What clothing am i missing that may help conceal my ccw?

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DasFriek

Moderator
Now im not talking about expensive made for carry type clothing.
Im talking about stuff i can pick up at Sears,Wal-mart and thrift stores.

In the last 10 years ive been a Tshirt from the thrift store and Levi's guy.
During my ccw learning process ive added the "wife beater" style tshirts under my tshirt to save my skin when wearing IWB holsters.
Works great btw.

During this time ive also learned tucking in a tshirt is a no-no unless i have a jacket over it.I do have a Kholster i can wear a tucked in tshirt with tho and works decently.

Im a very set in my ways type even at age 39.I was born in jeans i think,but im wondering if im not missing the great thing called "cargo" pants?
I know they would help me hide my bugs and those pesky extra mags i can never find a place for.
Do you prefer cargo or Khaki's over jeans for ccw?

I cannot stand dress shirts with a collar,same with turtle necks.
But should i also be looking at "pull-over" type shirts with the soft collars like a polo?

Ive been finding lite jackets can be worn upto about 70f for me,after that i get hot and sick if i allow that to continue.Sick as in i wanna toss cookies and just dont feel well.
Ive converted a cell phone holder to accepts long mags like a 1911 uses and it sits flush in the jacket vest pocket.I know ill need a new heavy winter leather as my heavy leather wont conceal a pancake holster,but i may try and find a nice used shoulder holster so i dont have to buy a new expensive jacket.

So what are any of your secrets? Im not worried about asking about holsters as much as where to put the holsters.
Clothes that make ccw a much easier task?
BTW im still adding belts as i go,i have a decent one but ill be adding a better one soon.
 
In warm weather I wear those flowery shirts that make you look like you are on vacation worn out of my pants. With the right quality holster you can not tell I am CCW. If you carry a plastic Glock one of the best concealment holsters is Glocks own plastic holster. It pulls the gun very close to the body and it very thin.
When the temp goes up a vest covers a properly designed pancake.
 
to me, if just an average ccw person, and not either a mall ninja or double oh 7......then youre guns u pick should just work with what you normally wear 95% of the time and if they dont...then you need better guns or change how you spend all your time lol. Seriously though, im not always armed but im probably packing a lot more than im not. I do it all.........whether its a quick run to walmart at midnight (keltec in the pocket), to a night on the town dressed nice and eating fancy (sw 340pd iwb or ankle), or a serious hike (glock 22 in a small tactical style backpack). If my gun and carry choices made me severely rethink my clothing id point the finger back at the guns first.
 
WalMart clearances hunting stuff at season end, and you can get commercial camo pattern t-shirts for $5, good ones. Buy a size larger. Pattern helps disrupt any casual printing that may happen. A good IWB rig helps a lot, too.
As for pants, carpenters jeans from WalMart gave me a dandy place for my Taurus snubbie, fits perfectly with no obvious printing.
 
I refuse to adjust my dress for the ability to conceal a gun better. Im no fashion model either but Im not weraing a vest or tactical clothing. In the summer I might wear gym shorts and a loose fit Under Armour shirt and I can still conceal my MP 340 or my LCP. I know thats not an answer to your question and it was just my opinion. Depending on how you like to dress any button down shirt untucked works well for warner weather and it doesnt have to be a goofy tropical shirt either. Im a jeans and t shirt guy to and I can make any of my carry guns work either iwb or pocket carry in jeans. I almost never wear dress pants for me its usually jeans sometimes cargo pants but I dont pick cargo pants just for the purpose of carrying.

I know a lot of people like the iwb holsters that go on belts but I use either Desantis or Alessi holsters that just clip inside the waistband. I dont know how well they would work for a large gun like a 1911 but its no problem for my G26. Cargo pants do live up to their name as they can carry alot of stuff.
 
My whole concealed carry wardrobe consists of sweatshirts, untucked dress shirts, printed short sleeve shirts, fleece vests, polo shirts, and fleece pull overs.

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During my ccw learning process ive added the "wife beater" style tshirts under my tshirt to save my skin when wearing IWB holsters.
Click to expand...

:D That kill's me, and I don't even know what a "Wife Beater" (Politically in correct) is style is. Please, do tell!

I like to wear a "Big and Tall" button up shirt "Unbuttoned" over my T-shirt.

TBS, I carry an Airweight in my front pants/shorts pocket.
 
My favorite shirt is a Carhart henley t-shirt, one size larger than I normally wear. The cloth is heavier than regular t-shirts. It hides my handgun well. It costs about $17.

I also wear a regular t-shirt, one size larger than normal.

All shirts are worn untucked.

Trousers/shorts one size larger too. (I'm 36" waist but wear 38" britches).

Cargo pants. Not unless you want your gear flopping around against your thighs with each step. It can be pretty annoying.

I wear carpenter jeans most of the time. There's a pocket in the side leg that accepts a spare magazine nicely. I also wear carpenter shorts.
 
Or here. It's cheap. I also use other discontinued or sale t-shirts, with disruptive patterns, if possible.
Remember, camo is still a fashion statement, lots of people wearing it.
 
Style of shirt...

... isn't really as important as structure of shirt.

For instance, I have several shirts of similar cut, same size. Some work for CCW, but some don't. The big difference is the stiffness of the fabric, and the relative thickness of the seams. The stiffer the shirts, the less likely they are to tuck in around the grip of the pistol.

All things being equal, the moisture wicking herringbone hiking shirts work better than basic cotton shirts. Linen shirts don't usually work well at all. For cooler weather, chamois shirts (don't know if they have those at Wal-Mart; mine are LLBean - used to live up that way, and have used their outdoor gear since I was a little kid - the stuff lasts decades, so it's actually less expensive in the long run than Wal-Mart's) work really well.

Considering that my hiking gun is a S&W .44mag Mountain Gun, and that it conceals nicely under the hiking and chamois shirts, you can safely bet that more typically sized CCW's will hide very well under those shirts.

Another advantage to the heavier fabric in shirts - less likely to get blown away from the weapon in normal wind conditions, but easier to shuck out of the way for a draw.

Cargo pants are definitely a plus. I like them whether I CCW or not, because I've always hated having a thick wallet in a hip pocket when I sit down. The North Face makes some cargo pants that are really great for carry, because they have a split cargo pocket configuration. The back thigh pockets are perfectly sized for magazines; the front thigh pockets are good for wallets, cell phones, etc. This leaves the regular front pockets open for car keys and knife or utility tool.

Although I've carried a BUG (or small primary, depending on weather) in a cargo pocket, not all cargo pockets will fit. Also, for any pocket carry, you want a good pocket holster. This will perform two functions: 1) it keeps your grip oriented so you aren't trying to grasp, rotate, and unsnag under stress; and 2) it acts as a backup to what should be SOP (don't ever put loose items in the same pocket as a gun!) - if you forget, and stick anything else in the pocket, the holster should keep the foreign object from actuating your trigger.
 
That kill's me, and I don't even know what a "Wife Beater" (Politically in correct) is style is. Please, do tell!
Click to expand...
Basicly a tank top on the thin side as far as material goes. James Caan wears one in the movie Godfather
 
Any type of loose fitting NON-SOLID colored short should work; hence the Hawaiian/Caribbean style, but even a basic plaid shirt as well
 
Why NON-SOLID?

I use Hawaiians and Guayabaras, but my chamois shirts are all solids. I also have some heavier cotton shirts, also solid. They work quite well. The holster and belt will have a lot to do with that, too.
 
What clothing is best for ccw

I love the K.I.S.S theory, keeping that in mind I believe that I.W.B. is best for C/C. A light undershirt to protect your skin and your pistols finish, then any shirt over that you wish, in summer I like golf shirts, cooler weather broadcloth dress shirts. Position your pistol in a comfortable location tuck in shirt, then “ blouse” the area of your shirt so it covers your weapon; this looks much neater than having your shirt tail hanging out, and is not the attention getter that a shirt tail hanging out can be. In cold weather go with Sweaters or jackets.
A shoulder holster or bellyband holster under a shirt is a good way to conceal a pistol but are slow to get to.

Safe shooting all
 
Cabelas aged khaki side elastic pants and Trailhiker pants. They both make carrying much easier. The waistband supports alot of the weight of the gun and lessens the demands placed on your belt.

Khakis are normal khakis, Trailhikers are cargo style. I have them in every color available.
 
I look for Hawaiian shirts in shades of green with leaf patterns...on the street, it just looks like a shirt. At night, it becomes terrific camo.
 
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