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For decades the mantra was “you need to dress around the gun.” Of course, most people who dressed around a gun had the luxury of being retired, or in a profession that allowed them to dress like a hobo, wearing the shoot-me-first vest, for example. But in this day and age of modern concealment gear, do we need to dress around the gun?
We certainly do not need to make the radical wardrobe changes that were once required, yet there is still significant consideration that must be put into clothing.
When I was young, carrying a gun concealed entailed putting my all-steel 1911 in a leather holster, strong-side, and covering it with an open button-up shirt or jacket. Afterall, I certainly was not going to carry a “mouse gun” back then. And, mind you, I carried hard ball ammo, because we all knew that “they all fall to hard ball.” My, how things have changed. Mind you, I am only 44 years old, so I am not exactly talking about how it was done in the 1950s. Even so, the change in my lifetime is amazing.
At this point, I think we have the option to “dress to accommodate” rather then “dress around” if we want to carry a full-size primary pistol. Further, we have the option to be armed while wearing pretty much anything imaginable. Most concealed carriers should be set up for both.
To accommodate a larger pistol in the more-popular-than-ever AIWB location, a good holster and belt are needed, and an un-tucked shirt that is loose enough to conceal the gun is essential. This, however, is the default standard for men’s casual fashion today, so the most common form of dress accommodates carrying even serious pistols. For women it still remains more tricky, as even casual wear for women tends to be tighter. However, the deep concealment options that are now available go far to mitigate these issues.
If in a circumstance where you cannot accommodate the larger gun under typical casual clothing, you are still unlikely to need to go unarmed. If there are no legal ramifications to being armed, you can certainly carry even when you must dress formally, with tucked shirts, or when you dress exceedingly casually, such as with board shorts and a light t-shirt. My preferred way to accommodate either of these fashion extremes is with a Phlster Enigma and a small revolver. Even under tucked, formal shirts, this setup is invisible. A small auto works here as well, though I favor revolvers for deep concealment. Such deep concealment options have made it possible to stay armed in any clothing, though we may need opt for a smaller gun.
Pertaining to “alternate carry modes,” as I like to refer to them, we typically do, in fact, have to dress to accommodate. Alternate modes, the two most typical being pocket and ankle carry, require the right clothing. Pocket carry demands pockets that actually work to both conceal, and to facilitate a proficient draw of the gun. the pocket must be wide and deep enough to hold the gun/pocket holster combination. I have found over the years that almost all clothing companies make their pockets different. If you are serious about pocket carry you will find that you land on favorite brands for pants and shorts.
Likewise, to ankle carry, your pants need to be right for the job. I favor ankle carry only for a backup gun, not a primary, though it is better than not carrying if it is your preferred way to go armed in non-permissive environments. Tight, hipster jeans simply don’t work. To accommodate ankle carry the pants need a sufficiently wide bell to both conceal the gun and facilitate the draw. While tight jeans are a no-go, you do not need excessively baggy pants either in order to conceal smaller guns like J Frames or pocket autos. I find that either relaxed fit or boot cut jeans usually work, and almost all dress pants work. Again, though, you will need to experiment and stock garments that specifically accommodate this task.
So, in summary, I don’t think we need to “dress around” the gun anymore, but we do need to use clothing that accommodates concealment needs, at least when wearing larger guns.
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