Read this article on CNBC of all places. Fashionable concealed carry attire has been a long time coming, and I am glad to see it getting a bit of design attention. Woolrich is not exactly Armani, but for the moment, it will do. I am not altogether in agreement with the tone of the article, making it seem as if gun owners, and those with a Concealed Carry Permit (myself included) are on the fringe of society, or are the exception to the rule. This strikes me as typical New York Times reporting (where the article originally appeared) and from an area where being an armed or self-sufficient citizen often means enduring the disdain of polite society. Here in California, where Orange County has declared that I do not have a "Pressing Need" to carry a concealed pistol, despite being a Cali DOJ certified instructor (This state has a long and storied history of preventing its citizens from defending themselves, and I have a CCW from my home state of Florida) I have a tactical folding knife and a defensive flashlight as part of my EDC (Everyday Carry) and I find myself the go-to guy when a line needs to be cut or something needs to be illuminated. I carry this even in a tailored suit (give three-piece a chance!) in whatever polite company I find myself. I dream of the day when I can get a Brooks Brothers suit with a side vent for my FNP .40 or an Armani jacket cut wide across the back for a shoulder holster. Such illustrious publications as GQ and Esquire have made it well known their sartorial disdain of those of us who carry a weapon for a living, and I find this not only sad, but offensive to the very concept I spent my life defending: The Constitution of the United States. All I can say is that when the wolf attacks, he will find that not all among the flock are sheep. Are you?
The most frustrating comment of all though, appears to be the very last. The gun owner, who works in a gun store, declares that you should dress around your gun, not to fashion. I find this idea absurd.You ought to be able to do both. Neither side in this argument seems to be able to find a middle ground - and for the "everyday man" who wears work pants and a vest around town, you're not fooling anyone. You're carrying, and anyone who matters knows it. Whats worse, is that you look like a tool, and you orient your entire life around that .45 on your hip. I look good when I carry (when I find myself in a state that allows me to) and there is more than one way to print a gun. You can do it in your style, and demeanor - which does not always deter criminals, just everyone else in your life.
Original Link:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/47158181/
New Fashion Wrinkle: Stylishly Hiding the Gun
By: Matt Richtel
Woolrich, a 182-year-old clothing company, describes its new chino pants as an
elegant and sturdy fashion statement, with a clean profile and fabric that
provides comfort and flexibility.
And they are great for hiding a
handgun.
The company has added a second
pocket behind the traditional front pocket for a weapon. Or, for those who
prefer to pack their gun in a holster, it can be tucked inside the stretchable
waistband. The back pockets are also designed to help hide accessories, like a
knife and a flashlight.
The chinos, which cost $65, are
not for commandos, but rather, the company says, for the fashion-aware gun
owner. And Woolrich has competition. Several clothing companies are following
suit, building businesses around the sharp rise in people with permits to carry
concealed weapons.
Their ranks swelled to around
seven million last year from five million in 2008, partly because of changes to
state laws on concealed handguns.
Shawn Thompson, 35, who works at
an auto dealership in eastern Kentucky, bought two shirts last month from the
Woolrich Elite Concealed Carry line. Both, he wrote on his blog, are a step up
from more rugged gear.
“Most of the clothes I used in the
past to hide my sidearm looked pretty sloppy and had my girlfriend complaining
about my looks,” he wrote, adding in an interview, “I’m not James Bond or
nothing, but these look pretty nice.”
The shirt has a barely discernible
side slit with Velcro through which, he said, he can yank his Colt 1911 from his
waistband holster. Depending on circumstances and mood, he might also carry a
folding knife and, at night, a flashlight in a pair of Woolrich chinos his
girlfriend bought for him.
Carriers of concealed guns say the
new options are a departure from the law enforcement and military look, known as
“tactical,” long favored by gun owners.
The latest styles, by contrast,
are called “concealed carry” or “covert fashion.”
“What we’ve tried to do is create
a collection of garments that allows the end user to have stylish lifestyle
apparel but have features in the garment that enable them to carry a weapon and
draw the weapon quickly,” said David Hagler, a vice president at 5.11 Tactical,
who was lured from Nike to work at 5.11, one of the biggest makers of clothing
for soldiers and police officers.
The company’s growing
concealed-carry line includes a lightweight water-resistant vest coming this
fall — the sort of vest that is standard and trendy at any mainstream outdoor
shop but has strategic pockets for guns. It also includes a stealth compartment
in front so the wearer can appear to be warming his hands while actually
gripping a pistol in a waistband holster.
Other companies are rushing to
meet the demand for concealed-carry clothing. Under Armour, best known for its
sports and action gear, will be adding a jacket and a plaid shirt with Velcro
pockets for easy gun access.
Kevin Eskridge, senior director
for outdoor product and design at the company, said the company had seen demand
double in the last year for such clothing from traditional outdoor and sporting
goods stores, like
Dick’s Sporting Goods
[DKS 50.65 
0.57 (+1.14%)
]
and
Cabela’s.
[CAB 38.69 
-2.11 (-5.17%)
]
Mr. Eskridge said the
Under Armour
[UA 97.59
0.93 (+0.96%) ]
apparel was catching on because of fashion but also because of its features,
including moisture-wicking fabric.
“Others are making shirts with gun
access but using regular cotton,” he said. With his company’s fabrics, “there’s
no stink factor,” he said. And if gun owners do not use fabrics that wick away
moisture, “You’ll literally rust out,” he added.
Gun experts suggest that there are
many reasons for the growth in the number of people with concealed-carry
permits. They say it is partly due to a changing political and economic climate
— gun owners are professing to want a feeling of control — and state laws
certainly have made a difference.
After a campaign by gun rights
advocates, 37 states now have “shall issue” statutes that require them to
provide concealed-carry permits if an applicant meets legal requirements, like
not being a felon. (A handful of other states allow the concealed carrying of
handguns without a permit). By contrast, in 1984 only 8 states had such
statutes, and 15 did not allow handgun carrying at all, said John Lott, a
researcher of gun culture who has held teaching or research posts at a number of
universities, including the University of Chicago.
Only one state, Illinois, now
forbids handgun carrying in any form, but the legislature is considering a
change.
A majority of states have long
allowed the open carrying of handguns, said Mr. Lott, who also provided the data
on gun permits. But the reality, said Mr. Lott and other gun experts, is that
people do not want to show others that they are carrying a weapon or invite
sharp questioning from the police.
The clothing lines address a
perceived need in the concealed-carry subculture. Gun owners say they want to
practice “maximum uncertainty,” meaning that if a gun is sufficiently concealed,
a potential criminal will be unsure whether to attack. Gun experts say the
research is inconclusive about whether such tactics reduce crime. Regardless,
the clothing makers are jumping on the line of thinking.
“When someone walks down the
street in a button-down and khakis, the bad guy gets a glimmer of fear,
wondering: are they packing or not?” said Allen Forkner, a spokesman for
Woolrich, which started its concealed-carry line in 2010 with three shirts.
The company has since added new
patterns for shirts, pants and the Elite Discreet Carry Twill jacket, in dark
shale gray and dark wheat tan. In addition to its gun-friendly pockets, the
jacket has a channel cut through the back that the company says can be used to
store plastic handcuffs.
Not everyone who carries a
concealed gun is a fan of the new fashion. Howard Walter, 61, a salesman at
Wade’s Eastside Guns in Bellevue, Wash., said he preferred to carry his Colt —
and a couple of knives and two extra magazines — in a durable pair of work
pants.
“They don’t shout ‘gun,’ they
shout ‘average guy in the street,’ ” said Mr. Walter, who years ago worked in
sales at Nordstrom. But really, he said, the most important thing in picking
clothing is to choose something that works for the weapon. “They should dress
for the gun,” he said he advised his customers. “Not for the fashion.”
