More years ago than I even care to remember I began having to carry a concealed weapon as part of my work. My wardrobe was the last thing I was considering at the time. I was far more concerned with the weapon that would serve my purposes at the moment. It needed to be large enough in caliber to provide adequate protection for myself and those around me while still being small enough in size to be able to conceal well. It was indeed a dilemma which for a long time gave me fits.
Eventually I decided that I needed to focus more on the proper weapon than I did on the clothes that would help me conceal it and so I decided on carrying a Springfield Armory 45 caliber semi-automatic with a 5-inch barrel in stainless steel finish. This allowed me to be properly armed and allowed good balance as it related to shot placement.
Choosing the correct holster in which to carry this large weapon was my next concern. It needed to be a high quality holster that would afford me comfort while still being easy to carry for an extended time each day. Sometimes that meant that I would be carrying this weapon for more than 8 hours each day. Needless to say this was a major concern. What I found was that it was impractical to try to put the weapon in an inside the pants holster as it was just too large. I then went to a vertical shoulder holster but soon learned that when drawing the weapon it made me swing the barrel of the weapon toward things other than my intended target. This was also the case with a horizontal shoulder rig. It again required me to swing the barrel of the weapon in directions that I thought to be unsafe. So what was I to do? Well, in the end I decided on a paddle holster. It didn't require a belt to hold it securely and was available in either leather or nylon. I have never been a fan of nylon holsters so went with the leather holster. Even after hours of carry each day it was comfortable, didn't shift positions as I wore it and was fairly easy to conceal beneath a jacket or a sweater.
After having solved that problem I was faced with another one that being the concealment of a second weapon as a back up. I chose to carry a small revolver as it allowed me to carry it in a jacket pocket or a pants pocket. The revolver I chose did not have a hammer thereby avoiding the problem of it snagging on clothing when I drew it from the holster, jacket or pocket. A semi-automatic weapon would have allowed one shot but then, because of the action, would have made the weapon useless for any further shots without it being total out of the protective pocket or holster. A revolver was the best choice.
Eventually I had to chose a summer holster. Weather considerations were a big factor for carry as the location I worked would sometimes be over 100 degrees on some days and wearing a jacket or a sweater simply was not possible. I had to find a way to conceal my weapons without "printing" or showing to anyone on the street that I was armed. The solution was an inside the pants holster. With it I could carry the weapon and cover it well enough with a shirt that was untucked and nobody would know that I was armed. It did take some getting used to however because the pants that I wore were purchased before the weapon and were therefore not designed to have a weapon stuffed between the belt and my body. It was very uncomfortable to say the least. The solution was obvious. I had to change my wardrobe to fit the gun rather than try to carry a weapon that fit the wardrobe that I already had. Once I discovered this simple solution it was no longer a problem.
And that's what you must do also. If your weapon has become part of your daily wardrobe and you must wear it for many hours each day you must simply change your wardrobe to fit the weapon you're carrying. Not doing so will create a dangerous situation as it could give away the fact that you are armed at a time when that really should not be known by anyone. That's why it is called "concealed" carry.
It's time now for you to head to your local clothing store and begin trying on new pants. Of course to know exactly if the weapon will fit properly concealed you'll have to have it on your person so you can go into the fitting room and be sure it's going to work. Don't simply go buy bigger wasted pants, bring them home and learn too late that you've chosen the wrong size. Cuts on clothing are different by brand and style. You must try them on before the purchase and with the weapon in place.
Don't worry. Nobody's going to come into the dressing room with you. They'll never know!
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