Shirt Keeps Blowing Open

[BillCA]

The penny/nickle/fishing weights can all work, but you have to do it right.

A tailor once showed me how he makes it work.
First, never use lead fishing weights or wire.
If the shirt-hem has a folded hem at the bottom, open one end and feed in a length of aluminum or stainless steel solid wire about 6 inches long. Position it between 1 and 3 o'clock (9 & 11 for southpaws). Add a few stitches fore and aft to keep it from shifting and close the opened end.

The weight of the wire doesn't need to be really heavy, just enough to resist bending in the wind. Adding the weight of a pair of nickels at the front corner will reduce the "fly open" effect from a gust of wind.

The other method is to use fusible lining material to secure the wire and/or nickles. This thin, white material can be ironed on to fabrics to stiffen them slightly and can create a pocket for weights. This material can be added along the inside of the shirt to stiffen the fabric a bit so it reduces printing too.

For dress jackets and coats, carry something with a little weight in the strong side jacket pocket. A wad of keys, a pager/PDA, speedloaders, etc. This helps keep the jacket from flipping open in the breeze. But the bigger plus is that this extra weight helps the jacket carry backwards, out of the way, when you go to draw your firearm. Especially with a breeze at your back.

[Don P]

Staples will work also

[rburch]

I just tuck my hands into my pockets, and kinda hold down the edges of my shirts with my arms.

I also tend to carry at the 5 oclock position, and normally have a mag in a galco horizontal pouch at 7 oclock, so I need to watch both sides.

[FM12]

Sorry I thought it said "Skirt".

[peejman]

Originally Posted by Skan21

I wear an undershirt, generally Under Armor, because it keeps the metal off my skin.

Yep. My holster is leather backed, but it's the same issue. The Starter brand stuff at wal-mart works well and costs much less than Under Armor. I'm a hot-natured person so the wicking material helps a bunch when it's warm.

[Tucker 1371]

When I wear longsleeved button down shirts I like to wear it with the sleeves rolled up and unbuttoned down to about the sternum or one button higher. Not sure how it would look buttoned like that on a hawaiian shirt but you could try it.

[dstyle47]

There can be only one solution....Duct Tape....it solves ALL problems.

[emcon5]

This may be a bit of a simplistic solution, but can you just walk with your hand in your pocket on the gun side when it looks like this may happen?

[lwestatbus]

I found a really convenient solution to this problem. I remembered a name badge I once had which you attached with a magnetic back--one magnet glued to the badge and one that went inside your shirt. I then checked Michael's Craft store online site and they carry the perfect product but...they are way across town. So I tried Home Depot and guess what??!! They carry a set of four pairs of 3/4" round disk magnets in the hardware section (House-Mates brand. SKU is 0 30699 97064 3. About $2.89 for the set of eight magnets as I recall.) They are PERFECT.

1. Place one magnet inside a belt loop on your pants at the 1, 2, or 3 o'clock position.
2. Fold about an inch of the leading edge of your shirt back and place the second magnet inside aligned with the one in your belt loop. (Hint: Be sure to use the correct side of the second magnet or it will push away from the first one. Remember 5th grade physics.)
3. Experiment a little with the alignment of the magnet in the shirt so the shirt hangs at a natural height.

From the outside the layers you encouter are:
1. Outer layer of shirt
2. Outer magnet
3. Layer of shirt folded back on itself
4. Fabric of belt loop
5. Inner magnet
6. Belt (if worn)
7. Waistband of pants
8. T-shirt (if worn--probably so if using an ISW carry)
9. Undershorts (if worn--see above)
10. You

Advantages
1. They worked in a pretty stiff wind this afternoon
2. They are cheap
3. I had no trouble reaching through the shirt opening for the pistol
4. The magnets drop away when drawing (except in one case when the inside-the-shirt magnet stayed stuck to the belt-loop magent after the shirt was pulled away). They are cheap enough so that if you loose one in action who cares? (Hint: Practice where you can find the one when it drops and don't practice on your wife's tile floor.)
5. You get the magnets from the manly hardware section at Home Depot instead of at some craft store. [Insert Tim Allen grunt here.]

Disadvantages
1. You don't get to use your duct tape
2. You don't get to walk around in some strange state of dress and holding your hand oddly.

I want to see if I can work up a system to permanently mount one of the magnets on a belt loop that will slide on the belt using thinner fabric. This would give more flexibility and I'd prefer that the magnet not be fixed through the folded over fabric that makes up the belt loop.

[lwestatbus]

I wanted to start a new thread with a solution to a problem I'd originally posed in the thread Shirt Keeps Blowing Open.

Here it is:

I found a really convenient solution to this problem. I remembered a name badge I once had which you attached with a magnetic back--one magnet glued to the badge and one that went inside your shirt. I then checked Michael's Craft store online site and they carry the perfect product but...they are way across town. So I tried Home Depot and guess what??!! They carry a set of four pairs of 3/4" round disk magnets in the hardware section (House-Mates brand. SKU is 0 30699 97064 3. About $2.89 for the set of eight magnets as I recall.) They are PERFECT.

1. Place one magnet inside a belt loop on your pants at the 1, 2, or 3 o'clock position.
2. Fold about an inch of the leading edge of your shirt back and place the second magnet inside aligned with the one in your belt loop. (Hint: Be sure to use the correct side of the second magnet or it will push away from the first one. Remember 5th grade physics.)
3. Experiment a little with the alignment of the magnet in the shirt so the shirt hangs at a natural height.

From the outside the layers you encouter are:
1. Outer layer of shirt
2. Outer magnet
3. Layer of shirt folded back on itself
4. Fabric of belt loop
5. Inner magnet
6. Belt (if worn)
7. Waistband of pants
8. T-shirt (if worn--probably so if using an ISW carry)
9. Undershorts (if worn--see above)
10. You

Advantages
1. They worked in a pretty stiff wind this afternoon
2. They are cheap
3. I had no trouble reaching through the shirt opening for the pistol
4. The magnets drop away when drawing (except in one case when the inside-the-shirt magnet stayed stuck to the belt-loop magent after the shirt was pulled away). They are cheap enough so that if you loose one in action who cares? (Hint: Practice where you can find the one when it drops and don't practice on your wife's tile floor.)
5. You get the magnets from the manly hardware section at Home Depot instead of at some craft store. [Insert Tim Allen grunt here.]

Disadvantages
1. You don't get to use your duct tape
2. You don't get to walk around in some strange state of dress and holding your hand oddly.

I want to see if I can work up a system to permanently mount one of the magnets on a belt loop that will slide on the belt using thinner fabric. This would give more flexibility and I'd prefer that the magnet not be fixed through the folded over fabric that makes up the belt loop.

[maestro pistolero]

Why a new thread, when is the same topic?

[Bud Helms]

Good question.

Threads merged.