Dressing the "part"...benefits and drawbacks?

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I work for the major Military Contractor.
While traveling from Colorado to Texas the TSA Agent stopped me and said "I know who you are and what you do, YOU are one of those Anthropologist that have been working here."
Yeah, travel low and fast and keep your head down.
 
I'm a nobody school teacher wearing a sport coat & tie all week. On my own time it's boots, jeans, shirt and a covering garment; In either case armed, of course.
 
If you don’t have to wear BDUs, why would you?”
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You are right.

I don't get Camo guy.

Winner was a local dude, BDU's and a Hawaiian shirt. All the mirrors in his house must be broken.
 
All the mirrors in his house must be broken.
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If they weren't BEFORE he put on that ensemble they were after he walked past in it.

I go for the too-mean-n-ugly-not-enough-to-bother-robbing look. Mostly, I look like I just slept in my car, so my wife tells me.
 
On BDUs

I think it's just an OCD thing with me but I haven't felt comfortable in BDUs since I ETS'd. It's just not "me" anymore, but if you like them be my guest
 
bikerdoc said:
Winner was a local dude, BDU's and a Hawaiian shirt. All the mirrors in his house must be broken.
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Negative ghost rider. The winner of best tactical outfit goes cutoff BDU shorts, Marine PT shirt, and tweed sweater vest. With dreadlocks. Man I love Wal-Mart sometimes.
 
If I were to ever turn to a life of crime everybody wearing 5.11 pants, a fanny pack, or a photographer's vest would get capped.

Right after CHL was passed in Texas I was standing in line with a buddy of mine waiting to watch the movie Independence Day at the Theater. In front of us was an older gentleman wearing a fanny pack. Casual observation disclosed that he had a wallet in his back pocket, keys in his front pocket, an eyeglasses case in one shirt pocket and a pack of Marlboro Reds and a Zippo Lighter in the other shirt pocket (Western Style Shirt).

What was he carrying in the fanny pack?

Just my .02,
LeonCarr
 
I dress like a normal guy, nothing tactical at all. Jeans, sturdy belt, a regular t-shirt or button up short sleeves. IWB or pocket carry.

I see no point in trying to look "tactical" or sticking out of a crowd.
 
In front of us was an older gentleman wearing a fanny pack. Casual observation disclosed that he had a wallet in his back pocket, keys in his front pocket, an eyeglasses case in one shirt pocket and a pack of Marlboro Reds and a Zippo Lighter in the other shirt pocket (Western Style Shirt).

What was he carrying in the fanny pack?
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Good call. I am seeing lots more fanny packs. I'm not entirely against them, like if you just wont' carry IWB/OWB or pocket carry, then at least you have a gun.
 
Noah said:
.The biggest thing to me is the shoes..
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I don't know about that. No slight intended but I hear the women look at the shoes first. I look at/focus upon the hands and or the big picture and don't really worry about it as a civilian. I usually wear slippers/flip-flops or this or that for whatever that's worth.
 
I notice how a person carries themselves and their eye and head movement more than anything. Some people look like victims and others like predators. However looks can be deceiving either way.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2
 
I should add that I know it's not just victims and predators out there, there are increasingly people, good law abiding people who refuse to become victims and I'm glad to count many of you in that company.

I'm ditching my military camelbak as much as I hate to, it will be relegated to range or "car bag" duty. I've found some nice Jansport and Patagonia bags that will serve me well. They're not as well built I don't think, but they also are just normal looking bags. I don't want to draw criminal attention or unneeded police scrutiny, so that trade off is worth it to me at this point.

That is my current logic anyways. Anyone have an evidence of the "tactical" look actually warding off criminal attacks? I know it may be anectodal.

Am I over thinking this? Certainly.
 
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herrwalther said:
See I am very opposite. I am very pro-gun and a member of the NRA. My parents bought me an eagle shirt that had the second amendment written on it and ended up getting rid of it. All I could think looking at the shirt was "Why don't I just put up a neon sign that I'm armed?"
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Thats like thinking someone wearing a Harley Davidson shirt owns one. A T-shirt means nothing.

What you wear, means nothing.
 
Certaindeaf said:
I don't know about that. No slight intended but I hear the women look at the shoes first. I look at/focus upon the hands and or the big picture and don't really worry about it as a civilian. I usually wear slippers/flip-flops or this or that for whatever that's worth.
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Haha, I didn't mean I always go around staring at everyone's shoes and call that situational awareness. I meant that if I am bored and trying to see if someone is carrying, their choice of footwear is the first place I look beyond their attitude/hands/how they carry themselves.

"Don't really worry about it as a civilian" I don't WORRY about it, 8 hours as a grocery cashier can get boring, I'm just looking for fellow gun/knife guys to talk to, and I like to know if there are people carrying in the store, since I am too young to CCW in Ohio, so they are important to me. Now I have this funny picture in my head of a guy who spends his whole day staring at people's shoes and muttering to himself about it... thanks. :neener:

I guess we can all take away from this thread that how you carry yourself is much more important, and how much what you are wearing matters is totally dependent on your location- people in my small town going a few miles away into Cincinnati would be thought of as total wackjob hillbillies.
 
mcdonl said:
Thats like thinking someone wearing a Harley Davidson shirt owns one.
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Very true. Though I would wager that a higher percent of people wearing NRA apparel own guns than guys in Harley shirts own motorcycles. But it's still a valid point. There's a few people that come in to my store with NRA hats/shirts on, but don't carry. Now the guys in the Glock and S&W hats, and the guy in a hat that said "RUGER SR9" (now there's a giveaway! It's called concealed)...
 
mcdonl said:
Thats like thinking someone wearing a Harley Davidson shirt owns one. A T-shirt means nothing.

What you wear, means nothing.
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Very good comparison. However people do not try to ban Harley because they sound or look scary. I would just rather not draw attention to myself and don't criticize someone else's sense of style.
 
I live in a city where I barely know my neighbots. If I lived in my mental mountain paradise where everyone knows one another I probably wouldnt care at all what I wore.
 
Noah said:
."Don't really worry about it as a civilian"..
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Point taken and I should have qualified that. I didn't mean to sound cavalier or dismissive. Of course I kinda "worry" about it, I guess, but I don't make a game/study of it. I don't even look for guns that are not in someone's hands.. there's way too much going on.
 
I really like carrying my camelbak HAWG military version but I definitely feel like anyone in the "know" sees it and builds a profile based on it or at least thats what I do.
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Heh, I just bought a HAWG and am preparing to take it on its maiden voyage tomorrow morning. Other than that piece of desert camo gear I think I blend in pretty well. My style is pretty typically American, jeans, cut-offs or cargos and t-shirts, but I tend to avoid colors that might draw attention and stick to blacks, greys, browns, greens and whites.

I don't wear firearm-related apparel, but mostly because I really don't wear anything that turns me into a walking billboard to begin with.
 
I live in a retirement home in Florida and love my ability to dress around my gun and even carry off body and wear vest. I have a closet filled with Hawaiian shirts a size larger and polo shirts also a size larger but also in Tall so that they are long enough to cover my pockets when I pocket carry larger guns.

I have been wearing vests, all kinds but tactical, for a very long time. Well before I started carrying a gun. The one I have now looks just like a Carhartt work best made of canvas and is the heaviest outer garment I wear here in the winter. With pockets on both side I can carry two snub noses.

I can get away with baggy clothes, shoulder bags and fanny packs and fit right in.
 
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