Ccw Clothing?

Props to the one inch larger than usual size pants and good belt. Shoot, I'm a lanky fellow and I do that. Also, as far as vests go, for cooler periods, a Columbia zip up fleece vest is an excellent cover garment, and I've noticed, that being black and due to the cut of the garment, it helps prevent printing.
 
Thanks everyone for the great help. I hate to change mid-stream but what tips, hints, or tricks can any of pass along about shoulder carry?
 
A good belt goes a very long way. Its been said that a good belt with a moderate holster will go much farther than a poor belt with a marvelously-spectacular-wonder holster. Don't waste money going through holster after holster until you've found a good belt that works for you.

Personally, I carry IWB/OWB at about 4:00 position. Easy to reach, easy to coneal, and rides very comfortably.

bt4264 said:
You guys are obviously wearing shirts untucked....
In cooler weather, I typically wear jeans and a button down shirt, tucked in.
With this I feel like I'm pretty much limited to pocket carry. Even with an IWB carry, you'll get a little bit of "poking out", right???
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I generally prefer to tuck my shirts in, dressing much like you describe. I have a couple of tuckable-IWB holsters that work well; all you can see are the clips on the belt. I like C-clips on mine, so that they anchor on the top and bottom of the belt, but leave the belt surface open to be less noticable. I find full, traditional clips to be too much an eye-sore, and really defeat the purpose of having a tucked holster for concealment. Then again, with the general level of observation that people tend to practice, I doubt many would notice.

These days, though, I like to wear a short-tailed sport shirt or a vest. I'm not talking a photographers vest, just a dress vest akin to worn under a suit. They come down to my pants, but not over completely over my belt-line, thereby covering the grip jutting from my IWB rig. Quick, concealed, and not slovenly like an untucked shirt. In cooler weather, such as this time of year, I just wear a fleece or insulated vest, which actually facilitate an OWB rig nicely, too.
 
"what tips, hints, or tricks can any of pass along about shoulder carry?"

I've found that balance is key... Lately I've been shoulder-carrying two small 9mm's and liking it way more than I thought I would. Balancing with a couple mags on your weak-side is another way to go. I've also found that the v-neck 511 undercover carry T-shirts are quite nice for cool-weather... They have holster-pockets on both sides. I wear a thin cotton t-shirt underneath them to ease the nylon-feel. They're very strongly-made and come in white and black.
 
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I have no advice for you on shoulder holsters, other than:
  • Buy quality up front
  • You will want to balance the load - gun on one side, perhaps a couple spare mags on the other
My build is similar - 5"10, 280lbs, with short legs and a long torso. What I've found so far is:
  • Dwight55 and The Great Mahoo are absolutely correct - for any waist carry, the belt is your foundation. A great holster will still suck with a poor belt. The Beltman is where I (and many others) have purchased theirs.
  • ScotteVest has some good jackets and vests that work for CCW. I own the Men's Travel Vest, and have the Lightweight vest arriving tomorrow. They are long enough to cover anything on my waist (even with my long torso), and have enough pockets to carry magazines or other equipment.
    • The Outback Jacket, intended for cooler weather, is specifically geared toward CCW.
    • Every day they have a 24 hour sale; if you are patient, what you want will probably go on sale at 10% to 20% discount, or perhaps have free shipping.
  • Coronado Leather vests can often be gotten in a "tall" cut, to further help cover any waist gun.
  • I purchase my pants an inch large, with an expandable "comfort waist" and a pleated style. Makes a big difference.
 
Fargazer said:
ScotteVest has some good jackets and vests that work for CCW. I own the Men's Travel Vest, and have the Lightweight vest arriving tomorrow. They are long enough to cover anything on my waist (even with my long torso), and have enough pockets to carry magazines or other equipment.
The Outback Jacket, intended for cooler weather, is specifically geared toward CCW.
Every day they have a 24 hour sale; if you are patient, what you want will probably go on sale at 10% to 20% discount, or perhaps have free shipping.
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Thanks for sharing that link! I like the looks of some of their stuff, and will certainly have to keep an eye on the daily sale for a real bargain.
 
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