Shirts/Pants Question

[ClarkLZeuss]

Just got my CHL, and have been practicing with different shirts and pants, with my Taurus 24/7 Pro in a Comp-Tac IWB holster, fastened at about 4 o'clock. I'm 6'4" 240 lbs, with a long torso. I'm up to XXL or XLT shirts, and about a 38-40" waist. I've been noticing that to not cause any problems, it seems that a shirt needs to be a hand's length lower than my belt, and/or go past the end of the muzzle. I can get away with smaller shirts, but once I reach, bend, or sit & lean forward I end up flashing my gun. Problem is, most of my shirts aren't long enough.

The other issue is that I like looser jeans, but with my rather-heavy 9mm, they tend to get weighed down a bit and my belt has to be tightened to quite a level of discomfort. And the sagging pants also brings into play the bigger problem of flashing.

So here's 2 questions, fellow CHLers: Have you found a general rule of thumb for shirts/pants/belts? Second, know any good places to get cheap (but nice) "cabana" style shirts (not polo style, but the button up the middle ones, like Hawaiian shirts but not necessarily with Hawaiian print)?

[ProudNativeTexican]

Just get the Hawiian shirts like the rest of the CHL. The prints break up the outline.

[bauerdj]

The need for the tight belt can be solved by using suspenders. I had never used suspenders before someone from this board put me onto the idea (think it may have been longtooth). For CHL'ers they work great!

Dave B.

[Oldgringo]

There was a thead on Gun Belts on the General Discussion forum a couple of days ago. Check it out.

[stroo]

Haband carries lots of cheap clothes that work for CHL. http://www.haband.com/go/gafshg30200801 ... mpaign=adw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

Woolrich Elite stuff is great also but more expensive. This places carries Woolrich and is good to deal with. http://www.rogueelite.net/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[TexasComputerDude]

don't worry about it...

EVERYONE KNOWS FAT GUYS DON'T SHOOT PEOPLE AND IN GENERAL ARE COPS!


(from a fat guy, I can do that)

[ClarkLZeuss]

EVERYONE KNOWS FAT GUYS DON'T SHOOT PEOPLE AND IN GENERAL ARE COPS!

Additionally, everyone knows that fat guys all wear Hawaiian shirts. Sweet! So people will just think I'm a big fat party guy and not a CHL!

Stroo, thanks for the tip on Haband. They have some rather cool looking Guayabera shirts!

[roberts]

Kohl's sometimes has camp shirts that are good for cover.

[Bashful]

JC Penny's has a few camp shirts, along with http://www.blair.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm 6'1" at about 245, and wear a camp shirt/hawaii print shirt while OWB carry. I can get away with a banded bottom shirt IWB and no one knows the difference.

Perry's suspenders definately help keep everything riding where it's supposed to....

[kd5zex]

+1 on the XLT shirts, its all I wear now. I get mine at Kohls, all plaid style prints. I have a long torso as well and encountered the same issues you described.

As for the belt, a proper gun belt is imperative to comfort and concealment. I tried to get by with my cheapo Wally World belt at first. Check out http://www.thebeltman.net/

I wear primarily Levis 569s with +1 or 2 inches in the waist. The cut may be a little loose for some but works for me. Maybe one day I'll take a photo all geared up before I go to work.

[LittleGun]

Now that warmer weather is on the way, I wear black t-shirts with IWB holster. My favorite t-shirt is one that has a NASA logo across the chest. It makes me look like a space nerd. No one will suspect a space nerd of carrying.

[ClarkLZeuss]

No one will suspect a space nerd of carrying.

[NcongruNt]

As others have stated, a proper gun belt will make the WORLD of difference. When I first started carrying, I did the same thing... had to cinch the belt tight to get things to stay up. A gun belt is quite stiff, and will put the load over the entire waist, rather than relying on the pants directly around the gun to keep it up. In fact, I have found that if I unbuckle my belt and am wearing pants with plentiful belt loops, the gun and pants will stay up that way (and I wear an OWB holster). I obviously wouldn't do this when out and about, but I do when I am at home and it works - a testament to what a difference a gun belt makes. By contrast, when I had a regular belt and did this, the belt would work loose and immediately flop over.

Also, look into Dickies work shirts. I have a bunch of them, and have been very satisfied. Lots of folks find them too long for their taste, so this might be a good fit for you as you have a long torso. For reference, I'm 6', weigh 265, and have a 40" waist (I started carrying at 290 with a 44" waist - losing weight has brought me to the last 2 notches in my belt - gotta get a new one now!) and a large frame with considerable muscle and a 52" chest. I wear a 3X shirt due to my chest size. This is quite handy in that I am able to wear a full-sized gun (Browning Hi-Power) in an OWB rig with relative ease. I can do anything and everything in a Dickies shirt without ever worrying if my gun will be exposed.

As far as pants go, the general rule for carrying IWB is to wear a size up (2" larger). A gun belt will solve the issue with having to cinch them tight without having to go with a different kind of pant in general, unless you wear hip-huggers. If you do, I can't offer help there, but perhaps mr.72 could since he's had to deal with it. Since you talk about baggyish pants, I'm betting not, though.

On the pants subject, a lot of people for one reason or another, insist on sagging them. Some here say it's because they don't want to have to buy larger-sized pants. Since you're in the 38-40" range here, I'll assume that this is not the case with you. I've found over the past year and a half, that wearing pants that come up to just below the bellybutton work best. For me this puts the gun at the best location for concealment with more options for moving it around the clock a bit, and there's no odd bulge sticking out at your hip when carrying IWB. For this purpose, I've found that Carhartt pants are marvelous and do not leave me wishing for more room around my nether regions. I got mine at Academy, but I'm sure there are lots of places that carry them, especially work clothes stores. Most work pants seem to be designed to fit well with a bit higher waist (to ya know... stay on during work), and Dickies work also, but not as well as the Carhartts in my experience.

[SouthPawPara]

[quote="kd5zex"]As for the belt, a proper gun belt is imperative to comfort and concealment. I tried to get by with my cheapo Wally World belt at first. Check out http://www.thebeltman.net/

Ditto on the gun belt. IWB or OWB the belt make a HUGE comfort difference. I can't bring myself to use suspenders.... yet. The Beltman make a nice product and I buy them 1 1/2" wide with a taper to 1 1/4" at the buckle so I don't have the "duty" belt look.

[Tireshred]

I've always bought my square bottomed shirts at Sears, but it's a hit or miss if they have them. I went to Kohl's today after reading this thread, good call, they have quite a few to choose from for around $25 each. BTW, I carry a Springfield XD Compact 45 in a Fobus OWB paddle holster with no issues, I'm 6'2" 250lbs. Thanks for the heads up on Kohl's, I'd never been there before today.