The Cummerbund Is Now The Ultimate Party Accessory For Men

Cummerbunds never really went out of style but this season, they've had a stronger inning with actors sporting them with elan on the red carpet. Recently, Ibrahim Ali Khan showed up in a sheen-inducing cummerbund tuxedo look by Rimzim Dadu. Ahaan Panday's glossy sash worn with an open collar dress shirt and trousers come to mind. Cut to the recently concluded fashion weeks and Spring Summer 27 collections resurrect this accessory with clever updates.

Mithridate's collection by artistic director Daniel Fletcher saw charm-adorned cummerbund styles styled with men’s impeccably tailored suit pants. Palomo Spain offered an array of waist-cinching sashes in vibrant green and with bow detailing. Cummerbund's place in men's sartorial history can be traced back to Hollywood screen legends - from Robert Redford's (Johnny Hooker's high-stakes 1930s black tie ensemble) in The Sting (1973) to Leonardo DiCaprio's (Jay Gatsby's opulent Brooks Brothers summer formalwear) in The Great Gatsby (2013).

Cut to the 2026 Met Gala and cummerbunds had quite a field day - whether it was Colman Domingo opting for a multicoloured, harlequin-print Valentino look featuring a matching patterned cummerbund or Stanley Tucci's classic custom Etro tuxedo accented by a traditional cummerbund and a printed pocket square. In menswear contemporary tailoring is moving beyond simply defining the shoulders and creating a traditional masculine silhouette. Designers are increasingly looking at an interplay of proportions, off-kilter layering, and the way a garment interacts with the body. The waist gives them another way to introduce shape without necessarily making the silhouette feel restrictive.

The return of the cummerbund is part of this larger shift. It brings a certain formality to the wardrobe but can now be interpreted in a much more relaxed and contemporary way. It sits somewhere between tailoring and styling, almost like an accessory that can completely transform the silhouette of an ensemble.

Back home, Sarah & Sandeep laid an emphasis on the waist as an important point of expression. "There is also a sense of nostalgia to it, but its current appeal comes from how easily it can be deconstructed. It no longer needs to belong exclusively to a tuxedo. When worn with modern tailoring, separates, or even more relaxed pieces, the cummerbund feels less ceremonial and more like a considered styling detail," says Sandeep Gonsalves, co-founder of Sarah & Sandeep

The designer suggests keeping the rest of the look exceptionally clean and let the cummerbund define the waist. "A sharp tuxedo, fluid evening jacket, or even a longer jacket worn with a cummerbund can create a strong, elongated silhouette. The key is proportion: the cummerbund should feel integrated into the look, not like an added accessory. Tonal styling works particularly well for this, especially in black, ivory, deep brown, or midnight shades," he adds. With casual separates, he recommends taking a more experimental route.

"A cummerbund can be paired with relaxed trousers and an open shirt, a lightweight jacket, or even layered over a fine knit. Softer fabrics and slightly undone styling keep it from feeling too formal. I particularly like the idea of using it to bring structure to otherwise relaxed dressing, almost creating a visual break between the upper and lower half of the look," he quips. The designer recommends wearing the cummerbund as a styling element rather than treating it as part of a prescribed formal dress code.

Saggar Mehra, Founder & Designer, Saggar Mehra Couture notes that menswear is moving towards more defined silhouettes after a period of oversized, relaxed dressing. "The waist naturally brings structure and proportion to a look. Cummerbunds are making a comeback because they allow designers to reinterpret traditional formalwear in a way that feels modern. They add definition without needing excessive detailing, which makes them especially relevant for today’s red-carpet dressing," says Saggar.

For a red-carpet outing, he suggests keeping the look sharp and clean — a well-tailored tuxedo, crisp shirt and a cummerbund that complements the lapels. "Playing with textures like satin or velvet can add interest while keeping it sophisticated. With casual separates, I’d treat the cummerbund more as a styling element than formalwear. It can work with a relaxed shirt, high-waisted trousers or a structured jacket. The key is getting the proportions right so it feels contemporary rather than costume-like," he adds.

Here are some of the noteworthy cummerbund looks on our radar:

Ahaan Panday shows how a dinner jacket isn't always needed when a dapper sash is refining the silhouette.

Embrace drama

Rimzim Dadu's sculpted jaal cummerbund inlaid with Mother of Pearl is on our wish list for sure.

Mithridate's casual approach to cummerbund styling is applause-worthy. A sheer bodycon tee styled with a sash in the same tone says - 'Dinner date ready'.

Ditch the usual black cummerbund options for something playful like this green bow sash from Palomo Spain.

Sarah & Sandeep's take on tone on tone layering is chic as all the colour components complement each other - from the evening jacket to the cummerbund to the dress shirt.

Saggar Mehra breaks the formality of an ethnic ensemble with a sharp cummerbund in the same hue.