Are you looking to concealed carry with dress clothes? Most gun owners are very familiar with concealed carry. However, they may not know how to concealed carry in dress clothes.
The best way to conceal carry in dress clothes is to ensure you are wearing the right clothes and using the right holster for your particular situation.
Let’s talk about some of the most common methods for people to concealed carry in dress clothes and different things to look out for.
What to Look For When Concealed Carrying in Dress Clothes
- Choose the right clothes
- Choose the right holster
Methods of Concealed Carry in Dress Clothes
- Tucked in Holster
- Off Body Carry
- Ankle Holster
- Shoulder Holster
- Suit Coat
- Concealed Carry Dress
What to Look For When Concealed Carrying in Dress Clothes
Choose the Right Clothes
Choosing the right clothes to concealed carry in dress clothes makes all the difference. clothes that fit tight on the body tend to show the weapon more which is sometimes called printing. Using baggier clothes can make all the difference by ensuring your weapon is not detected by others.
If you’re like me you’ll want to have a shirt one or two sizes larger than what you normally wear. A slightly bigger shirt reduces the risk of printing through the fabric. An addition that makes drawing the gun easier.
The difficult part becomes shopping for pants. If you’re planning to carry IWB, expect to purchase pants that are at least one or two sizes bigger in the waist than what you normally wear. This will allow for extra space to place the gun and Holster inside your waistband. Trust me on this when I say it is not worth it to try to squeeze the holster and gun into your pants.
In most cases carrying a concealed handgun inside your waistband and undershirt is what provides a lot more comfort for you. An undershirt essentially provides a barrier between your body and your gun/holster to prevent rubbing against your bare skin.
It also helps protect your gun from sweat which can lead to corrosion. There are some holsters that are specifically designed to prevent contact from your skin, but even then you can’t go wrong with an undershirt. choose concealed carry clothing that works best for your situation and body.
Choose the right holster
Choosing the right holster is as important as ever. You can have the best gun in the world, but if your concealment holster fails, your gun becomes useless. So how do you choose the right holster for dress clothes?
The answer is simple, you want a holster that works best while concealed carrying and dress clothes. This means a holster that is functional, secure and place, and is easily accessible. Let’s talk about some of the most popular methods to concealed carry in dress clothes.
Methods to Concealed Carry in Dress Clothes
Tucked in Holster
If you’re wearing dress clothes you’re probably going to need to tuck your dress shirt in. The fact of the matter is not all of us like to have long baggy clothing that hangs loose. It’s nice every now and then to wear a button-up shirt, some nice pants and look nice. The good news is you can still wear clothes that are not baggy and be able to easily conceal your weapon.
Tuckable holsters allow you to clip the holster to your pants or belt from the inside of your waistband minimizing others from seeing your weapon. wearing something like a suit jacket will add to the concealment.
It is important you’re comfortable with using this method. Be sure to test out this method before going out and about. Stand in front of the mirror and practice drawing your weapon. In addition crouch down and move in different directions to ensure the weapons are comfortable and not digging into your body.
Different people find different positions inside the waistband that are comfortable for them. One of the most popular positions for this particular situation is the 4:30 position. this position is just to the left of your right hip, above the right butt cheek.
Off Body Carry
Off body carry refers to carrying a gun with you, but not on your actual body. Usually this entails concealed carrying your gun and some Farm off your body most commonly a backpack, sling bag, fanny pack, purse etc. Keep in mind there are products that are specifically designed to enhance people’s ability to concealed carry off their body. These products often have pouches, pockets, designs to quickly access a firearm. Whereas a normal backpack or items maybe more difficult to access a weapon.
A disadvantage to this method to keep in mind is that your weapon can be less accessible versus being on your body. The reason being is your weapon is further away from you. in addition it has the chance to be stolen from you. Something that people really like about this method is that it provides ultra comfort due to the weapon not being concealed on the body.
Ankle Holster
Another option for concealed carry in dress clothes as using an ankle holster. Most dress pants provide adequate room to use an ankle holster. All those pants sometimes write up when in the seated position. Be sure to use dress pants that are slightly longer, in addition have enough with near the ankles to not print your weapon.
An easy way to test this out is to do so in your home. At the ankle holster and your weapon on, then practice sitting down to see if your pants still cover the holster. In addition look at your ankle in the mirror to ensure it is not printing the weapon.
Some things to keep in mind that are negatives for some people when using an ankle holster is the lower accessibility Factor. It takes additional time to reach down to an ankle to access a weapon verse if it were somewhere and the upper body area. Depending on the size of pants that you wear, ankle holsters can limit the size of the weapon you holster.
Shoulder Holster
If you wear a sport coat, then a shoulder holster is a great option for you for concealed carrying and dress clothes. This is a method you often see in Hollywood movies, more specifically James Bond. In addition this is one of the most comfortable options when wearing dress clothes as the guns do not dig into the body.
Like other methods be sure to try it out in your home before going out. In addition test your ability to draw your weapon from the shoulder holster.
Suit Coat
Wearing a jacket to cover up your firearm provides maximum comfort, concealment, quick access, and ability to use a much larger weapon if wanted. This is honestly my favorite method as it provides so many different options to concealed carry when wearing dress clothes. In addition it is so comfortable to use this method.
Some of the most popular methods that people use when wearing a suit coat are using shoulder holsters, pocket carrying, and IWB Holsters. Pocket holster carrying we’ll keep the weapon less secure as I can move around in your pocket.
IWB holsters are popular and can be comfortable although depending on your pants you wear IWB holsters can be limiting as pants generally should be one to two sizes larger to fit the iwb holster. on the other hand a shoulder holster will provide maximum room and comfort. In addition great accessibility to access your weapon if the need arises.
Concealed Carry Dress
Let’s not forget concealed carrying in a dress for all the ladies out there. Concealed carrying an address surprisingly provides a ton of different options to choose from.
These options can range from Brock Harry, that I carry, Back Carry, abdomen carry, ankle carry. Chosen methods can vary depending on the length of dress and how tight it fits your body. Be sure to choose a method that conceals your weapon best and it’s easily accessible.