Is This The New Concealed Carry Uniform?

[goldpelican]

Fanny packs while not hiking or camo attire while not hunting are often signs.

That's quite common in FL. I always assume that they are carrying. Might as well be open carry for the giveaway.

Vest cries 'shoot me first'. For church a blazer covers everything.

I've heard the 511 pants called "shoot me' pants. Might have been on the Gray Man website.

 

[hdwhit]

Trunk Monkey wrote:
Is this the new Concealed Carry Uniform? Is it common enough to make that style of dress a dead give away? Are khaki pants the new photographer vest?

I don't know. At the church I attend, the set-up team wears cargo shorts and t-shirts while everyone else (other than the one guy who hasn't adjusted to retirement yet and still wears a suit) wears Dockers style pants and polo shirts.

 

[Legionnaire]

I've been wearing 5.11s since before they were 5.11 (originally Royal Robbins). I'm sorry that they've become so popular, but they are the best for what I do outside of work. Agree, though, that a sport coat is best at church ... except when it's too hot.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I tend to dress the same regardless of where I'm going. In summer, cargo shorts, an athletic shirt of some kind, and lite hiking boots. IWB holster carries my XDs. In spring, fall, and winter, it's jeans, a tee-shirt, with some sort of zip up top, and a pair of Danner hiking boots. During those months I carry an HK30SK OWB but under the zip up top. I wear these same clothes to dinner, to work, on the weekends, out for a hike, riding my bike, or whatever really. There is nowhere in my state where jeans are unacceptable, and in my line of work, what I described is considered business casual.

The one piece of obvious give away clothing I wear is I will typically have on a Ruger, S&W, or HK hat, if I'm not shaved bald at the time. Folks who know, nod and say nice hat. Folks who don't know ask me, "What's HK?" The former, I don't mind if they know. The later, I explain, and if they are uncomfortable with me being a gun enthusiast, I couldn't care less. I'm a legal permit holder. Go ahead, be scared and shocked if you want. I don't care.

Whatever happened to wearing a sport jacket or suit? It's common practice here and conceals a sidearm very well.

If you dress like that around here everyone says "I'm sorry, who passed away?" I don't "attend" a traditional church, or any church for that matter. But I do run the sound board at my girlfriend's spiritual center, and when I'm there, I dress the same way I described above.

The tactical dressing gang does seem a little uniformed. My favorite is when I see a guy wearing a tee-shirt and a long sleeve button up plaid shirt over it when it's 100 degrees. I look for the tell tale grip printing and more often than not, it's there. But what do I care? I assume they are legal, and if not, I'll find out soon enough.

I guess I dress in what I find comfortable, and how I want. When selecting clothing I do consider if it is good for concealment and if I can get a gun IWB. It seems silly to me for people to have special outfits for carrying. Shouldn't that just be your every day attire? And if it is, and it's obvious they are carrying, what's the difference?

 

[Old Dog]

Eh. Whenever I see anyone sporting pretty much any 5.11 attire (or Blackhawk!, FirstTactical, Propper, Vertx, etc.), they've also got a folder clipped into a front pocket, and I assume they're packing. However, I assume every is packing, because in Washington, many are ... As far as "tactical" cargo pants and polo shirts, that's pretty much our work attire in my department if not uniformed (guess it is kind of a uniform). But I've been wearing khaki pants all of my adult life and adopted polo shirts and cargo pants before the "tactical" crowd did (yes, I'm that old).

Frankly, if I see someone who's adopted "the look" I don't really care if they're a poser or the real deal -- I do favor the line of thought that they're likely legally packing and law-abiding citizens. So I'm content to let them go on their way and try not to form judgement either way on them ... and least their pants are normally pulled up to the waist, no underwear or butt-crack is being displayed, and their clothes fit.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Whatever happened to wearing a sport jacket or suit? It's common practice here and conceals a sidearm very well.

If you showed up at my church dressed like that you'd stand out like a sore thumb. Our pastor normally preaches in Tevas, jeans and a T shirt. Maybe a flannel in the winter. I remember him wearing a tie a couple years back but I don't remember why.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

That's quite common in FL. I always assume that they are carrying. Might as well be open carry for the giveaway.

I've heard the 511 pants called "shoot me' pants. Might have been on the Gray Man website.

Yes, that is mentioned in one of the Gray Man novels, but it is noted only by the Gray Man, who is a very highly trained assassin who is familiar with such gear and in the case where it is mentioned, it is a whole bunch of guys wearing the pants, shirts, etc. like actual uniforms, which they sort of are since they are a tactical team.

 

[JohnBiltz]

Whatever happened to wearing a sport jacket or suit? It's common practice here and conceals a sidearm very well.

Its above 110 degrees for 20 days every summer here. So if you don't have to wear a suit or jacket, then you don't.

I wear cargo pant or cargo shorts. The thing is I wore them long before I started carrying. They are comfortable and have lots of handy pockets. If you go around the world and look at what shirts people in hot climates wear its always a loose untucked shirt.

 

[Wisco]

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

I'm just a country simpleton so 99% of the time it's jeans year round.

Cargo pants are too baggy for my taste. I've yet to find something that's as comfortable as a pair of properly sized regular fit Levi 505's.

I carry light so I don't need a lot of "storage". LC9s right side IWB, wallet left front pocket and keys in right front pocket. I'm one of those weirdo's that doesn't carry my cell phone with me everywhere I go. Most of the time it gets left in the truck. If I do decide to carry it in with me somewhere it goes in the right rear pocket.


I have no idea what 5.11's are.

 

[paulsj]

Yes, jeans are pretty much the international standard when it comes to casual leasure wardrobe. I did notice however that Englismen wear better clothing in pursuit of country sports than Americans going to church.

 

[AZAndy]

Churches have had armed "security teams" since more than 100 years before the US was founded. It's not particularly new, it just fell out of popularity for several decades. Obviously the potential enemy to be secured against is different.

I never wear jeans unless I'm welding. Good quality, non-cotton "cargo" pants are more comfortable, last longer, dry faster and have more storage options. Where do you guys who wear jeans all the time carry your phone or emergency medical gear?

In my purse, of course, with my iPad, portable hard drive, wallet, keys, pipe, tobacco pouch, flashlight, glasses repair kit, chamois cloth, bandaids... actually, I forget what-all is in there. I can get all that stuff in my vest in the winter. If a purse was good enough for Shakespeare, it's good enough for me.

 

[paulsj]

Man purses are very sensible items except when forgotten left behind.

 

[jeepnik]

Actually I do have my old fart tactical attire uniform. Levi's and a Hawaiian shirt. Shoes vary, but I always have a hat on, though not necessarily the same hat.

 

[1911 guy]

Picking out someone who may be carrying is usually easy based on a couple things, the obvious "tactical" clothing is one. Printing is another. But I'm not concerned about those guys or gals. 99.9% of the time, they're legal concealed carriers and simply have a "tell", like the guy who always whistles when he get a good hand at cards. You can't actually see the cards, but you know he's got good ones.

The ones I worry about are the baggy pants and shirts, always pulling up their pants because of no belt and holster, constantly looking down to avoid eye contact then scanning briefly for potential victims or rivals and threats. That "uniform" is common enough that every cop learns it day one.

 

[coloradokevin]

I volunteer at the welcome desk at my church. I sit right in the middle of the lobby and unless I'm actually helping someone I have a bunch of time to watch people.

So tonight, I was people watching and I noticed 4 parishioners (apart from the security team and a couple of guys I know are cops) who were carrying.

This is legal in Colorado and the Pastor has no problem with it. What I found odd was that every single one of the people I saw were wearing almost identical khaki, "tactical" (not necessarily 5.11s) pants and camp shirts. It was almost like they got together and planned their wardrobe. Is this the new Concealed Carry Uniform? Is it common enough to make that style of dress a dead give away? Are khaki pants the new photographer vest?

I specifically dress in ways that I don't think will attract attention. I don't wear clothing that looks "tactical", or that loudly advertises a gun or brand of tactical stuff. I try not to look like I work in law enforcement, and try not to look like I'm wearing a gun. Being spotted with a CCW is potentially a nuisance under normal circumstances, and and a real potential problem in an actual attack.

 

[Robert]

Why do we spend so much energy worrying about what other people do or wear? As long as they are safe I don't care. And neither should anyone else. There are far more important issues to devote our time and energy towards.

 

[hso]

Is it common enough to make that style of dress a dead give away?

Yup