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CCW Clothing you hate/love

38K views 176 replies 130 participants last post by  Bad Bob 
#1 ·
#111 ·
I LOVE tacky Hawaiian shirts. They are thin, long, baggy, and the pattern breaks up printing. I also love oversized tie-dyed tee shirts. The great thing about both are that no one would ever see someone wearing either one and think "That dude's packin' heat" unless they are old enough to know who Magnum PI is.
 
#112 ·
I wear pants with a lot of pockets and I use near bout all of them. In summer I wear shorts with a lot of pockets.
I pretty much wear T-Shirts all year long. Everything I wear is always 100% Cotton.
I like to be comfortable until such time as it's time to be SHTF uncomfortable.
 
#113 ·
Until I started carrying concealed I would never have considered any of these styles of dress (vests, fanny packs, cargo pants, etc.) indicative of gun toting, bible thumping red necks. I still don't! It doesn't matter what someone thinks, it just has to be concealed. It seems like gun people can be a bit quick to ridicule or judgement. I think I'll go buy a vest now!
 
#115 ·
Yeah, I'm one of those "Old Dudes" (58 yrs) that wears a vest in cooler weather. I either wear one of these, RedHead® Ripstop Utility Vests for Men | Bass Pro Shops or one of these, Columbia® Cathedral Peak™ Vests for Men | Bass Pro Shops

I honestly don't care if someone suspects that I'm carrying a gun, (usually a Glock)...makes no difference to me 'cause I'm permitted to do so. When it warms up I can dress in shorts and a colored tee shirt or golf shirt and either wear my Glock 27 OWB in a pancake holster or just put my Ruger LC 9, LCP or S&W 642 in my RF pocket.

Google "shoot me first vest" and you will see quite a lot of discussion about the subject...most of it de-bunking the myth!
 
#116 ·
Well I have been carrying professionally for the last 30 years or so and have never had a problem nor heard of a problem with the "Shoot me first" vest and on occasion I will have a 1911 under it. And........?
I will wear them on occasion along with my 5.11 pants and my WT belt. I have been wearing the same belt since my first contract in Afghanistan in 06. Most of the time the belt is covered up anyways so it makes no difference. The belt to me simply works better than others at holding up whatever gear I am wearing. Not knocking anyone else's choices I just happen to like mine.

So with all this talk about bad guys knowing about tactical clothing, belts and the most famous shoot me vests I guess this is the ultimate thread against open carry?
If I am targeted simply because of the vest, pants or belt I wear these poor guys are screwed from the start. Most people don't pay enough attention to notice if their hair is on fire much less what others are wearing. The exceptions may be the extremes like a woman with low cut shirt, high cut shorts or the black guy with the hoodie and bandana or the biker in leathers other than that they don't really care.

There are times no matter what you wear you will be singled out. Someone posted about stories from their PSD days. Yep standing there in a tactical vest, trench coat, suit coat in 100 degree weather with an ear bud in your ear talking into your wrist you will get noticed pretty quick then it's how did they know?

Personally I don't care if by the way I dress I scream that I am toting as I said in another post you leave me and mine alone I will leave you alone. I do think that to much is being put into this as long as the clothing is comfortable, allows quick access to equipment, and the weapon stays concealed wear what you want.
 
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#117 ·
Like input First Sgt. I wear Cargo pants but no vest instead I like the blue water fishing shirt it helps with 2pr of glasses, readers and dark , plus my cell. I'm 72 and I like myself and I do not worry about what others think about they I dress it's to fit my needs. With that said I have to catch my plane.
 
#120 ·
TMI...TMI...No pics please no pics.
 
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#122 ·
Actually cut short enough for the pockets to hang below the fringe

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO that image is now engrained, thanks.
 
#124 ·
Clothing I love with IWB j-frame or BHP: sleeveless (tanktop) undershirt; guayavera or Hawaiian shirts, sweatshirt/hoody and any jeans or slacks
Clothing I love with OWB j-frame or BHP: sweatshirt; jacket or sportcoat over knitted sportshirt
Clothing I love with j-frame pocketed: loose fit jeans or pleated chinos
Jeans

Clothing I hate: anything tight fitting, anytime, anywhere. Always have.
 
#125 ·
Everything I wear is always 100% Cotton. I hate synthetics. For HOT weather I love 100% Cotton shorts with as many pockets as possible. If that's considered to be Tactical then count me in for Tactical Cotton shorts.

In Summer I mostly wear oversize Cotton T-shirts with even the short sleeves cut off. I hate long sleeves. I don't even own any long sleeve shirts anymore.
Even my Winter dress shirts are short sleeves.
Mrs. QK buys me some long sleeve WINTER Flannel Shirts for Christmas - I'm breaking out the scissors and cutting the sleeves all the way off...day one. :biggrin2:
I carry a full size firearm under a slightly oversize (untucked) T-Shirt OWB with a good stiff gun belt and high quality (extreme forward cant) holsters that pull the butt of my firearms in close. It has worked out fine for me for years.

I don't buy Tactical clothing because it's Tactical. I buy clothing with a lot of necessary pockets which Tactical style clothing usually has lots of.

I don't wear any vests but, all Sheeple do not associate a vest with firearm carry.
Really only some other gunners do and so who would care about that. :confused: I guess a tiny percentage of bad guys would associate a vest with somebody carrying a concealed firearm but, I think that is greatly way overblown.

Of course trained LEO would instantly recognize a 5.11 type vest (they get the 5.11 catalogs in the mail) :biggrin2: but, why would the citizen that is legally carrying care if some LEO assumes that he is carrying?
 
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#126 ·
Just wondering if anyone on here has ever heard or read about someone being "shot first" because they were wearing a vest? I really doubt it.
 
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#128 · (Edited)
I think as CCW'ers we think more people are paying attention to us than there really are. I almost always carry OWB year round with blue jeans and a t-shirt over the gun. No huge, plus sized shirt...just my standard XL that I've worn for 14 years or so. I don't worry much about printing as people around me are typically oblivious to anything other than their cell phones. All I have to be aware of is reaching above my head and having the bottom of the holster peak out from under my shirt in some places. For a while I tried holding down my shirt with one hand while reaching overhead with the other hand, but after a few trips to the store with that routine I decided that action was more likely to draw attention than just grabbing what I need and getting on with my life. I still try to keep my gun side away from bystanders in such instances just in case anyone observant is near. However, I can't say that I "worry" about anyone seeing the bottom of the holster. Even if they did, most see a piece of leather or plastic (assuming no 3" of barrel sticking out the bottom) hanging out from under a shirt and assume it is something to do with a cell phone.

Now, I will say that as a person who carries everywhere permissible that I constantly see people wearing things like vests, Hawaii five-o shirts, fanny packs, etc and assume that those items are a tell that they're carrying. And occasionally I'll see a guy (who works at LGS) walking around in tactical pants, with his tactical vest, and NRA hat on his head...I'd imagine that many people (even the un-observant varieties) suspect that this gentleman is carrying.

For the most part though, I think our own paranoia is usually a bigger worry than being made wearing fairly normal clothing (i.e. Cargo pants, vests anytime except middle of summer, etc).
 
#129 ·
Okay, a lot in this thread. So here goes...

I love/hate tuckable holsters. Love the idea but hate the loops on my belt that don't fit....I know I know, no one notices. I think they do or will at some point.

I love vests and wish I was a cowboy out west so i could pull off the nice leather ones; nothing "shoot me first" about those! But it doesn't work for me. I'm in missouri so I do wear vests a lot in the fall, winter and spring but they aren't photographers vests, usually they're fleece lined working vests.

I love/hate tactical pants and belts....I finally broke down and and bought a wilderness instructors belt. Felt very self conscious wearing it at first but guess what, I LOVE IT. It takes all of the abuse you can through at it and is perfectly, infinitely adjustable which makes it very very comfortable. I DON'T like it for hiking/backpacking becasue it's too heavy.

I Love/Hate Smartcarry's. tried several and wanted to love them more but can't seem to get over the feeling down there :redface:

I love/hate Remora holsters; love the idea, hate the added bulk and just can't get over not having that holster/gun affixed to a belt. Wish I could but I can't.

Other than that, i can't stand gun decals or patches on everyday wear. Someone else mentioned this. I hate standing out and like to live in steath mode if that doesn't sound corny. when a guy wears a SIG patch or an AR15 T-shirt, it just seems inappropriate for some reason but I could never explain why so it's just my own foolishness. I think those things are great for range day or an organized meeting of like minded folks.

I LOVE/HATE simple T-shirts untucked. It's got to be the classic, jeans, IWB and an untucked T-shirt. I love how comfortable and easy it is but feel too dressed down with an untucked shirt. I know, more hangups :rolleyes:, you've got them too.

I wear them but like to find a collared shirt with squared hem that doesn't go down to my knees.

Enjoy your day!
Gideon
 
#133 ·
I retired from the Army in 05, and now work as a DA civilian.

Hell, I need 5.11 pants, vest, an instructor belt, wrap-around shades and a multicam ruck just to fit in. It seems to be the style of dress around here, nobody notices a thing.

Chuck
 
#134 ·
I carry at work, home and just about anywhere else it legal to do so but, no shorts no tactical clothing of any kind. I wear different shades of tan slacks with different colors of golf or polo shirts all sized a size larger than I would normally wear. This works in warm weather for me, In the winter or cooler months it's a heavier jacket or coat with wool or cotton flannel shirts underneath. These shirts too are one size larger. The King Tuc or Ramora tuckable I wear conceal perfectly for me. This is pretty much how I have dressed since I got out of the service 30 years ago so no one except my wife (I told her I was going to start carrying) noticed anything different when I began carrying three years ago.
 
#136 ·
I've always worn cargo's so it doesn't bother me to walk around in pants that look "tactical", plus I like a lot of pockets. Really like 5.11's Covert Cargo pants; the mag dividers in the cargo pockets are perfect for a glasses case or a tactical flashlight.
Also I really like Duluth Trading's clothing. They tend to be over sized, so work real well for concealed carry.
 
#137 ·
At 6'3" and 300+ pounds, nothing I wear could ever look "tactical". My work-day attire is generally black or dark gray "casual slacks", almost exclusively a blend of cotton & linen and a loose fitting polo shirt, tucked in over a P238 in a N82 tuckable at 2:30. On non-work days, it's sometimes just the same as during the week, but more often it's either light cotton or linen "drawstring" pants with a loose fitting henly or tie-dye t-shirt, untucked. On those drawstring/no-belt days, the P238 rides in a Remora and stays put quite nicely. In either case, when I hop in the truck to drive somewhere, the weapon moves to the 10:30 position in a cross-draw position, IWB, but often over the shirt to minimized deployment interference. I'm so non-tactical it hurts :blink:
 
#138 ·
Eichorn mentioned Duluth Trading and they do have some good quality clothing. I recently acquired a pair of their suspenders designed to be worn under the shirt. Summertime shorts that I can locate and/or afford lack a left rear pocket and the prerequisite belt loops for CCW. The string inside the waistband won't support my shorts, wallet, cell phone, keys, etc:embarassed: let alone my J-frame which is the smallest firearm I own. At appx $25/pair + shipping they are not inexpensive but they are comfortable and mean the difference to me if I'm armed or not when the temps are triple digits. Note to you motorcycle rider types - Duluth’s wide leather ’spenders of the same design will take the weight of those heavy leather chaps off of your hips & lower back when you’re off of the bike.
 
#140 ·
I wear what ever I want the carry method and the weapon need to fit me not the other way around. I do not wear special clothing to carry.
I do have options as far as holsters and weapons depending on my need.
 
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