Sashes

A sash is a long strip of fabric worn around the body as an accessory or garment component. When worn as clothing, it is typically tied at the waist or draped over the shoulder, serving decorative or formal purposes and sometimes indicating rank, achievement, or affiliation. Sashes are common in many cultures and can vary in width, length, and material. Common materials include silk, satin, cotton, wool, and blends; widths typically range from about 2 to 8 inches, though wider ceremonial sashes exist.

In fashion and ceremonial use, waist sashes are worn with formal attire such as evening gowns, uniforms, or civil dress, while shoulder sashes may be used by pageant contestants, dancers, or military personnel. Sashes may be polychrome or feature embroidery, fringe, or emblems. In education, graduates sometimes wear a sash to indicate field of study or honors. In religious or cultural ceremonies, sashes may carry symbolic colors or motifs.

The word sash also describes a window component: the movable frame that holds glass in a sash window; these sashes can be part of single- or double-hung designs and may be made of wood, vinyl, or aluminum.

Sashes have a long-standing presence in costume history, varying in form across regions and periods. They are distinguished from belts by their longer length and method of wearing, and from cummerbunds by their draped rather than fitted profile.