Favorite CCW Wardrobe Tricks?

[Dave R]

I have found that clothing makes or breaks your success with concealed carry. And those who say you can't conceal a "real" handgun just aren't making the necessary wardrobe adjustments. So what are your favorite tricks? PLease give special emphasis to summer, since that seems to be a problem for more people.

Here are my favorite tricks:

1. Use a good gun belt. A wide-stiff belt carries the weight of the handgun well, and allows it to stay comfortable longer. A dedicated gunbelt is best. But even a $15 Wal-Mart belt works pretty well when its wide and stiff.

2. For summer: jeans shorts and an untucked T-shirt. Jeans shorts because you have BELT LOOPS for the belt in #1. And an untucked T-shirt or golf shirt will conceal most handguns that don't have a truly obnoxious grip. And if the fashion police say you have to look better than that, then....

3. Nicer summer wear: Shorts with belt loops, tuck in the T-shirt, and add a Gaucho shirt or Hawaiian shirt untucked. Square tail looks best, of course.

4. Office wear: Add a blazer! Look a little sharp, guy. You can wear it sitting down, too. After all, the office is air-conditioned, right?

5. Office wear: dress pants. If you can't wear a Blazer, and folks have to see your entire belt, then go to pocket carry. The virtue of dress pants is that the pockets are larger. A snubby or a P-32 in a pocket holster is no problem.

6. Winter: I like fleece vests. They'll conceal anything. Leave 'em on all the time.

There's mine. What's yours?

 

[priv8ter]

Flannel!

Living in the great Pacific Northwest, I get away with wearing a Flannel Shirt all but a month or two during the summer. That's good, as I can't afford a seperate gun for carry(but it's comming) so I have been making due with my .40 S&W USPf. It also meant that I went without for some of July and August...kept in the car, but not on me.

 

[jimmy]

My fave trick is to make sure my britches have deep pockets. I live in a warm climate which imposes some limitations on carry options. So, for me, pocket carry is the most consistently available mode. With deep pockets, I can easily carry my G26 in a Galco pocket holster. With the shallow pockets of some pants I've owned, the butt of the gun is not adequately concealed.

 

[triggertime]

I like square hemmed shirts with sensible patterns that aren't a fashion faux pas. When weather requires, I simply layer them with solid shirt jacket.

I may not win a fashion award for the way I dress, but I successfully conceal two medium sized handguns daily without the fear of being made.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

For concealment garments, darker colors are better than lighter colors, busy patterns better than simple patterns or solids, thicker fabric is better than thinner.

Of course, those are the rules I work with. That being said, a Dallas cop who was a friend of my father talked about dressing in drag on sting operations. This guy was over 6 feet tall. As I remember it, he said something like, "You put a guy like me in a short dress, heals, poofy hair, big boobs, and lots of makeup and I could carry a bazooka and nobody would ever notice it."

I think magicians refer to such behavior as a distraction tactic, leading the eyes away from what you are trying to conceal. I have not tried dressing in drag as a means of concealment, but you know it would probably have some real merit...sort of like a trojan horse concept.

 

[VHinch]

Sweaters in the winter and untucked polo shirts in the summer, both just a tad too big have always worked well for me.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I wear a thick, stiff leather belt, and go with the shirt or T-Shirt untucked.

In cold weather, I like sweaters -- they're designed to be worn untucked.

I designed my own holster which is designed to be worn against the skin (http://paul.desertskyone.com/gunstuff.html -- about 2/3s of the way down the page). This makes things a lot easier -- no worry about sweat and body acids messing up your gun, no checkering digging into the skin, and so on.

For deep cover (when you have to wear a tucked shirt, and may have to take your jacket off), I modified a "belly band" to fit this holster.

 

[itgoesboom]

I usually just use an undershirt, a nice shirt tucked in over my shirt-tucker, and that usually covers it quite nicely. Although lately i have been wearing a thin fleece vest, since its been cold, and it helps cover quite nicely, letting me forget about carrying (although i never REALLY forget).

I.G.B.

 

[Soap]

I normally wear fitted shirts that look like I couldn't conceal but are loose enough where I can conceal the slim 1911. I don't like wearing really baggy clothes or clothes that are not stylish. So its tough sometimes to find stuff to wear when I carry. But where there is a will... Also, I always wear an undershirt tucked in when I carry.

One great way to get around worrying about cover is to wear a suit everyday. I normally wear one at least once a week, but being a plebian college student, I don't wear them to class or anything.

 

[WESHOOT2]

London Fog, slightly bigger pant waistband, fanny pack.

 

[agony]

The best advise for those who carry at work...

....get a job that requires you wear a lab coat. I can conceal an MP5PDW if the need arises.

 

[Iggy]

Hints

A good dedicated gun belt.

A good leather IWB holster
A T-shirt under Polo type shirts with elastic band at the bottom..
Regular shirt tucked in. Pull the tail out over your pistol and then fold the tail inward and upward like blousing your pants over boots
It looks like your shirt is tucked in..

Leave both sides pulled up a little to balance the appearance..

Cool weather... add a vest or sweater..

and quit worryin' about it... sheeple are oblivious...

 

[JPM70535]

Here in sunny Florida I can wear shorts and a T-shirt about 95 percent of the time. A stiff belt and a Galco scout IWB work most of the time to hide a Para C7-45. When the shirt is required to be tucked in, then a Walther PPK in a belly band is about the best I can do. Sometimes I also have a NAA 22 in my pocket, but it's more for peace of mind than effect.

 

[AK103K]

quit worryin' about it... sheeple are oblivious...

This statement pretty much covers it.



A good belt and a Kydex IWB cover pretty much all situations for me. I like Kydex over leather because I sweat like a pig and the leather stays wet and rust is inevitable. Kydex also doesnt "creak". I hate walking around sounding like I need to be oiled.

 

[craigz]

Just to show you that there are no rules that can't be broken, I never wear a belt. I wear drawstring sweat pants all the time and carry a full-size 1911 in a clip-on IWB (by Horseshoe Leather Products). A long T-shirt and another open shirt over it, except in the hottest weather, and I'm comfortable and totally concealed.

 

[ACP]

1. Galco gun belt.

2. sport jacket or fleece vest.

3. in the summer, a tucked-in tee shirt with an untucked short-sleeved shirt over it. Large gun in OWB holster.

4. in summer, with shorts and tee-shirt, small gun in pocket holster.

Re: bellybands and clip-on holsters: I hope you're all practicing drawing from concealment with these rigs. IMHO bellybands, like ankle holsters, are exceedingly slow. And clip-on gear... well, let's just say I saw someone lose it during class when their Glock mag. change came up with a clip-on mag. carrier instead of the mag.

 

[Viking6]

A lot of the above, also in summer I wear loose, dark to grayish T-shirts and they usually fall off my shoulder blades leaving plenty of "hide" space between 5-7 o'clock. In summer, I also wear my cell phone hanging of my left front pants pocket. This takes the eyes away from the 5 o'clock position.

 

[Schmit]

Rosen ARG & SOS on Rosen Belt.

Jeans/Dockers - Bought one size bigger.

T-Shirt/Polos - Bought one size bigger.

Dress Slacks/Coat - Tailored with ARG/Gun, SOS/Mag/Light on belt.

 

[Trisha]

A denim jacket (Carhartt - never Levis, 'cause of their rabid corporate anti-gun position) as a layering piece, with something light underneath. That way, I can always wear a cold weather coat during snowy months, strip it off when indoors and still be appropriate.

As I always carry a .45acp, it works perfectly with either a shoulder rig or hip carry.

For the occasional dressy occasions, I carry a ballistic nylon pancake holster on a modified tactical thigh rig under my favorite broomstick skirts, with the skirts modified with a pair of pocket slits - it works very well either standing or sitting (it's a shame Galco stopped making the garter holster rig...).

Short leather jackets are also a favorite, as they hide either of the two KL Null USH rigs like a charm!

My American Derringer Model One is a constant companion in fleece vest pockets or a clutch. I do on occasion carry my primary gun off-the-body in a good purse holster, but only when every other modality is for whatever reason unavailable.

Double Naught Spy? You should try running your next IDPA match in heels and a knee-length skirt!



(And if you do, I want a copy of the video!)



Trisha

 

[Keith]

Actually, the best choice is to buy clothing designed for concealed carry.
There is a company called Coronado Leather that makes some outstanding clothing that will hide any handgun you own. They used to offer some lightweight cotton clothing, but in looking over the site just now I don't see it.
I own one of their leather vests and can pack a full sized 1911 with no "print" at all.

This is just one company I'm familair with. Their are several others out there that specialize in such clothing.

http://www.coronadoleather.com/

Keith

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I have, on occasion, pointed out that Jesus ordered the Apostles to carry concealed weapons:

Luke 22,36 "He said to them, 'But now one who has a money bag should take it, and likewise a sack, and one who does not have a sword should sell his cloak and buy one.'"

Some anti-gun types have said "Well, He didn't MEAN that!!"

So how about Luke 22, 49-50? "His disciples realized what what was about to happen, and they asked, 'Lord, shall we strike with a sword?' And one of them struck at the High Priest's servant and cut off his right ear."

Now, whoever made THAT scabbard can brag -- a CCW rig that even Jesus couldn't detect!!

 

[SAWBONES]

Quality IWB holster.

Dedicated proper gunbelt.

Suspenders if necessary for heavier guns and real Bat-utility belts.

Sweater vest for "business casual" wear, any vest or loose outside-the-pants shirt for more casual wear.

BUG (S&W J-frame) in offside pocket.

 

[Navy joe]

Second vote for Coronado. Jacket is currently wearing Glock 34, carries quite nicely.

In the summer a un-tucked henley type T-shirt seems to handle my concealment needs. I always wear jeans, boot top carry of a Kahr MK-40 has been another favorite stunt.

 

[Gomez]

A Good Gun Belt.
-I use a Wilderness Company CSM belt. (www.thewilderness.com)

A Good Holster or Holsters.
-I'm using a pair of custom kydex from Rex Owens. (www.hsdh.com)

A nice Kilt.
-AmeriKilt (www.amerikilt.com) or UtiliKilt (www.utilikilts.com)

Hawaiian Shirt or Vest.
- Baranof Vest or Body Rocket Vest (www.kavu.com)

I've discovered that no one ever seems to suspect a man in a kilt of carrying a gun.

 

[AK103K]

I'll bet thats a cute outfit, a kilt and a Hawaiian Shirt !

You dont clash do you??