Cummerbunds Are Fall's Hot-Ticket Trend: 5 Ways I'm Wearing One IRL

Runway to real life.

By Swedan MargenOctober 8, 2026

Cummerbunds Are Fall's Hot-Ticket Trend: 5 Ways I'm Wearing One IRL

If you'd told me a year ago that I'd be reaching for a cummerbund on a regular Tuesday, I would have probably rolled my eyes. But alas, the waist-cinching accessory—long associated with black-tie attire and, quite frankly, high school prom photo shoots—has staged a full fashion comeback this season. I'd even go so far as to say it's becoming the hot-ticket trend to try. It first showed up on a select few fall/winter 2026 runways, including Valentino and Celine menswear, before ultimately making its way onto the street style scene this fashion month in New York and Paris and, yes, into my closet.

What makes the cummerbund so appealing right now is how effortlessly it solves the "third piece" question. Like its trend predecessors, the scarf belt and chain belt, the cummerbund is the perfect piece to define a waist, add texture, and turn an otherwise simplistic outfit—like a button-down and jeans or a tee and trousers—into a deliberate look. As someone who loves to both spot an early trend and test it out myself, I knew this was one I needed to experiment with IRL. I bought the first belt I could find available this summer (a sub-$50 Zara one that's since sold out in multiple colors) and spent the past few weeks road-testing it, from the office to fashion week. I've landed on five ways that feel wearable and decidedly not costumey in real life. Consider this your sign to test out the look too.

Ahead, see where the trend appeared on the runway, glean my styling ideas, and shop the cummerbunds on the market.

The Runway Looks

A collage of runway models wearing the cummerbund trend for fall 2026.

It may seem like the cummerbund is the styling element that's suddenly everywhere, but looking at the past few seasons of runways, it's clear that the designer collections have been building up to this moment. Celine's fall 2026 menswear collection was one of the first places I saw the trend emerge, and I immediately took note of the fresh color combinations and dressed-down feel that designer Michael Rider gave the tuxedo piece. But the momentum carried into the spring/summer 2027 shows, too, where we saw the piece completely surge in popularity. In New York, independent designers such as Conner Ives, Kallmeyer, and Heirlome each took their own turn interpreting the tuxedo-dressing motif and providing sufficient proof that the trend has range well beyond the black-tie circuit. Seen together, these two seasons of shows make a compelling case that the cummerbund is the new way to shape a waist and give an outfit a forward, polished feel.