The GMW Concealed Carry Gun Pack. Now available now on Amazon.com. BUY NOW
The GMW IWB magazine holster with built-in neodymium magnets. Now available now on Amazon.com. BUY NOW
Do you wear dress clothes everyday or only during occasions that call for it? Do you like to concealed carry each time you leave the house? If your answer to these two questions is a resounding “yes”, then you’ve probably wondered many times how to concealed carry in dress clothes. While it seems relatively complex to concealed carry in business casual, there is quite a large amount of flexibility available to do so.
While concealed carrying with a tucked in dress shirt or with any business casual attire, it is important to realize that there is a big difference between just covering your gun and effectively concealing it. It is not enough that you wear clothes that drape over your firearm. The trick to effectively concealed carrying in dress clothes lies in finding the perfect balance between concealment and accessibility. Having your firearm accessible, even while “dressing to kill”, is crucial for effective day-to-day concealed carrying. So read on – and become a master in concealing your firearm while wearing dress clothes!
Table of Contents
Basics of Concealed Carrying in Dress Clothes
Patterned Shirts
Clothes with Heavier Fabric
Baggier Clothes
Methods of Concealed Carrying in Business Attire
Tuckable Holsters
Pocket Carry
Ankle Carry
Shoulder Holster
Sport Coat as Cover
Off-body Carry
Tactical Apparel
Basics of Concealed Carrying in Dress Clothes
Learning how to concealed carry in dress clothes is not too difficult. To start, it takes adding a bit of variety to your wardrobe. Here are some basic clothing tips for maximum concealment while concealed carrying in business casual or professional.
Patterned Shirts
The first step to breaking up the “print” of your CCW: wearing patterned shirt. The key to successfully concealed carrying in a tucked in dress shirt is wearing more colors and patterns. This choice might not place you on the pages of Esquire Magazine with the solid blue/white dress shirt wearing models but helps greatly in obscuring your concealed firearm – colored patterns help conceal the bulge of your gun as the fabric of your shirt drapes over your firearm, deceiving the human eye. On the other hand, light, solid colored clothing will make your handgun or revolver stand out like a sore thumb. Read more anti-printing techniques in our article here!
Clothes with Heavy Fabric
Clothes with light fabric have the tendency to drape around not only the curves of your body but hardware as well. On the other hand, heavier cotton or linen clothing don’t drape over your gun as easily, making them great material for the clothes you wear while concealed carrying in dress clothes. Clothing made of heavy fabric don’t as easily show the contour of objects underneath. Ironed or starched fabrics also work well in concealing your firearm.
Baggier Clothes
This one is a popular one (also because baggier clothes are more comfortable!) – wear less tight dress clothes while concealed carrying in business casual/professional. Tighter dress clothes might be in vogue now, but cause you to print your CCW quite easily.
Methods of Concealed Carrying in Business Attire
The second step in learning how to concealed carry in dress clothes is picking the best concealed carry method to your body type and professional attire. Let’s start!
Tuckable Holsters
Spies in Hollywood movies like Mission Impossible and James Bond have long fascinated moviegoers (like myself) with their uncanny ability easily draw and carry their concealed carry when wearing business casual or business professional. If you find yourself wondering how they do it – one trick lies in tuckable holsters. Tuckable holsters allow you to clip the holster to your belt, and “tuck” the gun inside your waistband (IWB) – obscuring from prying eyes. Your blazer would then drape over the clip of the holster, completely protecting it from being seen.
This carry method may feel strange at first, but can be mastered through constant practice. Prior to going out with this carry method for the first time, practice it while wearing your dress shirt/business attire. Practice sweeping back your jacket and drawing your CCW, walking around with your tuckable holster secured, etc. Depending on what you are wearing, this may also require practicing pulling your shirt out of your dress pants, and then grasping and drawing your gun. You do not want to find yourself in a situation where you are concealed carrying, but are ill equipped due to lack of practice to draw your firearm in a time of need (God forbid). You may not be used concealed carrying with a tucked in dress shirt, but you should always be ready to draw regardless of what you are wearing.
With tuckable holsters, some gun owners run into another issue – dress pants sizing. Most dress pants are cut exactly according to your waist size, thus offering little stretch. If you are planning to concealed carry your gun in a tuckable holster while dressing in professional attire, consider buying pants that are a size or two bigger than your normal size. This accommodates the girth of the gun and holster where it will be secured. This also reduces discomfort while carrying the holster (as tight dress pants will press the holster hard against your waist).
Pocket Carry
If you are looking for a simple and natural way to concealed carry in dress clothes, there is nothing that fits the bill better than carrying a smaller CCW in your pocket. This makes drawing your CCW very easy – simply put your hand in your pocket, get a grip on your firearm, and draw.
Some small guns to consider for pocket carrying in business attire are snub-nosed revolvers or small .380s. However, you do run into one issue while pocket carrying – when seated/bending, your firearm makes a crease in your pants. As a result, getting your hand in and out of your pocket to draw your CCW can be very difficult. And if the dress pants you are wearing are made from more lightweight material, it is likely that your gun may flop around a bit as well.
To remedy this, consider buying a pocket holster. This keeps your pocket carry firearm secured as you move in your tucked dress shirt/dress clothes, making your concealed carry more effective. If you decide to follow this route, make sure that there is nothing else in your pocket with your firearm and that the holster stays in your pocket when your draw your gun.
Ankle Carry
Another option for concealed carrying with a tucked in dress shirt is ankle carrying. Most dress pants have cuffs that provide adequate cover for an ankle holster. Although the pants may ride up just a bit in a seated position, a proper ankle holster will stay concealed. If you are wearing dark pants, socks, and shoes, a dark holster is the perfect choice.
One drawback, however, of ankle holsters is that they only have space for smaller firearms. And although they can keep your guns well-concealed, ankle holsters offer a low accessibility factor. To draw your firearm from an ankle holster, you have to stoop, kneel, and get your hand near your ankle. This process saps precious seconds during emergency situations when the quick drawing of a gun is needed.
Shoulder Holster
If you wear your blazer/jacket with your suit most of the time, then a shoulder holster is a good option for concealed carrying in business casual or professional. They are comfortable and can be easily worn beneath your jacket, allowing for easy concealment in professional attire.
Like other holsters, you will still need a lot of practice to pull off this method of concealed carrying in dress clothes. Practice drawing your firearm from your shoulder holster in order to shorten your lag time in cases of emergencies.
Sport Coat as Cover
Wearing a sport coat to cover up your firearm offers maximum concealment of your weapon with minimum access time. If you are wondering how to concealed carry in dress clothes using this method, a sport coat worn over a collared shirt allows you to easily concealed carry an OWB holstered gun. This way, you may carry a larger gun and a reload on your strong side. One advantage of this method is that it allows you to carry different sizes of gun. Aside from that, it is also very comfortable and gives you greater maneuverability.
In addition, it allows you to draw your gun quickly. Sport coats can conceal a pocket carry, cover up an outside the waistband (OWB) or inside the waistband (IWB) holster, and a shoulder holster. However, there is a catch with this method of concealed carry with a tucked in shirt – you have to wear it all the time.
Off-body Carry
One disadvantage of this carrying technique is that it leaves your firearm out of reach and out of your control. However, there is still a way to pull it off depending on the other gear you are carrying. For example, you may carry a messenger bag on your shoulder with your firearm concealed in it at all times. This method of concealed carry in dress clothes doesn’t draw the attention of others, but may require slower accessibility times and deployment.
Tactical Apparel
You can also scout for apparel designed for concealed carrying in dress clothes. Although there are many dress shirts available on the internet with built-in holsters, I do not recommend them. Instead, go for tactical undershirts that you can wear underneath your suit. Tactical shirts have built-in holsters that can help conceal your weapon. They work best when they fit tightly against your body.
Learning how to concealed carry in dress clothes requires a great deal of practice on your part – and some breaks in habit. You will never know when you may need to pull out your CCW. If the need to draw comes at a dressy occasion, then mastering these methods will make a huge difference in ensuring your safety and those of the people around you.
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How to Concealed Carry in Dress Clothes
The GMW Concealed Carry Gun Pack. Now available now on Amazon.com.
BUY NOW
BUY NOW
Do you wear dress clothes everyday or only during occasions that call for it? Do you like to concealed carry each time you leave the house? If your answer to these two questions is a resounding “yes”, then you’ve probably wondered many times how to concealed carry in dress clothes. While it seems relatively complex to concealed carry in business casual, there is quite a large amount of flexibility available to do so.
While concealed carrying with a tucked in dress shirt or with any business casual attire, it is important to realize that there is a big difference between just covering your gun and effectively concealing it. It is not enough that you wear clothes that drape over your firearm. The trick to effectively concealed carrying in dress clothes lies in finding the perfect balance between concealment and accessibility. Having your firearm accessible, even while “dressing to kill”, is crucial for effective day-to-day concealed carrying. So read on – and become a master in concealing your firearm while wearing dress clothes!
Table of Contents
Basics of Concealed Carrying in Dress Clothes
Patterned Shirts
Clothes with Heavier Fabric
Baggier Clothes
Methods of Concealed Carrying in Business Attire
Tuckable Holsters
Pocket Carry
Ankle Carry
Shoulder Holster
Sport Coat as Cover
Off-body Carry
Tactical Apparel
Basics of Concealed Carrying in Dress Clothes
Learning how to concealed carry in dress clothes is not too difficult. To start, it takes adding a bit of variety to your wardrobe. Here are some basic clothing tips for maximum concealment while concealed carrying in business casual or professional.
Patterned Shirts
The first step to breaking up the “print” of your CCW: wearing patterned shirt. The key to successfully concealed carrying in a tucked in dress shirt is wearing more colors and patterns. This choice might not place you on the pages of Esquire Magazine with the solid blue/white dress shirt wearing models but helps greatly in obscuring your concealed firearm – colored patterns help conceal the bulge of your gun as the fabric of your shirt drapes over your firearm, deceiving the human eye. On the other hand, light, solid colored clothing will make your handgun or revolver stand out like a sore thumb. Read more anti-printing techniques in our article here!
Clothes with Heavy Fabric
Clothes with light fabric have the tendency to drape around not only the curves of your body but hardware as well. On the other hand, heavier cotton or linen clothing don’t drape over your gun as easily, making them great material for the clothes you wear while concealed carrying in dress clothes. Clothing made of heavy fabric don’t as easily show the contour of objects underneath. Ironed or starched fabrics also work well in concealing your firearm.
Baggier Clothes
This one is a popular one (also because baggier clothes are more comfortable!) – wear less tight dress clothes while concealed carrying in business casual/professional. Tighter dress clothes might be in vogue now, but cause you to print your CCW quite easily.
Methods of Concealed Carrying in Business Attire
The second step in learning how to concealed carry in dress clothes is picking the best concealed carry method to your body type and professional attire. Let’s start!
Tuckable Holsters
Spies in Hollywood movies like Mission Impossible and James Bond have long fascinated moviegoers (like myself) with their uncanny ability easily draw and carry their concealed carry when wearing business casual or business professional. If you find yourself wondering how they do it – one trick lies in tuckable holsters. Tuckable holsters allow you to clip the holster to your belt, and “tuck” the gun inside your waistband (IWB) – obscuring from prying eyes. Your blazer would then drape over the clip of the holster, completely protecting it from being seen.
This carry method may feel strange at first, but can be mastered through constant practice. Prior to going out with this carry method for the first time, practice it while wearing your dress shirt/business attire. Practice sweeping back your jacket and drawing your CCW, walking around with your tuckable holster secured, etc. Depending on what you are wearing, this may also require practicing pulling your shirt out of your dress pants, and then grasping and drawing your gun. You do not want to find yourself in a situation where you are concealed carrying, but are ill equipped due to lack of practice to draw your firearm in a time of need (God forbid). You may not be used concealed carrying with a tucked in dress shirt, but you should always be ready to draw regardless of what you are wearing.
With tuckable holsters, some gun owners run into another issue – dress pants sizing. Most dress pants are cut exactly according to your waist size, thus offering little stretch. If you are planning to concealed carry your gun in a tuckable holster while dressing in professional attire, consider buying pants that are a size or two bigger than your normal size. This accommodates the girth of the gun and holster where it will be secured. This also reduces discomfort while carrying the holster (as tight dress pants will press the holster hard against your waist).
Pocket Carry
If you are looking for a simple and natural way to concealed carry in dress clothes, there is nothing that fits the bill better than carrying a smaller CCW in your pocket. This makes drawing your CCW very easy – simply put your hand in your pocket, get a grip on your firearm, and draw.
Some small guns to consider for pocket carrying in business attire are snub-nosed revolvers or small .380s. However, you do run into one issue while pocket carrying – when seated/bending, your firearm makes a crease in your pants. As a result, getting your hand in and out of your pocket to draw your CCW can be very difficult. And if the dress pants you are wearing are made from more lightweight material, it is likely that your gun may flop around a bit as well.
To remedy this, consider buying a pocket holster. This keeps your pocket carry firearm secured as you move in your tucked dress shirt/dress clothes, making your concealed carry more effective. If you decide to follow this route, make sure that there is nothing else in your pocket with your firearm and that the holster stays in your pocket when your draw your gun.
Ankle Carry
Another option for concealed carrying with a tucked in dress shirt is ankle carrying. Most dress pants have cuffs that provide adequate cover for an ankle holster. Although the pants may ride up just a bit in a seated position, a proper ankle holster will stay concealed. If you are wearing dark pants, socks, and shoes, a dark holster is the perfect choice.
One drawback, however, of ankle holsters is that they only have space for smaller firearms. And although they can keep your guns well-concealed, ankle holsters offer a low accessibility factor. To draw your firearm from an ankle holster, you have to stoop, kneel, and get your hand near your ankle. This process saps precious seconds during emergency situations when the quick drawing of a gun is needed.
Shoulder Holster
If you wear your blazer/jacket with your suit most of the time, then a shoulder holster is a good option for concealed carrying in business casual or professional. They are comfortable and can be easily worn beneath your jacket, allowing for easy concealment in professional attire.
Like other holsters, you will still need a lot of practice to pull off this method of concealed carrying in dress clothes. Practice drawing your firearm from your shoulder holster in order to shorten your lag time in cases of emergencies.
Sport Coat as Cover
Wearing a sport coat to cover up your firearm offers maximum concealment of your weapon with minimum access time. If you are wondering how to concealed carry in dress clothes using this method, a sport coat worn over a collared shirt allows you to easily concealed carry an OWB holstered gun. This way, you may carry a larger gun and a reload on your strong side. One advantage of this method is that it allows you to carry different sizes of gun. Aside from that, it is also very comfortable and gives you greater maneuverability.
In addition, it allows you to draw your gun quickly. Sport coats can conceal a pocket carry, cover up an outside the waistband (OWB) or inside the waistband (IWB) holster, and a shoulder holster. However, there is a catch with this method of concealed carry with a tucked in shirt – you have to wear it all the time.
Off-body Carry
One disadvantage of this carrying technique is that it leaves your firearm out of reach and out of your control. However, there is still a way to pull it off depending on the other gear you are carrying. For example, you may carry a messenger bag on your shoulder with your firearm concealed in it at all times. This method of concealed carry in dress clothes doesn’t draw the attention of others, but may require slower accessibility times and deployment.
Tactical Apparel
You can also scout for apparel designed for concealed carrying in dress clothes. Although there are many dress shirts available on the internet with built-in holsters, I do not recommend them. Instead, go for tactical undershirts that you can wear underneath your suit. Tactical shirts have built-in holsters that can help conceal your weapon. They work best when they fit tightly against your body.
Learning how to concealed carry in dress clothes requires a great deal of practice on your part – and some breaks in habit. You will never know when you may need to pull out your CCW. If the need to draw comes at a dressy occasion, then mastering these methods will make a huge difference in ensuring your safety and those of the people around you.