Waistband | EPFL Graph Search

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A waistband is a strip of material that is either elastic or some other confining fabric that encircles the waist, usually as a component of clothing such as skirts, trousers, shorts, swimsuits, and undergarments. A waistband can be a complete undergarment, worn to limit expansion of the abdomen, to meet various objectives including to help prevent overeating, to encourage mindful eating, to encourage good posture, or to immediately slim the appearance of the waist (much like a corset, also sometimes called a waist cincher, or girdle). A waistband can be an outer garment, worn for fashion, or for utility. Historically, in northern India, waistbands served various purposes including fastening miscellaneous items to oneself, such as knives. In ancient history in the southern Levant, the waistband could serve as a status symbol when people would adorn themselves with ornaments attached to their waistbands. In the early 19th century, members of some Taoist branches had their waistbands colored as a distinguisher and in order to symbolize their membership of the sect. In the western world during the 19th century, the contortion of waistbands was less pronounced due to the fashionability of suspenders. Among some members of the Yoruba, the placement of beads upon their waistbands is an established tradition that is believed to enhance and accentuate a women's femininity. The dimensions of the waistband serve as a contrivance for streamlining waist measurements. Waistbands are often designed with belt loops in order to allow for variation in case of manufacturer subtleties or weight variation in the wearer. A recent Debenhams survey revealed that the placement of one's waistband by males varies with age, with mid-teen boys placing them the lowest, while it steadily rises until the age of 57. The exposure of the underpant waistband has become a trend among followers of grunge music and hip-hop. In stretchy waistbands, the material can be made of various materials including rubber and latex.

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Related concepts (3)

Trousers

Trousers (British English), slacks, or pants (American English) are an item of clothing worn from the waist to anywhere between the knees and the ankles, covering both legs separately (rather than with cloth extending across both legs as in robes, skirts, and dresses). In the United Kingdom, the word pants generally means underwear and not trousers. Shorts are similar to trousers, but with legs that come down only to around the area of the knee, higher or lower depending on the style of the garment.

Underwear

Underwear, underclothing, or undergarments are items of clothing worn beneath outer clothes, usually in direct contact with the skin, although they may comprise more than a single layer. They serve to keep outer clothing from being soiled or damaged by bodily excretions, to lessen the friction of outerwear against the skin, to shape the body, and to provide concealment or support for parts of it. In cold weather, long underwear is sometimes worn to provide additional warmth. Special types of undergarments have religious significance.

Waistband