerbund, it will make the attire look disproportionate. On the other hand, too wide Cummerbund will overpower the whole attire.

So, it is better if you wear a Cummerbund before buying it.

If we talk about underappreciation in formal attire then it would be none other than Cummerbund. Very few people who have an interest in styling know about the purpose of Cummerbund. But don’t worry in this blog I will discuss about the purpose of the Cummerbund and how to wear it.

But before that do you know that Cummerbund is often misspelled as cumberbund? For the same reason, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary has cumberbund as an alternative. However, the original name is spelled as Cummerbund.

About Cummerbund

Very few people know about the history of Cummerbund. The name Cummerbund is given by fashion creators by taking inspiration from a British army book. 

Males in India in 1800 used to wear kumberband around their waist. It was a cloth they used to tie around their waist. In kumberband the Kumar means waist and the band means the cloth they used to tie around their back. 

This was the time when the British used to rule India. The British military during that time used to wear a vest under the suit jacket for dinner as a dining uniform.

However, due to the extreme heat in India, wearing a vest during dining is not that easy. So, this made the British military adopt the kamarband as an alternative in place of a vest.

It is comfortable and gives more freedom of movement so that a person doesn’t feel congested.

Moving fast forward to some years later, the tuxedo made its debut in Tuxedo Park, New York. Tuxedo became popular among royal families and became a formal staple.

A few years after its debut, the black tie dress code has been developed. The fashion designers adopted kumberband from a British military book and thought it would be a great way to cover the waist area. They gave it the name Cummerbund. Since that day, Cummerbund has been linked with a tuxedo. 

What Is The Purpose Of a Cummerbund?

Many people know about Cummerbund but don’t know the purpose of wearing it. 

Firstly, everyone should know that Cummerbund is not a styling accessory. Cummerbund’s main purpose is to cover the waist area and to prevent the shirt bunching. 

Cummerbund is often worn with a tuxedo. Now, a tuxedo is a Black tie attire and it follows the strict principles. One principle is to cover the waist area.

Moreover, the black tie attire follows the principle in which one has to cover all the working parts like in place of shirt buttons there are cufflinks and studs. 

To present a clean and formal look trouser seam is covered with a satin stripe. 

Similarly, to hide the awkward shirt bunching and trouser waist Cummerbund is used to create a polished and plain outlook.

Another main purpose and benefit of wearing Cummerbund is that it makes the waist look thinner and the torso longer.

If you have Belly fat then Cummerbund helps you to create a slim and thinner look with a black tie attire.

Cummerbund is often compared with vests. And due to suit culture, vests have an edge over Cummerbund.

However, Cummerbund has always been the best choice for a cover waist when wearing a tuxedo. It is also often considered a cooler and cleaner way to cover a waist area.

Cummerbund is also used as a ticket holder in the early debut days of tuxedo. Gentlemen used to hold ticket stubs in Cummerbund, to get access easily rather than searching pockets.

How to wear Cummerbund?

Wearing a Cummerbund is not a complicated task but many people wear it wrong. So, what is the right way?

The correct way to wear a Cummerbund is to wear it in a way the pleats are facing upward direction.

Many people make the mistake of wearing Cummerbund without considering the direction of the pleats. So, always make sure the pleats of Cummerbund are in an upward direction.

Another main thing to look for when wearing a Cummerbund is to make sure you place it in the right position.

What I mean by that is, you should make sure the half Cummerbund is covering your waist or on your trousers and the half is on your shirt.

This makes sure you get the right proportion, sleek, and aesthetic outlook. Wearing it in an unproportional manner will ruin the result. 

So always, make sure 50 percent of Cummerbund is on your shirt and the other is on your trousers.

Moreover, pairing a cumberbund with the same color bow tie can uplift the overall look. 

Now, let’s speak about the color of Cummerbund. What color is more appropriate? Well, black Cummerbund is a popular choice and it makes sense because it comes in black tie attire. Black Cummerbund is often paired with a black bow tie.

But, in the present, people are breaching the code and making it more practical. Now, you have different color options in Cumberland that you can wear. The main reason behind that is matching the color of their attire with the female dress. 

It is so common to wear and match the attire with your lady when going to a formal event like a wedding. Matching colors is a headache because most women wear feminine colors. 

Wearing the same color Cummerbund as the women’s dress makes sense as Cummerbund covers less area.

On the other hand, it is not that easy to wear the same color vest as the dress of your women as it will cover more area.

For example, wearing a blue Cummerbund doesn’t look odd with black trousers, a white dress shirt in comparison to a blue vest and black trousers. 

In simple words, matching a vest is a more complicated task than matching a Cummerbund.

Do vest keep you warm?

What types of vests provide more warmth?

As I already discussed, the vest that provides down-fill vests and synthetic vests are best in providing warmth. The reason behind that is it traps air, and makes the air insulate with the help of body heat.

Both down and synthetic fill vests keep you warm because they trap air, which acts as an insulator. Here’s a closer look at how each one achieves this:

There are different types of Down Vests so let’s discuss –

Super Fluffy Fill:

The super fluffy fill Down vest comes from the soft under plumage of ducks and geese. These clusters of feathers have a bunch of tiny filaments that trap air exceptionally well.

High Loft:

Another down fill is a high loft. In this, the trapped air creates “loft,” which is the puffiness of the fill.

The higher the quantity of loft, the more air it can trap, and the warmer the vest will be.

Lightweight:

These vests are very common in branded stores. The expensive the jacket the more lightweight it becomes.

The main reason behind that lightweight is that Down is incredibly light, making down vests ideal for packing and travel.

Synthetic Fill Vests:

The Synthetic insulation used in vests is man-made fibers that follow the structure of down fill. These fibers also trap air to create warmth. So, the process is the same as in down fill.

However, Unlike down, which loses its insulating power when it gets wet, synthetic fill retains most of its insulating properties even when the vest is wet in rain.

This simply means synthetic fill vests retain water and good option if you live in snowy or rainy weather.

Moreover, Synthetic fill vests are generally easier to care for and can be washed and dried at home, while down vests require special cleaning methods.

Related:Men winter jackets