CCW Wardrobe

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D.B. Cooper

D.B. Cooper

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The leader of the security team at my church invited me to start carrying concealed. I believe this is going to require a wardrobe change. My normal church attire is rather casual. Kakhi or gray Dockers type pants (no pleats, no cuffs) and some sort of collared, short sleeve golf shirt. No jacket or coat, other than a a light down coat in winter, which I usually take off once inside.

Carry gun is a single stack 9mm in a kydex IWB, strong side holster.

How should I approach this? Certainly, I could go to Men's Warehouse and buy 2-3 new suits with coats, sport coats, or whatever, but if I make a sudden change in attire overnight, it's going to make a statement that something has changed. How do I gradually move toward a wardrobe more conducive to concealed carry? What can I do in the interim?
 
Is an untucked button-up collared shirt acceptable? You may want to go with a darker color with a pattern for better concealment. This works well as long as the gun/holster combo is reasonably sized.

You can wear a plain tee-shirt under it so the holster/gun combo isn't directly against your skin--that helps with comfort.

Some people dress like this with the outer shirt unbuttoned, but if you do that, you'll have to be careful about wind if you want to remain concealed.
 
Jim Watson said:
Plan A. So what? If asked, you just decided to dress up a bit. Or do you fear that a wacko is casing the church and is on the lookout for a suit cut to conceal?
Plan B. A blazer over present duds.
Plan C. How about one of the "tuckable" IWBs that is under your shirt? I don't know much it slows the draw.
Click to expand...
I like your Plan B. Simplest. :)
 
I would say a good carry belt is a must, especially with light weight pants like Dockers. Other than that I think you should be fine with an untucked shirt or light jacket as a cover garment.

Which single stack 9 are you planning on carrying? My Kahr CM9 is very easy to conceal IWB. I have carried it many times with just an untucked short sleeve golf / polo shirt.

I have found that the bigger and heavier the carry piece the more I have to dress to conceal. Smaller single stack plastic guns usually don't require much effort in dress to conceal for me.
 
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D.B. Cooper said:
The leader of the security team at my church invited me to start carrying concealed. I believe this is going to require a wardrobe change. My normal church attire is rather casual. Kakhi or gray Dockers type pants (no pleats, no cuffs) and some sort of collared, short sleeve golf shirt. No jacket or coat, other than a a light down coat in winter, which I usually take off once inside.

Carry gun is a single stack 9mm in a kydex IWB, strong side holster.

How should I approach this? Certainly, I could go to Men's Warehouse and buy 2-3 new suits with coats, sport coats, or whatever, but if I make a sudden change in attire overnight, it's going to make a statement that something has changed. How do I gradually move toward a wardrobe more conducive to concealed carry? What can I do in the interim?
Click to expand...
Do you or can you wear the shirt untucked? What's your body type? Makes a huge difference.
 
Sport coats make excellent cover garments and are totally suitable for church.
D.B. Cooper said:
.... My normal church attire is rather casual. Kakhi or gray Dockers type pants (no pleats, no cuffs) and some sort of collared, short sleeve golf shirt. No jacket or coat, other than a a light down coat in winter, which I usually take off once inside.

Carry gun is a single stack 9mm in a kydex IWB, strong side holster.

How should I approach this? Certainly, I could go to Men's Warehouse and buy 2-3 new suits with coats, sport coats, or whatever, but if I make a sudden change in attire overnight, it's going to make a statement that something has changed. How do I gradually move toward a wardrobe more conducive to concealed carry? What can I do in the interim?
Click to expand...
If you want to be super-subtle about it, go from a golf shirt to a button-down for a while, then add the sport coat after that. If anyone asks, just tell them you'd been thinking that you were underdressed for church and wanted to spiff up a bit.
 
I have previously mentioned/reviewed the Duluth Ballroom double flex carpenter jeans as being well suited to low-profile concealed carry due to the 3 extra pockets on the sides of the thighs which are, ostensibly, put there for carpenter tools but which, in reality conceal extra magazines, knives, non-lethal options and/or BUGs very well. Aside from being well "suited" to concealed carry, they are nice looking jeans and could be appropriate for many churchgoers unless you go to a church where suits and ties are expected. If you did find yourself in a scrap, these jeans are also "stretchy" like the Chuck Norris Action jeans that he used to sell. The added flexibility that these jeans provide could be useful in a fight IMO. I think you could wear a nice dress shirt tucked in and a sport coat over that to conceal just about any sidearm you want on a belt holster and then use the extra pockets for a spare mag and, perhaps, a non-lethal tool.
 
D.B. Cooper said:
The leader of the security team at my church invited me to start carrying concealed. I believe this is going to require a wardrobe change. My normal church attire is rather casual. Kakhi or gray Dockers type pants (no pleats, no cuffs) and some sort of collared, short sleeve golf shirt. No jacket or coat, other than a a light down coat in winter, which I usually take off once inside.

Carry gun is a single stack 9mm in a kydex IWB, strong side holster.

How should I approach this? Certainly, I could go to Men's Warehouse and buy 2-3 new suits with coats, sport coats, or whatever, but if I make a sudden change in attire overnight, it's going to make a statement that something has changed. How do I gradually move toward a wardrobe more conducive to concealed carry? What can I do in the interim?
Click to expand...

I carry in Church (I carry everywhere.) I use a "tuckable" holster -- basically a pancake holster with two Kydex "J-clips." The shirt is tucked in between the holster and and the J-clips.

You dress normally, with the holster on your belt, then pull out your shirt behind the holster, drape it over the gun and holster and tuck it between the holster and pants. "Blouse" your shirt -- pull out a couple of inches all around and let it hang naturally.
 
I took a class with Tom Givens a couple of years ago. He was wearing a Glock 19 in a JM Custom Kydex IWB3 holster with a 20-degree cant at about 3:30. He was wearing an untucked golf-type shirt during the 3 days of the class and I never noticed it.
 
Well…if you buy it from Mens Warehouse you’re gonna like they way you look…I guarantee it.

Another vote for a sport coat or two in muted colors. Provides plenty of cover for your carry piece. Can mix and match those with dress jeans. Boots, loafers, boat shoes, crew necks etc. and still look presentable in church.
 
I wear short sleeved collared pattern usually plaid shirts in summer, long sleeved flannel shirts in the winter, untucked all the time. I can conceal any of my pistols this way from the 1911 to the Gx4.
Sports t-shirts in wicking Material are great under either type of shirt, summer or winter.
 
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