The secret to more than a pocket gun for summer carry, wear a shirt.

[fastbolt]

I pictured a t-shirt, in reality I wear a loose fit shirt with a stripe, print, or pattern, more like this.
Its impervious to printing if sitting or bending over; plaid, print or pattern breaks any bulge, like if the wind presses shirt against me.

View attachment 845451

I can appreciate your comfort in using those boxy button shirts, but the reality of it is that I've known (and still know) guys who do the same, and while they think their waist-carried off-duty and retirement weapons are concealed, it's still easy to spot the bump under the shirt as they move, twist, bend and reach for things in their normal activities.

Sometimes the consistent pattern of a design, like plaid, makes an unusual (even if momentary) lump more easily apparent to the eye. Draws attention to the discordant lines, so to speak. Especially if someone is looking for it and the nice lines of the pattern happen to drape over a curve. Of course, this is where untrained and inattentive eyes of nearby people may still benefit the wearer.

Consider that some inconsistent patterns, like some floral print or non-uniform patterns (with irregular space between things making up the pattern images), may more easily draw the eye away from minor lumps or curves that don't have lines to make them more easily noticed.

Nowadays some of the "deals" offered in lightweight "concealment" type short/sleeve shirts seem to be made using traditional plaid patterns, though. It's not always easy to find nice summer weight shirts that are boxy enough to loosely drape and that don't look like something from the 50's, or like someone's rendition of a bad print Hawaiian shirt ... or like they ought to be pajama tops.

Having had to wear my fair share of boxy loosely fit shirts to act as cover garments over the years, I much prefer slightly more slimming shirts for normal wear nowadays.

It's no doubt my background (martial artist, cop and firearms instructor) that influences me, but every time I see someone wearing an untucked boxy and loosely fit shirt, I check their posture and gait for signs of them wearing a belt gun (whether OWB or IWB) and look for the expected tenting of a gun butt as the shirt moves with and over them. Old habit.

Many times what we think is adequate concealment is more the result of being lucky that others are often inattentive and inexperienced in seeing the signs.

 

[Texas10mm]

I can appreciate your comfort in using those boxy button shirts, but the reality of it is that I've known (and still know) guys who do the same, and while they think their waist-carried off-duty and retirement weapons are concealed, it's still easy to spot the bump under the shirt as they move, twist, bend and reach for things in their normal activities.

Sometimes the consistent pattern of a design, like plaid, makes an unusual (even if momentary) lump more easily apparent to the eye. Draws attention to the discordant lines, so to speak. Especially if someone is looking for it and the nice lines of the pattern happen to drape over a curve. Of course, this is where untrained and inattentive eyes of nearby people may still benefit the wearer.

Consider that some inconsistent patterns, like some floral print or non-uniform patterns (with irregular space between things making up the pattern images), may more easily draw the eye away from minor lumps or curves that don't have lines to make them more easily noticed.

Nowadays some of the "deals" offered in lightweight "concealment" type short/sleeve shirts seem to be made using traditional plaid patterns, though. It's not always easy to find nice summer weight shirts that are boxy enough to loosely drape and that don't look like something from the 50's, or like someone's rendition of a bad print Hawaiian shirt ... or like they ought to be pajama tops.

Having had to wear my fair share of boxy loosely fit shirts to act as cover garments over the years, I much prefer slightly more slimming shirts for normal wear nowadays.

It's no doubt my background (martial artist, cop and firearms instructor) that influences me, but every time I see someone wearing an untucked boxy and loosely fit shirt, I check their posture and gait for signs of them wearing a belt gun (whether OWB or IWB) and look for the expected tenting of a gun butt as the shirt moves with and over them. Old habit.

Many times what we think is adequate concealment is more the result of being lucky that others are often inattentive and inexperienced in seeing the signs.

You're the 0.1%. Most people have no idea what's going on around them.

 

[Iggy]

Crusty old cowboys in vests don't draw much attention in Wyoming. Carried on my belt for 52 years.. So far, so good.

 

[fastbolt]

You're the 0.1%. Most people have no idea what's going on around them.

There's not a particularly small percentage of people wandering around in public who seem to have little interest in being aware of whether there might be a potential threat to their safety within their immediate environment.

Bad guys seem more interested in such things.

Even cops can become apathetic or complacent and fail to recognize signs of someone being armed.

People. Herd behavior.

 

[JR24]

An untucked shirt works well for a cover garment, but an untucked shirt is not appropriate in all social and business settings. Its a sloppy look suitable for vacation and mowing the grass but not much else.

Everyone being different, but I actually find a tuckable holster and a dress shirt, slightly bloused (which I'd do anyway for comfort), actually conceals better than simply untucked

At least from my observations on my only "tucked shirt" days of the week, church.

 

[Snowdog]

In the warmer months, it's IWB (usually kydex) for me. I've carried a full size 1911 and other duty sized handguns in tuckable holster and OWB in jacket weather for years. With a little thought and knowledge of likely activities of the day, a person could effectively conceal just about any handgun.

 

[CDW4ME]

You're the 0.1%. Most people have no idea what's going on around them.

I submit exhibit A to support this hypothesis:

 

[Zendude]

I pictured a t-shirt, in reality I wear a loose fit shirt with a stripe, print, or pattern, more like this.
Its impervious to printing if sitting or bending over; plaid, print or pattern breaks any bulge, like if the wind presses shirt against me.

View attachment 845451

A button down shirt like this, one size larger than normal, does an excellent job of concealment. It’s best if it is a heavier cotton or cotton blend fabric rather than ultra thin rayon type of material used in alot of Hawaiian shirts.

 

[Fiv3r]

My preferred cover shirt for summer that doesn't make me look like I'm on permanent vacation or a 65 year old Florida resident (no disrespect intended to the sectarian Floridians among us. I'm a 38 year old Hoosier. I like Hawaiian prints, but around here they are worn mostly ironically ), is a short sleeve "camp" shirt. They are usually casual enough to wear around every day but formal enough not to look out of place on the jobsite if I toss one over a tee shirt. Buttoned up and tucked, buttoned and untucked, open and casual, they all work pretty well. I like them for carrying OWB. I am pretty broad at the shoulders and narrow at the waist. A shirt like that worn unbuttoned and moved back on my shoulders a bit will hide most anything OWB as long as I don't do a lot of toe touching.

I still wear a polo most days, but this isn't a bad casual look that works around my office as well.

 

[shoobe01]

People who carry, law enforcement officers, and more have had no idea I am carrying, for months.

I have been on stage in front of 800 people with a gun on. I promise I'd have heard about it if anyone noticed.

 

[Walkalong]

That video is awesome every time. Most people are blissfully unaware about what is going on around them.

I would not say 0.1% are, but it is a smaller number than it should be.