Carrying a Gun in My Skirt? Yes! And you can too!
How to Carry A Gun In A Skirt
When you’re new to concealed carry, there’s so much to learn about properly hiding your firearm, especially when you’re doing so beneath your clothing.
Given most traditional holsters must be clipped to a belt, the fashion question naturally arises: “What if I want to wear a skirt or dress without a belt?” Fortunately, a thigh holster provides a convenient way to carry a gun on your body. (See photos below and read on!)
This article focuses on using a thigh holster to allow you the freedom to wear a skirt or a dress while being armed.
First trying the Can Can Concealment Thigh Holster
There’s a defining moment each morning when I’m getting ready and deciding whether or not there’s a good way to carry my firearm with the outfit I’ve selected. No woman wants her style to be hindered, just because she carries a gun. However, if you don’t want to give up on a certain style of clothing, you may need to get creative. Fortunately, more and more concealed carry options are becoming available for women today.
Thigh Holster Garter
Since I prefer carrying “on body” (i.e., in a holster hidden under my clothes) instead of in a bag, I purchased a Can Can Concealment thigh holster. (Click link below for info.)
To safely get accustomed to it, I wore the holster band for an entire day before adding my pistol, a Ruger LCP.
At first, I wore the holster too high and my other leg started chaffing from rubbing against the band. However, when I lowered it to mid-thigh, it was a lot more comfortable. Most of the time I forgot I was wearing it, but occasionally I was reminded when the edges would somehow pinch my leg. When this happened, I adjusted the band, moving it away from my leg to release the pinched skin. It’s possible the holster was too tight when I first put it on without the gun. My intention was to find the right adjustment—not too tight, but not too loose—so there’d be no threat of the holster falling when I added my gun.
Positioning
When I finally did add the gun, I positioned the holster so the gun rested on the inside of my leg. Pictured above (with jeans for modesty). This was not very comfortable, but I realized it could be an option if the skirt was tight. However, since my dress had a full skirt, it was easily concealed while resting on the outside of my leg. But…
As I walked around my house, I discovered I had to be careful not to accidentally bump the gun into furniture. Oh my gosh, how embarrassing would that be to make a metallic clinking sound in public?!
I eventually decided to place the gun in-between the inside and the front side of my leg, positioned at 11:00 (if my leg were a clock).
Never once did I feel like the holster was going to fall; but then again, my Ruger is small and lightweight. I wore it on my right leg and was easily able to cross my right leg over my left when sitting.
One concern about sitting is that the back of the skirt raises up a little when I sit down (which naturally happens with any skirt or dress I wear), so I’ve learned to be careful not to let the bottom of the holster band peek out.
Drawing the Gun
As far as “drawing” the firearm (i.e., taking it out of the holster), it did take some practice* to get used to moving the skirt out of the way, but after a while I got the hang of it.
*: Before practicing your draw, you should be comfortable with the fundamentals of shooting. If you have your concealed carry permit and would like additional training, I’ve included one option below. Click the link to find a class in your area.
NRA Defensive Pistol Course – Covers how to apply the NRA Rules for Safe Gun Handling when carrying a concealed firearm; basic principles of concealment; the difference between cover and concealment; drawing from a holster; levels of mental awareness; developing the proper mindset when using a pistol for personal protection; clearing common stoppages; use of pocket pistols; and more.
NRA Courses - https://firearmtraining.nra.org/student-courses/
I’m excited about my new holster and the freedom it gives me to continue wearing the styles I want while carrying. I can’t wait to try it with other skirts and dresses!
Thoughts to reflect on: Have you ever used a thigh holster? What was your experience of it? Let me know in the comments below!
Dress: Brooks Brothers Floral-Print Striped