Dressing Around The Gun?

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I don't advice to "dress around the gun". I prefer to "gun around the dress" so to speak. I have many carry pieces. What I'm wearing will determine which gun goes with me. I can dress comfortably and inconspiciously for the weather.

And it gives me one more reason to buy another gun...
 
FLAvalanche, I can appreciate that, but sadly, it will be a while before I have that option.

My first carry piece, whatever it may end up being, will be in the compact range, but not subcompact. I want it big enough that I can shoot it well too during practice. Accordingly, my wardrobe may require revision in order to make concealment feasible.
 
Oh, one last tidbit from me.
You're going to be carrying a hunk of metal in your pants. I think that the belief that this should be comfortable is weird.
I think everyone that carries, should carry what they run best. Carrying a smaller gun, just because it's smaller and conceals better is, in my opinion, a mistake.

Sure, because of my holster, belt and build I can relatively comfortably carry a full size 1911 even in 100 degree, 90% humidity, buuuut there are days when the gun is hurting my back, it's sweaty etc... and I think Too bad. it's a metal gun. it's in my pants. of course that will be uncomfortable.
 
I understand what you're going through. I started with nothing but a full size XD. Go with something on the small and thin side of compact and that will help. I'm thinking a compact 1911. Can't get much thinner than that.
 
Hello friends and neighbors // 442 in right front suit pocket holster (Eric Wisnant) or IWB holster 3:30(Glaco),,,,

Left front pants pocket mosin stripper clip (I sprayed plastic kote on the inside to reduce rattle, a thin coating of silicone caulk would work too) holds 6 .38 rounds.

Gerber folder right rear under wallet, I sometimes carry a Swiss Army Farmer also(LF)
Keys go in wallet just 3... truck/house/trigger lock

I have another key ring full, but like to keep pockets simple these are in my backpack.
Cell/flashlight/whistle in belt pouch.

Small spiral notebook with golf pencil in left rear pocket.(invaluable)
 
Re: the chart, no problem. :) Good information is meant to be shared (barring matters of national security and women asking if something makes them look fat :D ). An especially important note is that the only people I've ever seen in person wear vests that weren't diving, or were SWAT/Police, or were playing Airsoft/Paintball, were guys in gun stores or the range. Dead (literally) giveaway--to me, vest = gun.

Regarding FLAvalanche's "gun around the dress," I've been considering changing out my Sig P6 (my only pistol, used for HD and carry) for a Kel-Tec PF9 for carry and S&W M&P45 for HD. Though the Sig is boringly accurate and boringly reliable :D, it's a bit too big to carry all the time. Especially since it's summer and I can't wear conceal-friendly clothing for the time being, it'd be nice to have something far, far smaller.

Even my Dad's Bersa .380CC, when I momentarily stuck it in the P6 holster, felt like it disappeared. I even tried to get it to print, and couldn't. :) Drawing it from concealment was just as good as the Sig, too.
 
During the winter months, if you want to call it "winter" in Southwest Florida, I carry a full size 1911. I'm usually wearing jeans and longer shirts/sweatshirts anyways. During the hot seasons I'll carry either a Bersa Thunder .380, XD Subcompact 9mm or a Rossi 2" .357.

If I'm in shorts and a Tshirt or tank top it's the Bersa. If I'm casual or I'm someplace I may need the round capacity then the XD is up to bat. If I'm out fishing or somewhere I know I'm not getting my gun back if something happens then it's the Rossi.

If I'm going to be sitting for a long period of time during the winter months I take the Bersa.

It's nice to have that flexability.

You won't catch me alive in either a vest or a fanny pack...
 
HEY HEY WOAH NOW. I have a vest, and I love that thing. :) :D

To be fair, it's not a "concealment vest." It's a nice leather one from Cripple Creek, and I don't generally wear it unless I'm already dressed up, and want a nice outerlayer but not a sport coat. It looks a lot like this one here:
http://www.nagstackandwestern.com/cripple_creek_black_lamb_leather_vest.htm

I don't know that I'd worry too much about the vest being a giveaway about me carrying. If the hat and boots don't get the point across....

I generally embrace the western wear style of dress, as you might be figuring out. I don't really consider the vest as a cover garment, though. More of a formal attire type thing.
 
On a daily basis, I carry my wallet in my right rear, knife clipped to right front, cellphone in right front, keys in left front. That is the stuff that goes with me no matter what.
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Consider allocating more than one item to each pocket.

I'm 6' and 170#, and typically wear jeans and a sweater or jacket. I carry wallet and phone (blackberry) in left front, keys and knife (Swiss Trekker) in right front. For me, back pockets are too uncomfortable for gear / too prone to dropping gear.

I concur with those who advocate ditching the flashlight. Consider your desire for a light: would a LED keychain light suffice? Not the plastic dot style, but the metal tubular style that is powered by a stack of watch batteries. Obviously it won't work to blind a target or spotlight at distance, but such a light will allow safe travel over short distances, or find a dropped object in the dark.

Also concur on ditching the spray. It's uncomfortable and odd/stareworthy. Invest in some unarmed self defense training instead. More practical (you can't leave home without it), more useful, and good exercise.

So, that leaves the gun. I've got nothing for you here, since at this time, I don't typically carry concealed: my guns are too big. I know, I know... but I'm working on it: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=525576
 
Here are just a few examples of "dressing around a gun."

1 - Purchasing new pants with an extra inch - or elastic - in the waistband to accommodate a IWB (inside the waistband) holster. If your pants fit tightly enough to stay up by themselves without a belt, you will find them too tight and very uncomfortable when you add an IWB-holstered gun.

2 - If you wear a suit, you may have to have a tailor "let out" the small-of-the back area of the jacket, relocate or add wider belt loops to better position a belt and holster, etc.

3 - Adding a cover garment such as a larger, untucked shirt, a vest, sport coat, etc.

That kind of thing. :)
 
In my personal experience, the best place to carry to avoid printing is crossdraw, with an IWB holster attached immediately behind your side belt loop. This allows full freedom of movement and comfort regardless of your position, keeps the gun tucked tight into your side, and keeps the handle in a position where it won't print. It's also accessible to either hand. Handle-forward is superior from a comfort, concealability, and accessibility perspective. It ensures it will not impede your gait or arm movement. Need to adjust it inconspicuously for some reason? Just use your elbow.

What do I carry in this position? I alternate between carrying a full-size Makarov pistol and a smaller Polish P-64. Both are fully concealable and comfortable to wear. I'd classify the P-64 as a compact, not subcompact. I also have a holster that allows me to tuck my shirt in over the firearm. By allowing my shirt to "billow" out at the bottom, it easily conceals the firearm's presence. I can conceal either the P-64 or the full-size Makarov perfectly whether I'm wearing a t-shirt or a polo shirt. And I'm not a big dude either. I'm only 5'8", 165 pounds. If I can manage that, anyone can.
 
I'm saying if you pack a Luger you'd better be wearing a Nehru jacket or other such Bond villan attire. ;)
 
to the op-

it's not hard to carry as long as you have the right gun, holster and belt, the problem lies in finding what gun, holster, belt works best for you.

general advice i'd give is buy your pants a size bigger, buy your undershirts in the tall sizes, a button down shirt untucked covers just about everything (iwb, owb, sob). a thinner gun is easier to carry but not always easier to shoot. i have a keltec pf9 and it's the gun i'm least accurate with.

i started out with full size guns when i first started ccw. i went through a beretta 92fs, sig 226, 228, springfield 4"xd, full size 1911 before going to the compact/sub compact options.

i know you said you didn't want a sub compact but i would look into the springfield xd subcompact models. they come with one subcompact magazine and one magazine that gives the pistol a full size grip. you could have the best of both worlds, a subcompact for carry and a fullsize for practice/hd.

just some suggestions, best of luck, be patient.
 
UspJ, even the subcompact XD is still rather bulky and squared off. It has a shape that just screams "gun!", and it will create a distinctive shape in your pants where a flatter or more rounded gun would not. My father and I looked into an XD for concealed carry, and that is what we concluded. It's just too big. Not saying you can't conceal it. Just that it's not as easy to do and probably not a good idea.

I prefer Soviet milsurps, personally. They're compact, extremely accurate, and absolutely reliable. If I'm going to trust my life to something in the .380 or 9x18 range, I'd rather it be a battle-tested military design.
 
UspJ, even the subcompact XD is still rather bulky and squared off. It has a shape that just screams "gun!", and it will create a distinctive shape in your pants where a flatter or more rounded gun would not. My father and I looked into an XD for concealed carry, and that is what we concluded. It's just too big. Not saying you can't conceal it. Just that it's not as easy to do and probably not a good idea.
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i don't find it any more bulky or squared off than my glock 26. i carry it daily and have never been made. i normally just wear a t-shirt over it and carry iwb. but different strokes for different folks i guess, that's why there are so many gun choices each person has to decide what works for them

btw the 9x18 maks are really nice small carry guns, i keep meaning to pick one up but can't seem to find one in good enough shape for the price they're asking.
 
I've actually been looking at the XD compact and subcompact. Nice looking guns, but they're definitely blocky. Same problem with Glocks. My brother carries a SW 3913, which is a nice size. These days, though, it's seemingly harder to find a single stack 9mm that's not of the 1911 design or very thin and polymer.

Nothing against small polymer pistols, they're just not the most comfortable on the range.

Nothing against 1911 design, I just don't care for the pricetag that always seems to go along with it.
 
Regarding the Makarovs, etc, The biggest issue I have with them is the fact that they're 9x18. That makes ammo availability a bit of a problem right now.
 
Not really difficult once you get into it. Dress normally. Holster play a big role. Versa Max 2 for IWB, Raven concealment for OWB for example are good conceal holsters. commander sized weapons are easier to conceal than full-size but full size can be concealed as well. Get a clip for your surefire so that you can get rid of light holster. Bring at least 1 extra mag. I bring 2 if i carry my 1911, i bring 1 extra if i'm carrying my glock 17.
 
I carry Appendix-IWB at about 1 o'clock (Glock 19). My spare mag is between my gun and belt buckle. I carry my knife clipped to my left pocket, so I have access to a weapon with my off-hand (just in case). Pistol can be accessed by either hand.

Cell phone clipped at 11 o'clock, 1AA LED light in left front pocket, change in right front. Wallet in right rear, keys on belt loop. All of this rides under a size-larger t-shirt, polo, sweat shirt or fleece depending on where I'm going or weather conditions.

If I have to go with shirt tucked in, I go with a G26 in a bellyband, still in the AIWB position. Spare magazine goes in left pocket, everything else is the same.

I'm 5'11" and 218lbs.
 
I'm 5' 9", 170 lbs and live in Houston TX so I feel you on the super-humid, blazing hot year round kind of thing. I carry a USP compact .45 in a C-TAC holster, 3 o'clock. It's a great midpoint between fullsize and tiny, it's thinner than even a glock 19 and still holds 8+1 rounds of .45. I usually wear a light button up shirt over it, with a light but dark colored t shirt over that. It sounds hot but it's really not and i roll up the sleeves on the button up shirt as well, and it conceals damn near anything.

During the winter I'll carry my fullsize USP45 in a galco holster, and for some occasions where I just can't carry anything else I use my PPK .380
 
Choose your firearm around your dress. If you cannot fit a subcompact 9mm into your dress, then carry a 380 instead.

Sure it's less firepower, however it's still adequate. People like to carry very powerful weapons as a form of assurance. Whether that works or not is relative....some people have stopped and killed with a single .22lr to the chest. First shot stop ratios are an imperfect measurement. Honestly anything 380/38 or larger should be sufficient.

The key here is carrying what you can without an entirely new wardrobe....reason why is because you will become mr. mismatched clothing. That's not a good thing.

For example....I have a subcompact 9mm, and a holster that lets the pistol reside under my belt (there is a bend where the butt of the grip is, but barely noticeable). This makes it so there is no visible firearm. Combine that with a t-shirt, polo shirt or tucked in t-shirt with an open button-up shirt and I have a decent looking ensemble that doesn't look like it was meant for CC. Access isn't as great...but that's a compromise I'm willing to make, as any failure to conceal in my state may result in the loss of my permit, printing included.
 
Consider a lightweight vest. As a plain clothes LEO, I often wear a sig 226 in a Galco Miami classic shoulder holster and a Springer 1911 in a serpa belt holster,strong side. The vest covers all, most never notice I have one gun,much less two! Plus lots of pockets for lessser or other things.
 
In my neck of the woods 9x18 makarov is actually easier to come by than .380. I carry a taurus .38 snubnose in a Uncle Mikes IWB holster outside the waistband, inside my belt. Work's well for me. I'm 6'2" 190 lbs. built pretty slim (i always have trouble with dress shirts cause if they fit my shoulders they're to big at the waist). I started out carrying IWB and it was irritating. Once I got more comfortable with carrying I switched the holster to outside my pants and it's been great. Open carry is legal in Ohio so I'm usually am not overly concerned with some accidental printing, though as far as I know no one has ever noticed.
 
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