Pleats Down on a Cummerbund?

[reetpleat]

Don't buy the crumbcatcher thing.

Can't give any insight as far as the military. But I do not believe there was actual intent to catch crumbs. I always thought the cummerbund was a recreation of the look of a sash which would have pleasts as it was pulled across the waist. I think the idea of catching crumbs was just a joke that took wings. Who would rather crumbs get stuck in their clothes rather than fall on the floor?

It is possible that the military cummerbund was an imitation of the sash taht worked it's way into the sartorial reportoir independantly of the civilan cummerbund? In that case, it would be a 50 50 chance of up or down and not tied to the civvy style.

I don't think dress attire would ever have been issued would it? I always thought formal wear would be worn by officers or rich enlisted I guess, and it would have been purchased independantly.

 

[carebear]

What we wear for "dress uniforms" now, look like the issue uniforms of the 19th century.

As a junior enlisted in the Marines it went back and forth whether you got the Dress Blue uniform issued. I got mine.

I ended up looking like the fine specimen in the center of the second plate.

At SSgt. (E-6) a Marine NCO can wear "Mess/Evening Dress" which is the Blue uniform with the Bolero jacket worn by the Gunny on the left in the first plate.

Officer's Mess Dress is the jacket buttoned only at the neck (the cholo look )

In the back is a boatcloak, which goes absurdly well with a sword.

Nobody's Dress Uniforms look as good as the Marines.

 

[reetpleat]

How much variety can an officer have in his dress uniform? then or now. Were their just guidelines, or is it very specific?

 

[Fletch]

What we wear for "dress uniforms" now, look like the issue uniforms of the 19th century.

Someplace on the web I've seen a 1941 LIFE magazine feature – before we got in, but we knew we were gonna – with about all then-current US military uniforms. Marine dress blues were described as "service dress" – the green Class A's as "battle dress"! And when they shipped to Greenland that year they wore Class A's and smokey hats!

 

[jimmy the lid]

EXACTLY...pleats up TO catch crumbs. That's where the idea for them came from.

Exactly the way I learned it (from my father, who was in the Navy...)

 

[griffer]

It faces up to keep the crumbs off the pants.

My cummerbund specifically has ticket pockets as well, since the pleats aren't deep enough.

The only way these pockets are functional is when the cummerbund has it's pleats facing up, then one can access these little hidden pockets along the top edge. It was manufactured, therefore, with distinct top edge, requiring the pleats to be up.

Holds a zippo nicely as well.

This doesn't speak to military regulations at all, but they are MILITARY regulations, after all.

 

[carebear]

How much variety can an officer have in his dress uniform? then or now. Were their just guidelines, or is it very specific?

Then? A lot more. Wellington wore just a brown coat.

Patton had his totally non-reg gunbelt.

Various British officers carried umbrellas instead of swagger sticks.

Much like covers (hats) were allowed to be worn individually crushed and slanted at a dozen angles in WWII.

You can get away with more in a war than out, but nowadays you better meet regulations or someone is going to comment.

Uniforms are pretty much worn "uniformly" today.

Now, if several different uniforms are appropriate you can be a little different. "Mess or Evening Dress" is not a mandatory uniform. Any event you are allowed to wear them to you are also allowed to wear the Dress Blue Alpha uniform (the 3 Marines on the left in the second plate). Which is the most formal uniform most Marines, not stationed at a major command, own.

 

[The Wingnut]

Cummerbunds are to catch crumbs and hold opera tickets...kinda useless if you face them downward.

I'm not about to drop the money on mess dress, myself, so it's a non-issue, I suppose. If I'm going black or white tie, there's going to be a waistcoat, or a white dinner jacket, which isn't worn with a cummerbund.

 

[Paisley]

Cummerbunds are to catch crumbs and hold opera tickets.

A handy combination if you want someone to come and rescue you from the opera.

 

[JamesT1]

Cummerbunds are to catch crumbs and hold opera tickets...kinda useless if you face them downward.

You are correct, sir.

Why they are upside-down for the military is because when the military started working with aliens and created area 51, the aliens (who naturally saw everything inverted) were confused by the humans' stomach coverings (as they were called by the aliens) and requested them to be flipped the correct direction. So as not to upset those whose technology was far superiour to our own, we complied.

Honestly, I have no idea.