Concealed Carry Clothing

Guns Magazine, March, 2001 by Massad Ayoob

IWB holsters will always conceal better under a jacket. The hem of the coat can come all the way up to belt level and not flash the gun, and the pants break up the bulging outline of the holster.

If there isn't room in the waistband for both you and the holstered gun, the next best choice is one of the better hip scabbards that pull the gun into the beltline from both front and back. Roy Baker pioneered this concept years ago with his Pancake design, and most holster makers today have some version of the same design.

Altering The Dress Code

Some people are firmly convinced that certain gun concealment strategies are a dead giveaway that will call undue attention upon the wearer -- the attention of the police as well as that of criminals. The theory is that since pistol-packers often wear photographer's vests or fanny packs, for instance, wearing such things flags the fact that you're wearing a gun.

But take a look around. Everybody seems to be wearing this stuff these days. The photographer's vest, with its many pockets for cell phones and Daytimers, marks you as a Yuppie more than as a pistol packer. BDU pants? Kids call them "cargo pants" and they're all the rage. Fanny packs? Been to a park in the summer or to Disney World lately? Everybody wears them when casually dressed.

Underwear Issues

If your suit jacket comes off during the day, or you prefer to wear your casual shirts tucked into tight-fitting pants, all is not lost.

Belly bands have been around since the '60s, introduced by a company called MMGR in Brooklyn, N.Y This device is now available from several makers, including Gould & Goodrich, Uncle Mike's and Guardian Leather. Picture a 4" wide band of elastic with one or more gun pouches, worn "over the underwear but under the overwear."

There are perhaps three ways to apply the belly band. In most of the ads, you see it worn around the midriff. This works particularly well for women, with the gun worn to the front and concealed by the drape of blouse.

On most men, though, it looks like a colostomy bag, and it can shift uncomfortably as you move around. You can also wear the belly band down low on the hips, allowing you to hide a snub .38 or small auto bare-chested with shorts -- but it's not the most comfortable carry.

Your best bet with the belly band is to wear it at belt level. You can position the gun either behind your hip, or in a front cross-draw position. If you leave the second shirt button above the belt unfastened (your necktie will pretty well cover this, and the Fashion Police only consider it a misdemeanor in any case) you can make an amazingly fast draw from the front cross-draw position. This position also allows you to bring your hands to body center, mimicking the body language of terror, and actually have your hand on the gun. I find this works best with a small-frame, 2" revolver, but it can also be comfortable with some of the smaller auto pistols.

Other options with a tucked-in shirt include Greg Kramer's concealment T-shirt, which comes with an upright fabric "holster pouch" under each arm. You draw as from a shoulder holster.