Cover garments

[9ballbilly]

When I relocated to Florida from upstate New York a year ago it quickly became apparent that I needed to change my CCW cover garments. after a bit of searching I found something that worked well for me at Wal-Mart.

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These Hawaiian style shirts are fitted loosely enough that buying a size larger is not necessary for me, The lightweight material makes sweeping them out of the way a breeze, and they are very inexpensive to boot. As ridiculous as it might seem at first, they work well for me, never allowing the gun to "print". Although I've been accused of poor taste, poor eyesight, and early onset dementia, To my knowledge NO ONE has even remotely considered the possibility that I was concealing a revolver.

Take that all you "tacti-cool" mall ninjas, but be warned I have some much more hideous than these and I'm not afraid to post pics.

[ClydeFrog]

Concealing weapons & gear can be tricky.
I've seen sworn LE officers, PIs, armed EP(bodyguards), and armed citizens who "printed" or had those "tell-tale" signs.
Thick fabrics, dark colors, prints/designs, layers, etc all help conceal weapons.

A gun writer I recall wrote several years ago that clothing/garments are like an illusionist or magician.
You want to draw the eye or vision away from your loaded firearm & have it blend in seamlessly.
Im not into the HI or Thomas Magnum Aloha shirts. I also do not wear the Tommy Bahama style but it could work in the US southeast/Florida.
Some FL residents like the Cuban style casual shirts which are untucked but are still stylish. I think you have to be over 60 to pull that look off, .
I also do not own any "camp" shirts or Bowling team shirts even though those garments could help concealment. Im not a big Charlie Sheen fan, .

For general wear in hot climates or warm weather, Id go with the practical, simple safari or 5.11 type vest. The extra pockets can carry kit or back up stuff; white-light, cell phone, folder-knife, first aid or "blow out" kit, badge/ID/creds(if required), spare magazines or speed strips, passport/documents, etc.
In warmer areas you can get a vest in khaki, OD or a grey color.

ClydeFrog

[Al Thompson]

That technique has the Paul Gomez (RIP) seal of approval.

Clyde, around here those vests are pretty well known for CWPers. Not 'zactly the gray man's choice of wear.

[ClydeFrog]

That may be true, but Id rather look like a "quiet professional" & have my gear/kit handy than look like a Honalulu tourist.

CF

[Polinese]

I just wear the plain button downs similar to the hawaiin shirts... Usually leave em open and have never had a problem concealing the gun, knife or spare mag(s) on my belt.

[9ballbilly]

Hey.....Hey...., That's "Mr. Hawaiian tourist" to you.

seriously though, I also have some oversize polo shirts that work well too.
They're just not as much fun to wear. It seems to me that most of the year down here any sort of over-garment draws more attention than a single boldly patterned shirt. I didn't think of it, but the patterns do add a sort of "urban camouflage" element as well, and they're common enough in this high tourist area that they don't stand out in and of themselves.


Now if I could just find a Hawaiian style ninja mask.

[ClydeFrog]

There are new clothing lines & comfortable under-garments that can conceal weapons or spare magazines.
Woolrich, Blackhawk, 5.11, EOTAC, SIG Sauer, etc have good looking garments that aid concealment & do not make you look like a Blackwater PSC "gun for hire" .

Clyde

[Nick_C_S]

but the patterns do add a sort of "urban camouflage"

Exactly my first thought when I saw the shirts. The pattern will obscure any minor printing.

[jmhyer]

I wear those same style shirts nearly every day in the summer. Most of mine are solid colors or checkered prints. They work well.

[foxytwo]

I wear polo shirts and they hide my pistol with no printing and I carry OWB. One pistol is a Keltec PF9 and the other is a SIg P250c. I trade off once in a while.

[JERRYS.]

get yourself the "Tony Soprano" bowling shirts.

[ClydeFrog]

One under-rated resource, in my opine, is www.duluthtrading.com .
They make a lot of guy stuff & well made clothing for contractors, landscapers, painters, engineers, etc.
The animated blue-jean ads are a stitch too if you like a quick laugh.

Clyde

[Nick_C_S]

+1 ^^ Duluth Trading ^^

[BornToLooze]

I've always just worn either Dickie's or my work shirts and they cover my gun just fine. But the thing I have going for me that is better than any kind of cover garment, living in a town full of rednecks who wouldn't bat an eye if I open carried. The best example of that is before I gave a cashier my carry permit instead of my license (like everyone does at some point) and she said something fairly loud about me having a gun. They guy behind me said, "It's Texas, everyone has one, and if he's smart he's packin a .45"

[9ballbilly]

Several good suggestions have been made and I wouldn't criticize anyone for using what works for them. One of the reasons I write posts, other than learning other folks' approaches, is that it makes me put additional thought into my own choices.

Part of my affinity for the "tourist" style shirts stems from the parallels I draw between carrying concealed and prepping.

To me the first rule of prepping is: Don't look like a prepper.
This obviously carried over to how I go about CCW.

many thanks for your thoughts.

[Nathan]

I just wear the plain button downs similar to the hawaiin shirts... Usually leave em open and have never had a problem concealing the gun, knife or spare mag(s) on my belt.

Teach me! How do you leave shirts unbuttoned and maintain concealment? I always leave the house like this but end up buttoning a button pretty quick due to wind, etc.

Also, I like oversized golf/polo shirts in the summer with a tank top undershirt. This has been good OWB and IWB.

In spring/fall, I like to where the lightweight vented tourist/fishing shirts with a shoulder holster or waist holster.

Similar for winter, but heavier shirts.

The key for me is to find the right temperature balance. I.e. hiking in the hot summer maybe best done with off body so I can get shirts on off to adjust temperature. ...or open carry. Also a button down lightweight short sleeve allows fully unbuttoned wear for comfort.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

In San Antonio, tac vests are very rare outside of the range. When it gets mildly cold - you can wear a light fleece vest. The floppy shirt and tee works well. Lots of that around on folk.

[JERRYS.]

I agree with the tac vest look.

if youre ccw'ing, are you doing so to simply comply with the law or are you trying not to stand out in a crowd?

[ClydeFrog]

New clothing lines from respected outfits like Woolrich, 5.11 Tactical, Blackhawk etc market dress shirts, casual shirts, active-wear/sports shirts etc that aid concealed carry.
They have interior(hidden) pockets and/or side breakaway strips that get you quick access to your firearm.
I own & use a 5.11 charcoal grey long sleeve shirt. I wore it on a few jobs & no one said anything. This was in Stamford CT & metro New York City too, .

Even Under-Armor, a well known activewear line is selling concealed carry outerwear.

Clyde

[Ferretboy]

Im not allowed to buy hawiian print shirts according to my wife, so I have to make do with plaid and checkered print shirts she approves of.....

[Mobuck]

I wear a vest to comply and conceal from the average "not knows". I really don't care if an astute observer understands what the vest is covering.

[ClydeFrog]

If you choose the "Aloha" shirts, you could add a VM-02 navy blue ball cap too.
See the USMC section of www.USwings.com .
These are the authentic ball caps Tom Selleck's Magnum & his USMC veteran buddy; TC wore on the hit CBS crime series. www.imdb.com

The company also markets HI stuff: www.mokuman.com .

Aloha!

Clyde
PS; You have grow your own sexy 'stashe....

[btmj]

I do the Hawaiian shirt thing when the temps are above 90. It may look a bit odd on a guy under the age of 60 (I am 46), but not so odd as to draw attention. Wearing tactical or "western wear" would be more out-of-place in my neck-of-the-woods... I see photos of guys wearing jeans, boots, leather vest, and a cowboy hat... It would be nice to dress that way, but I would definitely NOT blend in...

People wear all kinds of things, and 90% of us are not going to please the fashionistas no matter what we wear... and honestly, who cares what the fashionistas think. While it is true you have to be comfortable with how you look, some sacrifices have to be made to concealment and comfort-while-concealing.

In addition to Hawaiian shirts, I also wear a lot of short-sleeve button-down oxford style shirts which I wear untucked with shorts. or a kangaroo-carry armpit carry with the shirt tucked in.

[9ballbilly]

Not 'zactly the gray man's choice of wear

If you meant not standing out in a crowd, that is precisely my goal.

The only time I carry "off body" is when I'm mountain bike riding. I usually only wear cotton shorts and a tank top. My EDC gear goes in a fanny pack along with my wallet, keys, and a small can of Mace for deterring aggressive dogs. The pack is designed for CC and has a separate compartment for the gun. I've also tried a much more expensive Maxpedition bag. It is very well made but drew more attention than I was comfortable with, so I retired it and went back to the plain old Uncle Mike's fanny pack I've had for almost twenty years.

[dawg23]

That technique has the Paul Gomez (RIP) seal of approval.

Paul & I used to "compete" to see who could wear the best "urban camo."

Very few people suspect an OWB Glock 19 to be under a "Hawaiian" shirt covered with fish, sailboats, flowers, etc.