Real World Conceal Carry for Woman?

[x2ndxall]

I know some women who CC. Of them all, the 2 who carry PT709s IWB @ 4:00ish seem to be happiest. Granted, these are tough ladies who don't wear dresses much.

I know, I know, Taurus. But.... they love them.

 

[Ura-Ki]

My wife had a Garter holster for a few years, but it was more trouble then it was worth, but fun to watch her draw! Smallish hips make any holster a hard fit for her, she has tried several, and has yet to find any thing that is comfortable! Right now she has a shoulder rig and it works well, but it prints with every thing unless she wears a jacket! Would love to find other options that would allow her to carry all the time!

 

[Ura-Ki]

The wife accompanied me to the leather crafter's I have used to make custom holsters and She and I had quite a discussion of Women's holster needs and creative ways to add a good holster to a woman's wardrobe! The wife and I just dropped about 2k on special belts and a few custom leather handbags made to specifically hide, or enhance a woman's holster needs in such a way as to allow her to carry each and every day, with out fear of exposure or printing! My Wife refuses to go out in public in any thing but a dress and heels, that works against her when out and about doing normal things, and so, her needs are very specific! In short, what we had ordered and are having made, are several very nice woman's dress belts that hide a holster inside the belt at several locations and can be worn over any dress, or pants ( if I could ever get her to do that) and accent her wardrobe in a way that keeps a pistol on her and keeps it secure, with out fear of printing or exposure, and it looks to not only look fabulous, but will allow her to confidently carry all the time! I will get the Wife to pose and show off her new belts as soon as they are done! The Handbags are also designed to cover a belt holster or an IWB setup with out a belt, I'm curious to see how she likes all this, and will keep every one in the loop! To me, this makes a lot of sense for a woman who wishes to carry but doesn't find a traditional method feasible!

 

[bivy53]

My wife has her P238 in a nice ankle holster whenever it is not in her coat pocket.

 

[Wolf256]

I conceal my Sig P238 or P938 regularly when not openly carrying. I use an IWB holster but do not use it as intended. I use the clip to keep it from sliding all the way into my front pants pocket. I can also clip it on the inside of my belt, but outside my waistband. These methods mean you don't have to buy larger pants for carry. I find that I only need to adjust my belt by one hole as both guns listed are single stack. I have a large waistline and a chest and find these to be the most comfortable for concealed carry. I very seldom carry a purse and I won't carry off body.

 

[MamaBear]

I've always tried to steered clear anyone from off the body carry. A purse can be taken or forgotten. That part worries me.

Thoughts?

I detest purse carry, not only for the reasons you state but also for households with toddlers/small children. Little ones love nothing more than to rifle through mama's purse
In a house with children, if the handgun ain't locked away, it should be on your person.

Woman issues with on body carry revolve around our different shape (short waist and curves/wider hips), guys holsters usually place the gun right in a spot not ideal for us. And our wardrobe, our clothes are usually designed and fitted to reveal the shape underneath, especially around our hip area, making concealing anything there *problematic*.

On top of that, anything in our wardrobe other than jeans is not designed for belts of any width or thickness and many women's pants, skirts and shorts don't have belt loops at all. Because of that, many women are not used to wearing belts other than very slim, dainty things that are definitely not designed to hold up our pants, let alone a gun, they are mainly designed to hold the clothes close to our form to, again, reveal the shape of our bodies or just a fashionable accessory.

Many women don't like to wear good belts because it is an abruption to our form, it creates a "bump" in the reveal. I'm one of the exceptions, my main wardrobe is jeans and a good belt, tank top with a button down shirt or a flowy blouse over that, though I do like to wear skirts and more feminine clothing on the nice occasions, but for the most part my EDC dress style is actually well suited for concealing a gun. On the occasions I wear skirts and such, I can relate to what most women have to struggle with.

 

[Zikhron]

I am a 5'8" female, 135 lbs. I'm a daily CCW. I pack for the event.
If I'm CCW for work then I carry Sig P229 in the 4 o'clock position with two extra mags on the other hip. If I'm wearing jeans I carry my wallet in the pocket below the firearm. This makes the "bulge" blend better. I wear a long loose patterned shirt over top. Or a fleece/jacket depending on the weather.
The Galco Jack bubblegum is alright if I'm sitting or if I've got cold weather layers. NOT a summer time carry option for me.
For running errands I usually take the Kahr PM9. Same carry location. Again loose shirt that is long enough that it doesn't show the firearm if I reach my arms up. Something that I also do is wear a fitted t-shirt that is black tucked in. That way if for some reason the outer shirt does ride up the firearm is not silhouetted against my body.

I have carried with the "tuck" option, but haven't liked that I can still see the belt clip unless I blouse the shirt a lot to hide it. For me it works best if I'm doing appendix carry, but I prefer not to.

 

[Double Feed]

It's tough, especially when you're small! I tried out the Techna Clip on my Glock 42 and it worked pretty well - better for concealing in the small of your back. (think someone mentioned a belt clip)

I wrote an unbiased/unpaid review here if interested: Conceal Your Glock Without a Holster | Double Feed (http://www.doublefeedonline.com/techna-clip-glock-42/)

There's also a holster from Crossfire called the Vapor - it's minimal.

 

[cowgirlkaboom]

It can be tricky for sure! I don't take fashion all that seriously so it helps. Here is what I do:

Warm weather:

REI nylon hiking shorts with deep front pockets. This works great for semi autos in a good pocket holster. It even works for a small light revolver except when sitting and they get a little tight. Those shorts don't look half bad with a good shirt.

Cooler weather:

http://www.desantisholster.com/desantisholster/content/images_inv/f/l/5439/115_02_xlarge2_5439.jpg I have one of these for my S&W 638. The gun rides high, slippery leather, super comfortable. Now, as I mentioned I'm not all that fashionable. A good hoodie that sits low of thicker material (carhartt in my case) hides this really well. If its too warm for your hoodie, just take it off and tie it around your waist. I can conceal just about any gun this way and is my carry method of choice in the woods or horseback. If your shopping you can reach above your head to pickup items off a shelf without displaying. I wear mostly western style wranglers and a heavy belt and have zero issues.

Also, consider swapping out your rubber grips for wood or plastic if your comfortable doing so. Rubber grips tend to make shirts, hoodies and jackets ride up eventually displaying your firearm.

I can't imagine what I'd do if I had to wear business attire regularly, shoulder holster with a nice formal jacket maybe? In the rare situation where I have to go to the office I just lock mine in the glove box and carry a NAA Mini revolver in my pocket. That little gun has gone so many places with me. I don't like purses, too easy to get stolen or get left somewhere by accident. I just open carry when I'm in the car or throw it in the glove box.