CHL in business casual and under scrutiny
Quoheleth:
My SW 442 with lg-405 crimson trace laser grips (two finger laser grips) goes everywhere with me in my front right pocket in a pocket holster.
At work, I wear business casual with a tucked in shirt. I wear suit quality pants and all the way button down shirts. Based on my body type I have a nearly impossible time concealing anything other than a Smith and Wesson 442 in business casual. I spend an enormous amount of time in front of clients both standing, sitting in other people's offices and sitting and standing in boardrooms. In my line of work my appearance and what I say are always under scrutiny in the boardroom.
Based on this I go to great lengths to conceal my j frame. Here are a few pointers on concealing in business casual.
1. I wear my wallet and keys in my left pocket. This gets people subconsciously accustomed to seeing something in my pockets
and makes the slight bulge of my weapon in my other pocket look natural and not out of place.
2. Only use two finger grips that do not extend past the frame of the firearm. If you do not, you risk having the butt of the revolver jutting out past your pocket.
3. Get a quality gunleather belt that looks natural in business casual. Galco works great for me. Buy them in a shade of leather that closely matches your shoes so that you simply look like you choose to wear only the highest quality of garments and leather. Instead of looking like a potential gun nut you just appear as a fastiduous dresser.
4. Pay great attention to your pant selection. Especially pay attention to the color/patterning of your pants, pocket depths, and pocket constrution. In higher end pant suit quality slacks I find that brooks brothers works perfectly when purchased in Navy and charcoal. Khaki and grey coloring does not work as well.
a. Darker colors conceal better. In solid colors Navy and charcoal work great. If you're dress code permits and it matches the fashion choices in your profession a little patterning or pin stripes work even better. Khakhi, grey and other light solid colors are harder to conceal in. If your dress code limits you to khakis try to puchase a darker color of khaki made of a thicker material and you should be fine.
b. Pay attention to pocket depth. When purchasing new pants bring your firearm, gun belt, and pocket holster with you and try it on with your pants and make sure that it works. Pay attention to ensure that the pocket is deep enough to fully conceal the firearm while seated and standing without revealing the butt of the weapon.
c. Pay attention to pocket construction. In business casual straight pockets generally conceal better. If you choose pants with angled pockets, you will want to ensure that you have particularly deep pants. When shopping check to make sure that in bussiness casual the butt won't stick out while seated, standing, standing up, or running across a street.
5. Get a quality pocket holster. it will break up the pattern of the weapon, so that when someone sees a bulge they will think that it is a wallet, checkbook, pda or other common item. I have, and frequently use pocket holsters by uncle mike's, galco and mika's. I presently use a hand made mika's holster.
6. Practice carrying the weapon at home to get comftorable with it prior to taking it to the boardroom.
7. Avoid favoring the weapon, holding onto it, etc. This draws attentino to it. If you do for some reason make it look like a natural action such as putting your hand in your pocket to look for change or a business card.
8. When concealment is of the utmost concern, avoid three finger grips on the j-frame for pocket carry. They tend to stick out of pockets on rare occasion. This has never been a problem for me with any two finger grip in any pocket on any type of pants. If you elect to carry a three finger grip and the butt for whatever reason jutts out. Do not respond to it continue doing whatever it is you are doing. Most people are so out to lunch they won't observe it unless you draw attention to it by doing something awkward or favoring it.
As parting words, I have been carrying in a business casual enviornment under the scrutiny of a professional position for three years and have never been discovered.
I hope that this helps you.
