The London Lounge

It occurs to me that even prowling Jermyn Street I've never seen a cummerbund on sale other than the sown-up pleated things with a little elastic/cinch at the back. Does anyone sell actual lengths of silk (or other material) that can be actually wound/tied around the waist like the original cummerbund?

Let us know if you ever find the answer. I have tried this before, unsuccessfully. If you really want to put in the effort, I suggest you have a look at for military uniforms in SEAsia, Nepal, etc. that might still employ sashes. That is, I understand, the origin of the cummerbund. I never took more than a halfhearted step down that road.

Are there religious uses for this thing? I write in total ignorance, but perhaps a temple populated by Asians (Buddhists, Sikhs, et al.) could provide some leads.

A friend of mine was an officer in the Ghurkas in the 1950s. He recounts stories of how he would stand in one corner of a room holding one end of his cummerbund whilst his batman stood in the opposite corner holding the other end. He would then proceed to twirl himself into the cummerbund. How true this is I don't know but it conjures a very amusing picture!

Scot wrote:A friend of mine was an officer in the Ghurkas in the 1950s. He recounts stories of how he would stand in one corner of a room holding one end of his cummerbund whilst his batman stood in the opposite corner holding the other end. He would then proceed to twirl himself into the cummerbund. How true this is I don't know but it conjures a very amusing picture!

Charming anecdote, but it doesn't do much for the reputation of the Ghurkas as fearless killers!

pvpatty wrote: Charming anecdote, but it doesn't do much for the reputation of the Ghurkas as fearless killers!

Don't say that to their faces!

I suspect a manufacturer of silk scarves, etc. could whip one up pretty readily... Hmmmm