Carrying With Style

[Daniel]

Don't feel bad Num. I have the same problem, and I usually dress about the same way you do, and have no problems concealing my 4" XD while carrying IWB.

These ideas should help, even though you're about three inches shorter than me.

1.) Relaxed fit, boot cut jeans that are a size too big in the waist. I wear my XD at 4 o'clock in these in an IWB tuckable holster. For khakis, if you don't need them to hold a crease, get relaxed fit khaki slacks from some place like Old Navy. If you need them to hold a crease, or look a bit more formal, go to a real menswear store.

2.) For Polo shirts, I wear IZOD 100% cotton shirts from JC Penney's. An ex-girlfriend bought me some of these because my old Polo's weren't long enough in the back to comfortably tuck in over my XD. These actually are long enough to tuck in. I also wear these every day to work with a pair of slacks, and never have had an issue concealing my XD at work.

3.) Dress clothes: Go to whatever the local equivalent of Joseph A Banks is. If it's actually a Banks store, they're about to become your new best friend as far as concealing your weapon in dress clothes is concerned. Banks in particular has been very gun friendly in my experience. And they'll help you tailor your clothes around your particular sidearm. For example, my dress slacks and suits all have reinforced right side hip pockets for pocket carry. They also have an extra layer of fabric behind my right hip on the suit jackets to keep the jacket from wearing thin over my XD. The pants also have 1.5" belt loops instead of the more normally found 1.25" loops.

4.) Always get a female's opinion. Even if you have to resort to asking one of the girls working in the shop who looks like she's 16. They might notice something you didn't.

5.) Most of the good gun leather companies also make pretty good gun belts. I wear a 1.5" gun belt with everything, including my suits. I think I spent about $100 or so on each of my gun belts, one brown and one black. Good leather isn't cheap, but good leather will last for years. The cheap belts will maybe make it through a year of daily carry.

Hope that helps some.

good post.

[Jack]

I think its odd that nobody has asked what pistol he owns.

Im 6 foot 170 athletic build, wear hollister, and AE jeans an can hide a glock 19 at a 4:00 cant in the waist.

Hey maby i should put that in my next personals add..

[Guest slim]

Get a kel-tec pf-9 with a belt clip and clip it onto the inside waistband of your underwear!

[Guest num7striker]

I plan on carrying an XD-9 Service. skwashdem, awesome post. I actually have a few of those Izod shirts, so that's pretty excellent. Thanks.

[memphismason]

Your wardrobe requirements are similar to those of most women so it sounds like you will face many of the same challenges that they do. Namely, form fitting shirts vs. carrying off the body in your purse.

That being said, I'd seriously recommend you give some thought to a small automatic like the Keltec P3AT or the Ruger LCP... or a small revolver like the Smith & Wesson J-Frame, that you could carry in your front pants pocket.

That or embrace the style of wearing bowling shirts or polos that don't show off your heroin-addict physique.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Guest justaman30]

There is a trade off. YOU have to choose how much you are willing to give up. Here are some suggestions. Invest in a good IWB holser. I would suggest a CTAC (this is what I have and love), or a MTAC (this is what many on here have and I will consider it when I buy a new one). To wear an IWB, you will need some space in your waistline, I have about an inch. You need a good sturdy belt, http://www.thebeltman.net/ is a good place for stylish belts, never bought one, but have heard good things about them from guys on here.

Form fitting t-shirts are going to be hard to not print with. polo shirt untucked you can easily conceal with the above mentioned IWB holsters, I like the CTAC and the MTAC (and there are others) because you can tuck your shirt in around the holster (by design) and conceal. My way of dress is similiar to yours, I wear a shirt and tie at work, and either a button down shirt, or polo shirt for more casual settings and t-shirts while just running around on the weekend. Dress pants, jeans, cargo shorts, khaki pants. I wear tshirts most weekends and I carry my XD40 service model 4" barrel, in a CTAC all weekend long. No one ever see's it.

Winter is definately easier to conceal than summer is. You have a choice to make on how and where you carry. When you get your permit, try on your different styles and see how you print. I would suggest someone else to look and see if they can tell or not. You will think that everyone will see your handgun, but really, most will not.

The above is about the best advice there is. I carry a S&W Sigma 9mm in IWB with most outfits. It the outfit is too tight, I have a Ruger .25 auto I carry in a pocket holster.

[enfield]

Are those shirts as comfortable as they look? They look like they would be light and loose.

They are comfortable.

[Guest justaman30]

Don't feel bad Num. I have the same problem, and I usually dress about the same way you do, and have no problems concealing my 4" XD while carrying IWB.

These ideas should help, even though you're about three inches shorter than me.

1.) Relaxed fit, boot cut jeans that are a size too big in the waist. I wear my XD at 4 o'clock in these in an IWB tuckable holster. For khakis, if you don't need them to hold a crease, get relaxed fit khaki slacks from some place like Old Navy. If you need them to hold a crease, or look a bit more formal, go to a real menswear store.

2.) For Polo shirts, I wear IZOD 100% cotton shirts from JC Penney's. An ex-girlfriend bought me some of these because my old Polo's weren't long enough in the back to comfortably tuck in over my XD. These actually are long enough to tuck in. I also wear these every day to work with a pair of slacks, and never have had an issue concealing my XD at work.

3.) Dress clothes: Go to whatever the local equivalent of Joseph A Banks is. If it's actually a Banks store, they're about to become your new best friend as far as concealing your weapon in dress clothes is concerned. Banks in particular has been very gun friendly in my experience. And they'll help you tailor your clothes around your particular sidearm. For example, my dress slacks and suits all have reinforced right side hip pockets for pocket carry. They also have an extra layer of fabric behind my right hip on the suit jackets to keep the jacket from wearing thin over my XD. The pants also have 1.5" belt loops instead of the more normally found 1.25" loops.

4.) Always get a female's opinion. Even if you have to resort to asking one of the girls working in the shop who looks like she's 16. They might notice something you didn't.

5.) Most of the good gun leather companies also make pretty good gun belts. I wear a 1.5" gun belt with everything, including my suits. I think I spent about $100 or so on each of my gun belts, one brown and one black. Good leather isn't cheap, but good leather will last for years. The cheap belts will maybe make it through a year of daily carry.

Hope that helps some.

This is by far the best advice I have found on this thread! Thanks a bunch!

[Guest TheBulldog]

Well, as a young man that is clearly self conscious and concerned with how the ladies look at him, I am confronted with a potentially disastrous scenario. I will have my HCP soon enough and have been wondering: what will I wear? I am not a levis and t-shirt kind of guy, nothing against those who are!

I wear khaki shorts in the summer with either a polo shirt or a more form fitting t-shirt. In the winter I wear jeans and khaki pants, which I think will make it much easier to conceal along with heaver shirts and coats and the like.

Polo makes nice collared shirts that I think would be long enough to carry, but I don't know if they would offer enough width. Has anyone found nice shirts that are good for carrying but not obviously over sized?

Also, I have been reading that a lot of people go an inch or two wider on the waist, well I'm short (5'7) so adding width usually makes me look like a stump. So, what do those metrosexuals out there wear while carrying and maintaining their look? It may sound ridiculous, but I don't like the idea of dumbing down my wardrobe for concealment purposes. I think I am going to have to go ahead and buy my IWB holster and go through my closet and model infront of my mirror.

-Phil

I am your height and 229 Lbs, I use a crossbreed holsters SuperTuck Tuckable IWB holster for my Sig P229 http://www.crossbreedholsters.com/beltslide.html