Concealed carry clothing is drastically different from regular everyday wear. Certain materials, colors, and cuts don’t work for a concealed carry and can easily scream, “I’m carrying a gun!”
The right clothing for concealment should be comfortable and offer easy access to your firearm without compromising style. With that in mind, we’re going to give you the gist of concealed carry clothing in this post, so stick around!
Table of Contents
Concealed Carry Clothing in a Nutshell
For maximum weapon concealment, you need to:
- Choose heavy materials
- Opt for darker colors
- Choose patterns over solids
- Avoid athletic cuts
- Wear pants with extra waist room
- Wear a sturdy leather belt
- Consider undershirts
- Prioritize quick and easy access
- Wear the right holster
- Be sparing with gear
Concealed Carry Clothing in 10 Simple Tips
Instead of writing an exhaustive guide that would make your eyes water just looking at it, we took it upon ourselves to summarize everything you need to know about concealed carry clothing in just ten easy-to-follow tips, starting with the basics!
1. Choose Heavy Fabrics
When choosing an overshirt, you need to consider the weight and thickness of the fabric from which it’s made. Generally, lightweight materials like nylon and spandex are a no-go because they will drape over your gun and cling to it, making it easily noticeable.
Instead, you want to opt for heavier, thicker materials like cotton, linen, denim, and heavy polyester. Such materials aren’t as prone to printing as lighter materials, and so they’re better at hiding what’s behind them.
Keep in mind, however, that the heavier the material, the harder it will be to reach your handgun. So, we generally recommend medium-weight materials, especially if you’re in an area of warmer climate. Still, you need to practice drawing your gun while wearing heavier materials for when the weather gets colder.
Speaking of cold weather, if you live in an area where it’s cold the majority of the year, jackets are your best friends! A jacket can do wonders when it comes to concealing a gun. If it’s hot outside, consider a blazer or a sports coat.
2. Colors Are Important
One of the factors that a lot of concealed carriers neglect when in the market for concealed carry clothing is the color of their shirt. For effective concealment, darker colors are your go-to.
Some of the colors that are perfect for gun concealment include black, dark greys, dark blues, and dark greens. In general, the darker the color, the better it is at hiding the bulge created by your gun and holster.
3. Patterns Trump Solids
This is another factor that concealed carriers don’t pay enough attention to. A plain shirt makes your gun more noticeable, whereas a patterned shirt is better at concealing the contours of your gun and holster, especially if they’re of a dark color.
We recommend patterns that are irregular, like the ones in flannel-style shirts and Hawaiian shirts. Regular patterns, like stripes, aren’t a good idea because they can easily be distorted by the contours of your concealed gun.
4. Avoid Athletic Cuts
When choosing an overshirt, you want to avoid athletic cuts because they’re tapered around the belly, which isn’t convenient for a concealed carry. Instead, you want to go for a standard cut.
The sizing of the shirt will differ depending on your body type. If your chest area is wider than your stomach area, you can go for a standard cut in your regular size. If your stomach area is wider than your chest area, on the other hand, go for a standard cut but size up a notch or two.
If you want to go a step further to ensure maximum concealment, consider opting for a shirt that’s a bit taller than your upper body area. It will help in covering your gun when reaching upwards or bending over. design situation
5. Extra Room at the Waist
Luckily, buying trousers for concealed carrying isn’t as challenging as buying a shirt. The main thing you want to consider in trousers is their waist size. You should opt for pants that are about an inch or two larger than your normal size.
If you don’t like wearing trousers that, in their entirety, are larger than your regular size, you should consider buying trousers that are specifically made for concealed carrying.
Such pants offer extra room at the waist while keeping everything else sized regularly. Some even come with a holster built-in!
The great thing about concealed carry trousers is that they tend to be reinforced to handle extra wear. They’re quite distinct and are available in dressier styles for when you need to pair them with formal attire. One of the best companies to consider when looking for concealed carry trousers is Propper.
It’s also worth pointing out that you can find leggings, yoga pants, and jeans for women that are specifically designed for the purpose of carrying a concealed weapon for self-defense.
6. Wear a Sturdy Belt
One of the most important clothing accessories to consider when carrying concealed is your belt. If you’re wearing a weak, unreliable belt, it won’t be able to support your weapon and it will make it harder for you to draw and reholster.
You should choose a comfortable belt of great durability. Ideally, it should be made of high-quality leather. It will support the weight of your gun without any problem. In the market for a sturdy gun belt? Kore Essentials and CCW Breakaways are the brands to check out!
When picking out a belt, you want to make sure that the belt’s strap is compatible with the type of holster you have.
Also, if you’re using an IWB holster, make sure the color of the belt is the same as the holster straps so that they blend together. This is especially important if you’re going for an appendix carry.
7. Consider an Undershirt
Even though it’s optional, there are many benefits to wearing an undershirt. For starters, undershirts make it way easier to conceal your weapon since they usually come with built-in holsters under each arm. What’s more, they help prevent the finish of your gun from corroding due to sweat.
The considerations you have to make when shopping for an overshirt don’t really apply to undershirts. For instance, you don’t have to go for shirts or t-shirts that are made of a thick fabric since it’s going to sit under your gun, not over it. Your best bet is a moisture-wicking material for sweat resistance.
Another benefit to wearing an undershirt is that it prevents your skin from chafing against your firearm, which can be very uncomfortable. Concealed carry undershirts are available in a wide range of styles for different occasions.
8. Prioritize Easy Access
What good does a concealed carry do if it takes you too long to reach your gun? As we mentioned earlier, quick and easy access is one of the fundamentals of effective concealed carrying.
When it comes to easy access, a snap shirt is your best bet, seeing as it features snap buttons instead of traditional buttons. Snap buttons are super easy to undo, allowing for quick access to your weapon.
9. Wear the Right Holster
No matter what you do, if you have the wrong size holster for your gun, you risk compromising your concealed carry! The holster needs to be the right size to accommodate and conceal your gun. It also needs to be sturdy and designed in such a way that it allows easy drawing.
Depending on your personal preference, you need to consider the holster’s level of retention. Does it have active or passive retention?
Does it have a safety trigger guard and an adjustable retention strap for your protection? Is it an inside-the-waist (IWB) or an outside-the-waist (OWB) holster?
These are all questions that you need to take into consideration to ensure your safety and to conceal your guns properly.
10. Be Sparing With Gear
Admittedly, tactical gear looks cool and is quite convenient, but not when carrying concealed. Rocking a lot of gear defeats the purpose of concealment since it draws attention.
If you’re walking around in tactical pants with plenty of pockets, a pair of combat boots, and a shirt that rocking the Glock logo, chances are everyone around you will assume you’re carrying. So, do yourself a favor and go easy on the gear when you’re outdoors.
In Summary
Dressing for a concealed carry is easy once you know what to search for in clothing items, from the right materials and colors to the right patterns and sizing.
All of the above-listed tips are practical for both men and women. If you follow them to a tee, you should have no problem carrying concealed while going about your day-to-day life.