cummerbund

[avedwards]

Tomasso, I don't have a white jacket, hence the cream. And I decided that a white bowtie would be too bland.

Feraud, the bowtie is actually nearly brown with white dotts, the cummerbund a cross between red and burgundy. I find they match nicely, but I'll let you be the judge of that when I find pictures.

In the end I wore the cummerbund with bowtie and grey fedora (I don't wear any other hats atm). It worked brilliantly IMO even if I was by far the most well dressed with most people wearing jeans and untucked white shirts. At the end of the evening one of the venue's staff told me that if there were a prize for best dressed he's have given it to me which was nice to hear. I will post pics as soon as someone puts them on facebook so I can steal them.

Thanks for all the advice people.

 

[Tomasso]

Tomasso, I don't have a white jacket....... untucked white shirts.

The untucked white shirt is de rigueur at a White Party. The goal is that all attendees wear white.

 

[avedwards]

In that case I failed miserably. However I wanted to be smart. Then again, there were worse people than me, for instance those in jeans, white T-shirts and black blazers. At least I wore light colours. [huh]

 

[Orsini]

Ben Silver has some. Be sure that it does not match the tie.

 

[Orsini]

So what's the consencous? Can I wear my burgundy cummerbund and dotted red bowtie with a cream jacket or is it too incorrect?

Unless it is a dinner jacket, I do not recommend this. Remember, Greenstreet was portraying a Hollywood idea of a Moroccan underworld figure, not a properly dressed Englishman.

 

[dhermann1]

But I'd say he was a properly dressed Hollywood idea of a Moroccan underworld figure.

 

[Warbaby]

I think I would prefer to be perceived as a Moroccan underworld figure rather than a proper English gentleman (as long as I don't have to gain 60 lbs to achieve it...).

 

[Orsini]

A gentlemen from England asked if he could wear a cummerbund with other than evening semi-formal/black tie - I believe he asked if it would be "correct." The answer is, yes, he can because he is free to do as he pleases, at least so far as I am concerned, but, it will not be correct and to anyone who knows what they are looking at, it will look a bit odd. If he wishes, he can go the costume route and portray Sidney Greenstreet portraying a Moroccan gangster, in which case, I think it probably would be a sash. This may be his best choice.

 

[avedwards]

A gentlemen from England asked if he could wear a cummerbund with other than evening semi-formal/black tie - I believe he asked if it would be "correct." The answer is, yes, he can because he is free to do as he pleases, at least so far as I am concerned, but, it will not be correct and to anyone who knows what they are looking at, it will look a bit odd. If he wishes, he can go the costume route and portray Sidney Greenstreet portraying a Moroccan gangster, in which case, I think it probably would be a sash. This may be his best choice.

The gentleman evaluated the situation, being greatful for the advice given and eventually went with the cummerbund as it was visually more pleasing than no waist covering (as I have no suitable waistcoat). Unlike Greenstreet I don't weight as much and I also used a bowtie rather than a necktie which made it look slightly less odd. In the end I think that it worked alright, although I wouldn't regularly do it, prefering to match the cummerbund with my dinner jacket and a waistcoat with my suits when I need to. I went with the reasoning that rules are only made because the usually work, but in this case I found deviating from the also worked without looking like costume.