It depends on the level of observation you’ll be subject to. Ultimately, someone observant enough is likely to notice eventually. How often will you be interacting with others in a forward facing capacity vs. ‘tucked in’ to a desk?
you could switch the clips on an IWB to the type that Velcro to the inside of a belt you’ve added hook and loop to, or try one of the low profile clips.
carrying AIWB with Velcro belt attachment or discreet clips near a centered buckle may not be the most comfortable without trial and error, but could end up one of your better options.
the milt sparks the gentleman above posted is a fantastic setup, AND unfortunately wouldn’t pass the scrutiny test from anyone with a curiosity due to the owb leather loops. That said, I’ve carried similarly. Someone’s going to wonder what’s up with you belt having extra leather loops at some point. Whether they care enough to let that distract the ‘monkey-mind’ portion of their brain long enough away from the hundreds of other things it’s pre-occupied with, is another matter.
What are the potential consequences of ‘being made’ for you in this situation?
At the end of the day, it’s a compromise one way or another. I recently had to carry in a suit where I knew there was a 90% chance I would be jacketless at some point, thus losing a garment to cover the attachment points of a tuckable holster. I was around literally hundreds of people whom I would be having interactions with about 30% of and sure enough, several of the conversations were around dress. (“Hey you look sharp, man, I love that tie.” “Hey, nice shoes. Oh wow, your belt looks sharp with them too” ). This is likely to happen even if there’s not a verbal remark. Someone sees your watch band and subconsciously looks to see if your belt matches it, etc. especially in a button down environment.
Sure enough, I ended up giving my jacket to my spouse warm her as venue became chilly for her. My duty as her man isn’t just to protect her physically, after all. So my plan ahead worked well. In this case I was carrying in a ‘sticky’ holster with reinforced trigger guard, in my groin area, that was adhered via hook and loop to my undies with a thick, tight elastic band. I could jump up and and run, without losing retention. Then my outside belt with tucked dress shirt added additional retention along point the rear of the slide meets the top of the grip. To draw, left hand pulls tucked shirt up and right hand takes full grip, meets support hand at my naval. Practiced for a bit to brush up, as I do anytime I need to adapt my carry position/method. (I’m not going to assume my muscle memory has remained intact for any of the myriad ways I’ve carried over the years)
Maybe that’s helpful information, maybe not, YMMV. Ultra-deep concealment is all trade-pods, training, and risk mitigation. I’d highly recommend a manual safety or DA/SA w/decock, in 9mm with a short barrel non +p load, personally.
the phlster is highly praised and might be worth trying. Maybe someone here can chime in if they have tried one, personally I haven’t yet.
things that haven’t worked well for me, personally:
-ankle holsters (draw time, changed my gait, don’t work with my pants, personally. Wanted to like but didn’t turn out practical for me, personally)
-belly bands (my body emphatically does not like those). Especially not a fan of the ones with poor trigger guard protection. (I know, I know, I just talked about using a sticky holster in my groin. I tried 7 ways to Sunday (and failed) to trip the trigger in that holster and ended up feeling comfortable with the particular gun and holster)
-trigger guard only kydex. I know a lot of people use this and swear by it. I can’t wrap my head around it and don’t feel safe or like the gun has enough positive retention. Not for me personally, but an option. Again, someone may eventually wonder why you always have a lanyard into your pants around your belt or a belt loop when you come to work.
One last method I’ve used successfully is the carry undershirt, such as the one by 5.11. Haven’t used it in years. Years. All I remember was it being a pain to safely and consistently draw, especially in practice, as in use youre going to be ripping the buttons off your dress shirt in the process, more than likely. (I had some snap button dress shirts I bought specifically for this reason that allowed me to build some competency with the undershirt.)
Just my personal experiences, please don’t be offended if they don’t line up with yours, and as always I’m open to learning new methods and getting any tips others have.
tucked in. It is casual enough that I don't wear a tie or jacket. I'm not really interested in anything pocket carry.
