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All these guy threads have pictures posted and links to videos of how they carry and how it doesn't show when they move this way and that. I'm hoping to find some pics and videos that would be close to my body shape and clothing preference so I can get a good idea of what's out there and how it is likely to work on me. Any suggestions of where to look or pictures you can post? The more the merrier!

Body Shape: Tall and slender with a long torso and narrow waist. Technically a pear shape, but more like what the cornered cat lady calls curvy celery.
Clothing Preference: Classic, tailored look mostly like a 1st grade teacher. Most frequently either hip-hugger pants paired with a cami and button-up shirt or a wrap skirt with a blouse.
Misc: I usually have a child on my left hip and a bag on my right shoulder. I'm right-handed. On-body carry that covers the trigger well to avoid little toes accidentally gripping it is a non-negotiable; no pockets or purses. I'm vaguely thinking a velcro attaching IWB tuckable behind the right hip around 4:30 at a 45ish degree cant with a moderate amount above the waistband. But that's just a guess on where I might start looking and I know that wouldn't work for the skirts.
Gun: No idea. Yeah, I know most guys match the holster to the gun. I figure finding a good fitting holster is more important to do first because that's going to be a narrow field, then choosing between the guns that will fit in it will be second and a much broader field I'm likely to find something I like in. :)

So whatcha got? Pictures are especially appreciated.

Guys I know this is the Ladies' General so please, feel free to post pics of your LADIES showing their carry methods and refrain from posting pics of your methods. Thank you.

You might try checking out http://www.usgalco.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; as they show pictures of most, if not all, of their holsters being worn.

You will need to pick out a pistol first, an the plug that in to see all of their holsters for that model.

With your stated lifestyle and on-body carry, something like a LCP might fit the bill.

Unfortunately (in my opinion), my wife hasn't yet found the fashion compromise that will let her carry on her body, so she carries either in a CCW purse or a fanny pack exclusively. Here is a picture of her from her Wally Walk, using that purse:



The purse is actually cocoa in color. That zipper on the side of it closest to her front is the access point for the pistol. Also, kevin2349 has a thread going HERE with pictures of a gun purse he just bought for his wife.

Those and the fanny pack are the only things I have any kind of personal experience with so far as my wife is concerned. I know there are several women on this forum who have used, or still use, Smartcarry systems. But generally speaking, it seems to me that pretty much any on-body carry method, whether it is an IWB or OWB hoster (or a Smartcarry) is going to require you to make a few adjustments to your wardrobe. Nothing radical, but still significant enough to take into consideration when you are buying clothing. Even a great IWB holster still requires an untucked shirt or a jacket to hide that part of the gun which rides above the belt line, and if an untucked shirt or jacket is too form fitting, the gun will print - which isn't desirable either.

The Annoyed Man wrote: But generally speaking, it seems to me that pretty much any on-body carry method, whether it is an IWB or OWB hoster (or a Smartcarry) is going to require you to make a few adjustments to your wardrobe. Nothing radical, but still significant enough to take into consideration when you are buying clothing. Even a great IWB holster still requires an untucked shirt or a jacket to hide that part of the gun which rides above the belt line, and if an untucked shirt or jacket is too form fitting, the gun will print - which isn't desirable either.

I often wear tunic-length shirts in order to keep my waist covered when I move around, so that won't be a problem. The ones I have are too form-fitting so I would need to go up in size to avoid printing. I'm not sure how loose it needs to be to avoid obvious printing on an IWB. I think that would require trying things on to see. Anything more than one size up and the shirts are going to drown me so I'll need to look at other choices if that's the case.

I looked through my pictures and this was the only one I could find of me without a kiddo in front of me. This is one of my looser shirts. I marked where my natural waist and my pants fall.

One thing I think you need to keep in mind is that the more things you carry on you (child, purse, etc.) the less likely it will be that anyone would notice even if you do print a little. You also need to consider how easy it would be for you to access your weapon in an emergency situation. I doubt that anyone would notice you were carrying with that shirt one. Especially since it drops so far below your waist. The thing to do is carry at home and see if your hubby or your kids notice.

baldeagle wrote:One thing I think you need to keep in mind is that the more things you carry on you (child, purse, etc.) the less likely it will be that anyone would notice even if you do print a little. You also need to consider how easy it would be for you to access your weapon in an emergency situation. I doubt that anyone would notice you were carrying with that shirt one. Especially since it drops so far below your waist. The thing to do is carry at home and see if your hubby or your kids notice.

Yeah, but my husband's supertuck won't likely wrap around my waist comfortably or well if I put it at 4:30. I need to figure out what else to try!

ETA: Oh, and the child on the hip pulls the shirt tighter, making things more obvious, so that would be something I'd have to keep in mind as well. Other parents out there have experience with that aspect of adjusting?

Here is the link for the Smartcarry Website. I don't personally like them, but is has nothing to do with whether or not they are a valid method of carrying, and everything to do with (besides being male) my being the exact opposite body type as you. I'm "horizontally challenged," so to speak, and I just don't think it would be comfortable for me. But it might work for you.

Pawpaw1 wrote:You might try checking out http://www.usgalco.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; as they show pictures of most, if not all, of their holsters being worn.

You will need to pick out a pistol first, an the plug that in to see all of their holsters for that model.

With your stated lifestyle and on-body carry, something like a LCP might fit the bill.

OK, LCP is the gun (got that) and I searched the galco website for holsters that work with that gun. I thought the stinger one looked good because it is low profile and designed for carrying between 3 and 5 o'clock. Then I realized it is OWB and not in. All the IWB holsters I see use the J hook, which shows outside the belt. It is more likely that I'm missing something than not. Is there something in particular on the galco site I should check out? I know I'm asking annoying newbie questions and I'm grateful for the patience and help.

My husband has a smartcarry. I hadn't thought of using that offset. How does it work behind the hip? I know I couldn't use it front and center with what I wear. With how low my pants sit on my hips, to get it even below that, I'd probably have the gun hitting bottom when I sat. That wouldn't be good. I can try that out tonight, probably.

Hoi Polloi,

I would suggest if you want to keep wearing low rise pants that you look at a belly band. Galco has a nice one. This is a wide piece of elastic with various "pockets" on it. One is for your gun (mine will fit my Kel-Tec 32 all the way up to my M&P 9c), another for an extra magazine, and yet another for whatever.

If you don't always wear low rise pants other options are readily available. I say this as I have noted that any of my students built like you have a hard time getting any of the IWB holsters to work well with low rise pants.

I see absolutely no reason why you can't conceal on your body any compact gun you choose. You don't need to feel you are locked in to an LCP size carry gun unless you aren't willing to change/modify your wardrobe. From your comments above it sounds like you are willing to do some modifications.

I am a fairly small woman and I can conceal my Kimber Ultra carry in a Comp-Tac Minotaur IWB holster comfortably. I do wear my pants at or just below my waistband. This allows me to use my natural waist indentation to hide the gun.

Don't rule out OWB holsters either. I have several that pull the gun in tight enough to hide well but not so tight as to be painful. I use pancake or half pancake style holsters for OWB carry. You wouldn't need to change your shirt style too much to conceal OWB. Dark color/patterned shirts of a fabric with some body work well.

I see you are in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. If you are going to be close to Conroe soon let me know. I would be happy to get out my bag of carry options for you to try.

I just got back from Walmart, saw some soft camera cases there that might work for an LCP, said Sony or Olympus or Canon or some camera brand on it.
Couldn't find a picture, but it's OWB belt carry, similar to this, but without drop loops.
Sure, you can have my Purse/Wallet ... Let me get my camera, you can have it too .... (Then you let him have it)
Seecamp or a Bond Arms pistol in .45/.410 might fit better, LCP or small .380 might.


Just brainstorming ...
Though for an LCP, a Safepacker might be quicker access and carry a spare mag and more
http://store.thewilderness.com/index.php?cPath=51" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Might want to watch some of these videos from Limalife

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http://web.mac.com/mj_lauer/iWeb/RangeD ... tions.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I said that I thought finding a holster I'll like will be harder than finding a gun I like so I'm looking at holsters more seriously first. Well, finding pants that fit me is such an impossible task that the holster is going to have to accomodate the pants!

I am appreciative for the expertise and hope you don't mind another question before I go check out the links. When you said those with my body shape who wear low rise pants (probably because that's all that fits them, too!) have trouble with IWB, did it matter how high the gun rode in the holster? Did they try and have that problem with the ones that ride really high, with almost all of the gun above the waistband? I figured if any of them were going to work there that that would be the only kind that would so I'd be grateful to learn from others' trials and errors.

Hoi,

I've had my CHL for almost a year now and I have to say that there's several things I've learned about carrying a gun. The biggest eye opener is that for me, at least, there's no single right way. It depends on my clothes (tunics, tucked in shirts, dresses, etc), depends on the gun, depends on where I'm going to end up if I'm out and about, depends on the weather....it just depends. I've also learned to listen to CompVest...most of what I know about carrying as a female, I learned from her. I've learned that IWB holsters (the right one) are quite comfortable and virtually disappear when you have them on in the right spot. And I've learned from this forum that most men really don't like their women to carry "off body" in a purse. I carry in a purse a lot, but it suits my lifestyle and what I do. The best advice I can give is to get the gun you want and start trying things out and be patient.

Good luck!

T.

The issue with low rise pants is that the gun is placed at the widest part of your body but sticks out into narrow regions making it hard to conceal. The issue I have been told was that when sitting down the gun is low enough as to make that a problem.

These are the reasons I suggested a belly band for you. This carry method isn't dependent on pant style.

I too promote purse carry but with little children this may not be a good option.