There is little to be gained in specialized clothing made for concealed carry. It is far better to be good with everyday clothes and here is why.
Paints you into a corner
First off, you have a very limited amount of options to choose from if you venture down the path of specialized clothing for concealed carry. There are not a lot of manufactures doing it and those that are, aren’t really doing that good of a job. It sort of defeats the purpose behind blending in when all you wear are the same types of clothes from the same brand. It is in your best interest to diversify your clothing options as best as you can so you constantly keep people guessing in a sense. Besides at some point, that manufacture won’t produce the product anymore or you just can’t find any when you need them. Like anything, clothing is a consumable item and you need to realize your favorite shirt or whatever will eventually need to be retired. Then what?
Uniform appearance
The other problem and this is a big one is it gives off a uniform appearance. I hate to say it, but at that point you really are not fooling anyone. In fact, the more successful a company is at marketing the more likely everyone is going to know what is going on or at the very least have a good idea. It was a basic tenant in force protection overseas, don’t attract attention to yourself, that includes wearing flashing clothes or clothes that are associated with a certain type of profession. If it walks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. If you are ever bored at the airport just sit down and do some people watching. Even though you are in a secured area, you can pretty much guess some people’s profession by the clothes the wear.
Creates a crutch you don’t need
Another big issue for me is the perceived gain in customizing some of your clothes or features that are “optimized” for concealed carry. Most of the time, they don’t work or were not vetted by those who really carry everyday. Keep it simple, if you go to any major department store and by a pair of pants and a shirt then conceal your load out well you are pretty much kicking ass. I use to buy some local clothing, at least a shirt in an effort to blend in better in certain parts of the world. There is no way I would have done as well had I relied on special features.
No replacement for good technique
The bottom line, is good technique and hard work is not replaceable with gimmicks. You have to first develop solid technique given your primary environmental and work conditions. Then, you want to have a few options to fall back on for those times out of the norm. I find it to be more valuable to remind folks there is no hardware solution, the majority of times it is a software solution that really makes the difference.
Many of these ideas had good intentions, but you don’t need them if you are good. At a certain point you develop proficiency and comfort with a wide range of clothing options.
"Confidence is the most important single factor in this game, and no matter how great your natural talent, there is only one way to obtain and sustain it: work." Jack Nicklaus, American Professional Golfer
