How to Conceal Carry in Summer

Summer is my absolute favorite season! It brings more outdoor activities and a boost in my energy. Plus, what’s not to love with the extended daylight hours, BBQs, and adorable summer dresses? I always look forward to bringing out my summer wardrobe, though I’ll admit, that the lighter, more minimal clothes can make it challenging to conceal a firearm.

Still, concealed carry in the summer is achievable with the right techniques and a little pre-planning. And I promise, you don’t have to resort to wearing unflattering or baggy clothes.

My approach:

My approach to dressing for concealed carry is to build a concealed carry capsule wardrobe for each season. This involves selecting clothing that you can mix and match to prepare a group of outfits that are sure to conceal your firearm.

What to expect:

Of course, everyone is unique so your capsule will look different from mine. The purpose of this blog is to help you select wardrobe essentials that will work for you.

In this article, I’ll share some of the challenges of “summer carry,” a few tips and tricks I’ve learned, a list of summer wardrobe essentials, types of holsters to include in your capsule, and how to make concealed carry work with current fashion trends.

Heat

In my experience, the best way to beat the heat is to choosing material that is breathable. When that material is also structured, it will make summer concealed carry a lot easier. The structured fabric helps conceal the firearm, while the tiny holes in the material allow airflow to keep you cool. Linen and cotton in a Poplin weave are my favorite examples of this.

Sweat

The salt in sweat will corrode metal, which is the last thing you want for your firearm. (Trust me, I know from first-hand experience).

In my first year of carrying, I would go running with my Ruger LCP tucked into my Undertech Undercover running shorts or my Alexo Athletica leggings. Sweat made its way through the material to my firearm and my half-hearted effort to wipe the gun down with a dry rag wasn’t enough. The salt from the sweat ended up rusting the barrel of my gun.

It may not be practical to do a full clean where you’re taking the firearm apart every day, but at least wipe the gun down with a clean cloth AND rub some lubricant on it to prevent it from rusting.

At times sweat is unavoidable, but there are a few things that can help protect the firearm like choosing a holster with a sweat guard, tucking a tank top in between your skin and the gun, avoiding clingy tops, and selecting breathable material.

Printing

In cool seasons, we can often fall back on bulky material and layers to conceal our firearm, but when the weather is hot, concealment efficiency and proper placement of the gun become much more important. Making a few tweaks to your holster can help you conceal more efficiently.

Concealment Efficiency – To reduce imprinting as much as possible, all four sides of the gun should be close to your body. However, it’s not uncommon for parts of the gun to angle away from your body. Thankfully, there are helpful tools to prevent two of the most common versions of this. A holster wing presses against your belt to tuck the grip closer and a holster wedge angles the top of the gun closer to your body.  

Proper Placement – Holster placement is important for concealment and won’t be the same for everyone since we’re all unique. Consider a kydex holster attached to a belt. I recommend sliding the holster along your beltline to discover the placement that allows all four sides of the gun to touch your body.

For some women, that may closer to the bellybutton, while others have more luck placing it further from their center, or even on the hip. You might also find that different waist heights affect your ability to conceal. For example, a pair of high-waisted jeans are a lot easier (and more comfortable) to conceal my firearm than a pair of low-rise jeans due to the placement of my hip bones.

*If you have difficulty concealing with a certain holster, try tweaking the placement to see what you learn.

Creating a concealed carry capsule wardrobe will save you money and precious time when getting ready in the morning, all while providing a sure way to conceal your firearm. Here are a few essentials you may want to include in yours.

When building your capsule wardrobe, I recommend prioritizing the holster you perform best with, and then styling as many outfits around that holster as possible. If you’re not sure what holster you perform best with, there is a rule of thumb- generally, people draw quickest from a Kydex or leather holster clipped to a concealed carry belt.

From there, you may discover types of clothes that won’t work with your primary holster. You can fill in the gaps by adding other holster types to your capsule such as a bellyband, thigh holster, ankle holster, or concealed carry purse.

Please note, your primary holster for summer may differ from your primary holster in cooler seasons, but it should always be easily accessible and have a hard trigger cover.

Wide-leg trousers or Jeans

Skirts

I’ve seen a mix of mini, midi, and maxi skirts in stores this summer, some including some “tricky to conceal with trends.” My preferred holster when wearing a skirt is a thigh holster, but a bellyband is also an option.

Sheer skirts - We saw a lot of sheer skirts on the runway that revealed underwear, but the more wearable version includes a short liner for modesty, with a sheer or see-through lace portion toward the hemline. When the liner is long enough, a thigh holster will work otherwise, try a bellyband or concealment purse.

Long Denim Skirts – When I think of the denim skirt trend, I picture the midi skirt with a triangle-shaped center slit that has become so popular. This design might not be the best for a thigh holster, but a bellyband is a great option. Alternatively, you can participate in the denim trend by choosing another skirt variation as some of them don’t have slits.

Dresses

White is definitely on theme this year and nothing says summer quite like a white sundress! And a thigh holster or concealed carry purse will ensure you have a method of carry.

Athleisure/ Athletic dresses

Purses

Shoe Trends

According to Vogue UK, here are some of the most popular shoe trends for summer 2024: ballet flats, flats in general, kitten heels, shoes with sharply pointed toes, and platform shoes.

It’s not that high heels are completely “out”, but it appears people are leaning towards comfort when it comes to footwear. Honestly, that’s better when it comes to self-defense because it’s easier to run away!

Draping material

Draping, ruched, gathered, and pleated material showed up once again on fashion runways. While shopping, take notice of where the extra material is positioned. The right placement can help conceal your firearm depending where on your body you like to carry your gun. At home, make sure to practice your draw to ensure the gun doesn’t get caught in the material.

Metallics

For the bold fashionistas, a metallic pair of pants or silver sequined shirt may fit seamlessly into your wardrobe. For those who are more subtle, try incorporating this trend with a pair of metallic flats, a satin shirt with a high sheen, or a purse with a metallic sheen. Make sure the way you incorporate this trend, fits with your personality. When done right it can look classy and serve as an eye-catching piece to draw attention away from your firearm.

When it comes to jewelry, silver has been steadily making a comeback. However that doesn’t mean gold is out. In fact, mixing metals has become more acceptable. What once was a fashion faux pas, is not seen as a fashion statement.

The following outfits prioritize the concealment method I perform best with - a belt and Kydex holster. When I first started carrying, it was difficult to conceal but I’ve learned a few tips along the way that have significantly helped, such as finding the right placement on my body, adding a concealment wing to my holster, and using a belt designed specifically for concealed carry.

“Chime In!”

What challenges do you face with summer concealed carry?