"Fashionable" carry: pics?

[Gord]

Inspired by XeroSygnal's post in this thread, as well as the OP:

I know we've got quite a few younger members here on THR, some of whom CCW; I've seen a ton of pictures of "older" guys (30s-40s) carrying, but none that I can recall of "younger" guys (21-30?) carrying. The "older" guys - no offense meant, fellas - typically have a business-casual or small-town style of dress, making use of jackets, flannel coats, suit tops and tucked button-up shirts to conceal.

Now, there's nothing wrong with that "style", but you don't see a lot of younger guys walking around in tucked shirts or flannel, at least where I'm from. As the OP in the thread mentioned above said, I don't think many of us are down with the gangsta style of dress, so I'm wondering: how do you conceal while still conforming to the contemporary "style" of the current generation?

I ask because not only am I simply curious, but because it also occurs to me that dressing in a style significantly different from most others in this age range would seem to attract attention and 'why is he wearing that' questions from others.

Pics, please!

 

[spooney]

I am a t-shirt and jeans kind of guy in general so that works well for me for IWB carry, I just wear a little larger t-shirt and leave it untucked. A "wifebeater" style undershirt really helps as well to tuck behind the firearm for my own comfort. For more formal dress, I wear khaki slacks with a button up shirt, a lot of time a Kenneth Cole type shirt also untucked usually I roll the sleeves a little below or right at my elbows. I kind of end up looking a little preppy which sucks, but you got to make your mom happy when you show up for Sunday dinner don't you?

 

[Juna]

I'm also interested to see this, as I'm a relatively younger guy who would also look odd in some of the typical carry wear that I've seen exhibited on here. Although in the summer, I wear baggier cargo-type shorts & an XL T-shirt or something like that, so I could conceal a smaller gun pretty easily. Any of the Kel-Tecs would probably disappear into one of the big thigh pockets (hence I'm considering getting one). In the winter I have a pretty big wool coat that I could probably conceal my CZ 75 BD easily underneath. But I'd need a good IWB holster.

 

[Josh Aston]

I'm 25 and I wear jeans (not levis or wranglers) and a button up shirt with the sleeves rolled 99% of the time. Not flannel shirts, but the kind you find at American Eagle or Abercrombie & Fitch.

 

[Billy_H]

'm 25 and I wear jeans (not levis or wranglers) and a button up shirt with the sleeves rolled 99% of the time. Not flannel shirts, but the kind you find at American Eagle or Abercrombie & Fitch.

26 and wear pretty much the same...jeans, khakis or cargo pants with a dress shirt untucked and the sleeves rolled up is what I'm normally in. If not that then it's usually a pair of cargo shorts with a t shirt and maybe a button down short sleeve shirt over it if I feel like it.

I'll see if I can find some pics or I'll have my wife take a few tomorrow.

 

[DerringerUser]

Hehe, thanks for starting this thread .

 

[DRMMR02]

Usually jeans and a big t-shirt with a wife-beater underneath. I use a 6oclock IWB with my Walther p99.

 

[lawson]

during the summer (actually, around here, pretty much any time but winter) casual dress for me is either Dickies shorts or cargo shorts made by cutting off old BDU trousers, with either a t-shirt or a button down shirt. carry is usually done IWB with a t-shirt, or high-ride OWB with a button down.
in the winter, it's usually jeans, same shirts as above, with a coat. if i won't be removing my coat, i will use a shoulder holster. if it is particularly cold, i will pocket carry a BUG in the front right side pocket, since unzipping a coat will slow the draw from either a shoulder holster or a belt holster. coat is usually either a Dickies work jacket, or my USN P-coat.

formal dress is another story. if you are required to wear a suit, your options are limitless. i often work in a suit, and there are plenty of places to hide a gun. i prefer a shoulder rig or a crossdraw OWB when wearing a suit.

formal wear without a jacket is trickier if you have to tuck the shirt in. a mousegun in a pocket holster works well, but you are limited in handgun size, and the pockets on slacks are not optimal for carrying guns due to the narrow opening. a good option is a tuckable IWB, or a belly band. shirts with snaps instead of buttons make access to belly bands quicker. an undershirt keeps the belly band from chafing.

there are lots of holster makers and options to suit anyone's style of dress. CCW doesn't have to mean wearing a safari vest.

 

[Gord]

It doesn't, but as I said, a lot of carry pics I've seen center around business-casual dress; perfectly normal on "older" men and women, but distinctly out of place among the 20s crowd.

Thanks for the responses so far, all - fashion changes with each generation, and we tend to dress differently than most who post here. It's nice to get ideas for carrying around our contemporary wear, rather than reading dozens of "IWB is easily concealed beneath the fold of a tucked shirt" posts and thinking "hey, that doesn't apply to me..."

 

[American By Blood]

As a resident of Maryland who is not "very special" I do not carry concealed. I have, however, experimented with my wardrobe and found what works for me.

All of these garments in conjunction with an IWB holster make my XD or M&P disappear.


Dickies Eisenhower Jacket

Available in sizes up to 4X (tall up to 3X). Makes any man look good, despite what the picture may lead you to believe. Surprisingly versatile. It can be worn with a t-shirt for weekend wear or with a buttondown for less casual occasions. I like to wear mine open.


Dickies 6320 Jacket Heavyweight Hooded Fleece

Available in sizes up to 5X. The classic hooded sweatshirt. You're not going to wear it on a date, but for lazy weekend days its perennially in style and great for concealment. Again, worn open.

MA-1 Flight Jacket

Made by Alpha Industries and numerous other companies, this jacket looks great on any man who is in half-decent shape. Available in all sorts of sizes and colors. The waist is meant to fit tightly and can effect concealment when zipped, but when worn open this thing is aces.


Duck ActiveJac by Carhartt

Maybe a little "country" at first glance (it is Carhartt after all), but this hooded jacket (when black) has been fashionable among twenty-somethings in Philly and New York for a good while now. Sizes are available for even the most portly of union contractors. Best for concealment when worn open. This might be my favorite jacket.

Summer carry is less than stellar for those of us who are fans of t-shirts that actually fit and Fred Perrys. Then it's time to start looking at bigger shirts (ack!) and smaller guns.

 

[Josh Aston]

 

[648E]

sup brah,

yeh my Glock duznt go real good with my upside down and backwards visor, hemp necklace, cargo shorts down to tha anklez, and goofy XXXL striped shirt (the $50 made in China type you buy at Abercrombie), and flip-flops, but I try to exercize my right to carry newayz.













Actually I have no problems with jeans (2" bigger waist), regular t-shirt, and an inner waist band holster. But that's just me.

Hip holster under a Carhartt jacket in the Winter.

 

[Gord]

sup brah,

yeh my Glock duznt go real good with my upside down and backwards visor, hemp necklace, cargo shorts down to tha anklez, and goofy XXXL striped shirt (or wife beater), and flip-flops, but I try to exercize my right to carry newayz.

Made me choke on my water - thanks. Actually, Ecko tees go for about $45 around here.

Josh - thanks for the pictures! One thing I've wondered about - overshirts tend to be pretty light. Do you have problems with the wind blowing it back? I had assumed that it'd be best to carry well back towards my 6:00 to avoid an unexpected gust of wind getting me made (and possibly in violation of the law).

Summer carry is less than stellar for those of us who are fans of t-shirts that actually fit

Yeah...

 

[AStone]

The "older" guys - no offense meant, fellas - typically have a business-casual or small-town style of dress, making use of jackets, flannel coats, suit tops and tucked button-up shirts to conceal.

Now, there's nothing wrong with that "style", but you don't see a lot of younger guys walking around in tucked shirts or flannel, at least where I'm from. As the OP in the thread mentioned above said, I don't think many of us are down with the gangsta style of dress, so I'm wondering: how do you conceal while still conforming to the contemporary "style" of the current generation?

<Yawn> And you've now had 13 replies, and only one set of pics, but even there nothing original: cotton shirt hanging over a holster. <Yawn>

I'm 56, but I can do better than that.

How about a slicker over a bunch of guns?

(Pics? If I showed you, I'd have to *** you.)

Replica:

<Neo walks through a metal detector in the lobby and is approached by a security guard after it goes off>
Security guard: Could you please remove any metallic items you may be carrying, keys, loose change...
[Neo opens his trench coat to reveal dozens of guns underneath]
Security guard: Holy ****!

 

[Snake Eyes]

I'd have posted a picture but I'm too old (41).

 

[CajunBass]

Josh - thanks for the pictures! One thing I've wondered about - overshirts tend to be pretty light. Do you have problems with the wind blowing it back

When you gets old, and 'sperienced like me, you learn to tuck the corner of your shirttail into the pocket of your jeans. Wind won't blow it back that way. Just looks like you shoved it in by accident, and left it there.

Course what do I know? I still wear my hat with the brim forward.

 

[Billy_H]

It doesn't, but as I said, a lot of carry pics I've seen center around business-casual dress; perfectly normal on "older" men and women, but distinctly out of place among the 20s crowd.

It's not to out of place if you work in a business casual environment. I'm lucky enough to be able to get away with jeans and untucked dressed shirts at work and I make the best of it. There's nothing wrong with dressing a few steps up from "complete slob".

But, in all fairness what I posted above was just my normal attire. At other times I've carried IWB with flip flops, board shorts and a t shirt with the sleeves cut off when going to pool parties/BBQs...and I've also carried under sports coats and when in a tux before as well.

 

[iamkris]

Tactical Ninja --

Come back to us when you are in your 30's or 40's and give us your definition of "old guys"...bet it changes.

 

[LiquidTension]

I'm 26 and have been wearing the same basic style of clothing since high school - cargo pants and an untucked shirt over an undershirt.

Cargo pants - lots of pockets, deep pockets, pockets cut for easier pocket carry (unlike most jeans).
Shirt - tshirt, polo shirt, button down - since it's untucked it can easily conceal a weapon carried IWB.
Undershirt - rides between your holster and your skin. Provides a barrier to sweat and is more comfortable than having the holster rub directly against your skin. The undershirt is crucial during the sweaty summer months.

You won't see me in the fashion pages of Maxim or GQ, but I don't get funny looks when I'm out in public. Well, not because of the way I dress anyway

 

[TX1911fan]

I'm 40 and dress the same way as most of these guys posting. I don't buy my clothes too big, I hate that look. I wear t-shirts, short sleeve button up shirts, and golf shirts untucked over cargo shorts in the summer and jeans and boots in the winter (about two weeks here). I carry a S&W 340PD OWB at 3:30 and have never had a problem.

I used to think 40 was old too.

 

[redneckdan]

I usually wear wranglers and a t-shirt or flannel...but I grew up in a hick town so that kinda skews my perspective.

 

[Manedwolf]

Giant oversized cargo jeans are good for concealment. Just not at the waist, because the style is to wear a fitted tshirt and giant pants. But a Smartcarry is perfect.

And the giant **s-kicking steeltoed tall, multibuckled boots everyone wears for clubbing can easily hide a small auto or revolver.

For casual, the vintaged satchels from A&F or Old Navy you wear across your chest over a tshirt and unbuttoned longsleeve are great for carrying nearly anything.

 

[Flyboy]

When you gets old, and 'sperienced like me, you learn to tuck the corner of your shirttail into the pocket of your jeans. Wind won't blow it back that way. Just looks like you shoved it in by accident, and left it there.

Tuck it under your belt--works just as well, and it's less visible.

Course what do I know? I still wear my hat with the brim forward.

Meh. My hat of choice has a brim that goes all the way around.

 

[Spreadfire Arms]

ive found that an untucked shirt that is supposed to be untucked looks fairly natural. that means one with a square (flat) bottom, as opposed to a shirt with a round bottom. this is illustrated here:

round bottom shirt (generally should be tucked in)


square (flat) bottom shirt (generally worn untucked)

i got these pics off of a google search, they are not shirts that i suggest or not suggest to be used for carrying concealed.

i have attended some schools that recommend having a lower "signature", meaning not wearing some of your "tacticool" stuff like rigger's belts, 5.11 pants, combat boots, etc.

i suppose a good pair of blue jeans and some REI-style hiking boots (Hi-Tec's, Columbia, Merrell, etc - not the military style black boots) combined with a traditional button down shirt work pretty good. i can normally carry a full sized pistol (sometimes with a light mounted on it in a Bladetech holster) concealed with 2 spare mags if needed.

 

[JohnRov]

I'm 32. In the winter it's easy because I'm wearing sweaters or turtlenecks plus a jacket at times. Summer I wear khakis, jeans, slacks, etc. with untucked shirts. They can be button down like from Banana Republic or polos. I have concealed my P226 IWB under all of them as well as layered t-shirts. I'm 6'3" 170 so I am pretty skinny and never have had any problems.