A cummerbund may be defined as broad pleated waist sash generally worn with single-breasted dinner jackets. The cummerbund was first popularized by the British military officers in colonial India and it subsequently caught on with the civilians.

The contemporary use of the cummerbund is purely aesthetic and fashion experts opine that it stands midway between a shirt and the waistband. The one other practical use of cummerbund is its convenience for the expanding girth of diners during a sumptuous meal.

Several leading fashion houses offer formal cummerbunds and the foremost designers of cummerbunds include Thomas Pink, Turnbull & Asser and Robert Charles. Robert Charles is especially famous for cummerbunds made of silk with attractive and colourful floral designs. Traditionally worn with a dinner suit, a cummerbund has no specific function, beyond helping the wearer to stretch the legs and even making the obese people look taller and sleeker.

The cummerbund is associated with dressing up for formal occasions but recently David Beckham wore the cummerbund on his 30th birthday and made it look sexy by combining it with an open-necked shirt. But some of his fans disagree. They say it was fine for James Bond to wear a cummerbund in 1970 but in today's time they look old-fashioned.

By the way, if you really hate cummerbunds, as many men do (including the hefty, whose cummerbunds tend to ride the upslope), there's always the waistcoat option.

Of course, with his well-toned body, bronzed good looks and celebrity status, Beckham at least has a fighting chance of looking good in clothes that would make most men his age look utterly ridiculous. And compared to some of the footballer's previous fashion "statements" - kaftans, pink nail polish and an ill-advised fling with hip-hop style - this latest look is tame.

But there are signs that the public has grown tired of his eccentric tastes. The fashion-obsessed star was recently voted Worst Dressed Man by readers of GQ magazine. Beckham, who had been at the top of the Best Dressed list for two years running, was criticised for his nouveau riche style and "chav" tendencies.
"I don't think he's a stylish man," says Brandelli. "He wades through a whole bunch of looks just because he can. But he's in Spain, he plays for Real Madrid and he's obviously trying to fit into some sort of Matador theme, and I think he's interpreted this look in a neat way. "It's certainly the best I've ever seen him look."

Hugo Boss Suits
Hugo Boss established his company in Metzingen, Germany, a few years after the end of World War I, when most of the country was in a war ravaged state. During World War II, Boss's company both designed and manufactured uniforms for the military. Boss died in 1948, and the company went into doldrums until the 1950s. Thereafter in 1953, Hugo Boss released its first suit design for menswear.

The grandsons of Hugo Boss, Uwe and Jochen Holy, took over the reins and moved the company forward to create the famous Boss Suits. The company released its very first suit designed for men in 1953. The brothers created men's suits in colorful hues made from durable, quality fabrics and gained recognition in the market. Over the decade, Hugo Boss won over competition by introducing trendier suits made of light Italian fabric, in contrast to the traditional German suits that were made of rigid and heavy fabrics.

The company started exports during the 70s, and entered the United Sates in 1976. The high-priced Hugo Boss suits instantly gained acceptance in America and was popularized by celebrities like Sylvester Stallone, Bjorn Borg and the Miami vice cops.

In 1985, the company went public and renamed itself Hugo Boss AG. Two more labels were added namely Hugo - for the young and hip professional, and Baldessarini - for the classy top executive. Over the years, the company introduced more labels, including the casual Boss Golf and Boss Sport lines
At present Hugo Boss remains to be one of the world's top fashion lines and has more than 350 franchise shops in 90 countries.