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How to Conceal Carry In Fall

What do you picture when you think of Fall?

Do you think of sending kids back to school, football season, the upcoming holidays?

I picture hunting season, spending a lot of time outside, Mom’s warm apple crisp, and the family gathering together at Thanksgiving! I cherish these moments and the family that makes them so special. Which reminds me of the reason why I conceal carry - a commitment to protect the people I love.

Thankfully, it’s fairly easy to conceal carry in Fall because we start to wear more clothes, thicker materials, and layers. Plus, September is one of the most important months in the fashion world, which means there is no shortage of inspiration for styling outfits to conceal your firearm.

If you’d like to put your best foot forward this Autumn, join me in building a cozy wardrobe to keep you and your loved ones safe.

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 common concealed carry challenges, a few tips and tricks I’ve learned, a list of fall wardrobe essentials, types of holsters to include in your capsule, and how to make concealed carry work with current fashion trends. The photos don’t necessarily represent a full capsule wardrobe, but they’re meant to spark inspiration.

As we step into Fall, we start to wear thicker clothing and more layers, which is helpful to prevent “printing,” or, showing an outline of the gun through your clothes. If you’re anything like me, this will increase your confidence, so use layers to your advantage.

Another thing to consider is that it might be possible to conceal a larger gun that you did during summer. Depending on what gun you’re “sizing up” from, a larger firearm could have the following benefits: it may hold more ammunition, shoot a more powerful caliber of bullet, and often it’s easier on the hands to shoot a larger firearm. So if you have more than one pistol, take this into consideration.

Since fall is a transition season, there can be a lot of variety in the temperature. If utilizing layers to hide your gun, make sure the firearm is thoroughly concealed if you plan to remove a layer during the day. You don’t want to get caught in a situation where you have to choose between revealing your gun or overheating!

While layers can be helpful, they can also pose a challenge to accessing your firearm. When dressing in the morning, I recommend unloading your firearm and spending 3-5 minutes doing some dry fire. This means, practice drawing the gun to make sure you can get to it quickly and nothing gets in the way such as extra fabric, drawstrings, toggles and zippers. Similarly, when holstering the firearm, look down at the holster to make sure nothing gets in the way of the trigger.

This might sound like a summer item, but it’s actually key for Fall if you want to be comfortable. Sometimes a holster or gun will chafe your skin, especially if the grip has a lot of texture. To protect your skin, try tucking a soft, cotton tank top behind the gun and holster. I think you’ll find it a lot more comfortable.

I use this method a lot, so I recommend having 2-3 tank tops in your capsule.

T-Shirts

T-shirts are especially nice in early fall when the mornings are cold, but the days are still hot! If you plan on removing a layer throughout the day, make sure the cut of your t-shirt is such that it still conceals the gun when you take your sweater or jacket off.

Your shirts don’t have to be plain white, but try to choose a color or pattern that coordinates with your sweaters, coats and jackets. This will help you style a larger variety of outfits.

When deciding how many to include in your capsule, pay attention to the items you wear the most. For example, I have several t-shirts in my dresser, but find that I mostly gravitate towards two of them.

And as the weather cools down, you may want to transition to a few long sleeve t-shirts.

Button-downs/ Blouses

Depending on your life and style, you may want to include some button-down shirts and blouses in your wardrobe. A crisp dress shirt tucked into a skirt is great for work. Or a chambray or flannel button down worn open over a t-shirt is perfect for a casual occasion.

I like having a few blouses in my capsule because they are so feminine and pretty. But in my experience, the delicate fabric has a hard time concealing a firearm. This lead me to design the Concealment Camisole, a blouse-looking tank top designed to prevent imprinting of the gun. You can wear this camisole under a blouse to ensure an outline of your gun doesn’t show, OR, let the camisole be visible and wear a blazer or sweater on top for warmth (see pictures above).

Sweaters

Sweaters are ideal for Fall so include as many as you’d like! May I suggest at minimum, a pullover and a cardigan? These items can be style many different ways. To list a few, a pull-over sweater can be worn over a dress to give the feel of a skirt and top combination. Another option is to wear the sweater over a blouse and let the collar and cuffs of the blouse peek out. They’ll be sure to keep you warm, but also add a layer to conceal your firearm.

Jackets/Coats

A jacket can either make or break your outfit so don’t let it be an afterthought! Here are a few of my favorites:

• A classic trench coat goes with almost outfit, protects you from the elements, and gives a classic feel.

• A Blazer instantly makes you appear polished and “put together.” While it can serve as a jacket, it also doesn’t look out of place when worn inside.

• Again, we’re seeing a lot of suede this season and I love a good Suede Jacket because it’s so soft and warm. There are many different types, so make sure to find one in a cut that is flattering to your body.

• A leather jacket is another classic that can make you look polished, cool, or edgy depending on the style. You could also play with the contrast of leather with an ultra feminine dress to balance the look.

While tops are often the “concealment feature” of an outfit, which hides the gun, bottoms are equally, if not more, important.

Jeans are an absolute must for fall and their construction makes them perfect for concealed carry. Denim is often very supportive and when paired with a concealed carry belt, provides the perfect base to support and secure your firearm.

Slacks are also nice to have, especially if you need to dress up for work. They may not be as supportive as a pair of jeans, but many include belt loops and pair well with a structured concealed carry belt. If your slacks don’t have belt loops, a bellyband is a convenient and comfortable option to carry your firearm.

Leggings are a comfortable option when you want to cover up, but remain relaxed and cozy. Plus, there are several versions designed specifically for concealed carry featuring belt loops or a special pocket for your gun. You can read about the Best Concealed Carry Leggings for women here.

Skirts are gaining in popularity so you might try adding a couple skirts in your capsule this year. As mentioned in my blog, How to build a capsule wardrobe that conceals your gun, this doesn’t necessarily mean going out and buying a new one. You can “shop” in other sections of your closet to pull items over to the capsule section.

I recommend including at least one dress in your Fall capsule for any occasions that may come up. For example, a holiday party, special date, wedding, baby shower, business occasion, etc.

As far as concealed carry goes, there are plenty of holster options for concealing a firearm on your body while wearing a dress. My “go-to” is a thigh holster, but depending on the style of the dress, a bellyband or ankle holster may also work. Of course, there’s always the option of a concealed carry purse.

I hope you’ll be encouraged that you only need one holster to start carrying a firearm. When this is the case, your strategy should be to style outfits around that holster, making sure to conceal the firearm.

However, having options is nice if you want to conceal carry with a larger variety of clothing. There are 4 types I typically lean towards - a Kydex holster (clipped to concealed carry belt), a thigh holster, a bellyband, and a CC Purse. Prioritizing “on-body carry” first, I’ve found this combination allows me to conceal carry with any outfit. And even when choosing an on-body holster, I carry my concealed carry purse as a backup.

There are a lot of great brands available, these are the specific holsters I’ve been using most recently:

There’s a lot going on in fashion, but I want to mention a few of my favorite observations.

One thing I’m noticing is a shift from androgynous dressing to traditionally feminine style, and I’m thrilled about it! This fall there’s an emphasis on skirts of all types including the return of full skirts.

The second thing is that classic style is very "on trend right now. An interesting thought considering by definition, “classic” never goes out of style. More so, these elements are currently being featured in the fashion world.

As you look over the trends below, keep your personal style in mind. While I’m in support of playing with fashion and trying new things, I also firmly believe personal style is far more important than blindly following trends.

Also, please don’t feel like you have to buy a whole new wardrobe! Chances are, you can look current using items you already have in your closet and possibly fill in the gaps with a new item here and there.

Fabric

Leather is on trend this fall and it should be fairly easy to incorporate into you wardrobe no matter your style. Whether you’re going for an edgy look with a studded leather jacket or something more refined such as dark chocolate boots, a polished looking purse, or a pair of gloves.

Suede, the softer sister of leather, is also showing up big this year! We’re seeing a lot of suede jackets, dresses, boots, and more interestingly, purses!

Denim of course is a classic and here to stay, but we’re also seeing the return of cozy corduroy.

I’m particularly enjoying the pairing of satin with knit. I just love the contrast of texture. I anticipate this look will be popular around the holidays.

color

Burgundy and other reds - Over the summer, we saw pops of red becoming popular and they’re still very much on trend. However, the hot color for Fall seems to be burgundy… and rich variations of the hue- think Merlot, cranberry, maroon, etc.

Green - Rich, deep, earthy greens like olive and forest green.

Brown – It’s not that black is out, but brown is definitely more emphasized this season both in clothing and accessories.

Prints

The popular prints this fall seem to be taken from classic style.

Animal print - Any type of animal print is in style for Fall, whether that’s zebra, cow, snake, giraffe… you name it! However, leopard seems to be the crowd favorite. Depending on how it’s styled, you can create a look that is dramatic, classic, or even quirky if you find the print in a vibrant color.

Plaid – A classic design for sure, plaid is showing up in a variety of clothing - skirts, blazers, coats and coat linings, dresses, blouses, headbands, etc.

Stripes - Particularly thick vertical stripes which give an East coast vibe.

Skirts are having their debut this Fall, some of the more popular versions being long denim, silky bias cut skirts, and full skirts. Have no fear, even in a skirt you can conceal a firearm on your body.

As long as your shirt is loose enough to conceal a firearm, a bellyband peeking out of your skirt is a great option because it keeps the firearm close to your hands for a quick draw.

Otherwise, try a pair of thigh holster shorts. I use a pair from Dene Adams with a holster pocket on the inner thigh. This works perfectly for pencil skirts and other tight-fitting garments. However, some body types find the inner thigh placement to be uncomfortable. Thankfully, there’s also a pair with the holster pocket on the outside of the leg, which works with a full skirt.

denim

The Denim on Denim trend from last year remains in tact, but this year we’re seeing it in a darker wash. Most commonly, this trend includes jeans with a denim top, but it can be executed in other unique ways such as a denim dress with denim lady coat. Or perhaps a jean skirt with a denim purse and heels.

Loose fitting jeans are definitely in style, the most common cuts being wide leg, boot cut, flare, and straight. In addition, companies are putting their own spin on the classic jean. For example, Madewell added a dart at the knee and Ann Taylor cut a slit at the ankle.

How to wear skinny jeans in 2024 - Ok, let’s discuss the elephant in the room… are skinny jeans in or out? I think it all comes down to styling. Whereas we used to pair them with sneakers, ballet flats, or ankle booties, in 2024 the way to style your skinnies is to tuck them inside a pair of knee high boots.

Want to style your own version of this trend? Try the Dark Alley Denim jeans which boast a special concealed carry pocket for your firearm.

Leggings

Leggings are in style for both exercise and “athleisure”, which is a comfortable and cute sporty look to wear even when you’re not planning to work out. However, this year we’re also seeing leggings as pants! If this seems controversial don’t worry, there are ways to style this look to make it more polished.

First, some of these “pant leggings” are stylized to appear more like dress pants with a flared ankle or tailored waistband. They can also made from thicker material which looks quite sleek and slimming. You can pair with a blazer for a professional look.

Second, when styling your classic black leggings as normal clothing, consider the material used. For example, a clearly athletic pair of spandex leggings with a slight sheen will look best with an overall sporty look. For a less sporty ensemble, choose leggings made from Cotton or faux leather.

To elevate your legging outfit, adding a long tailored coat and a pair of boots or sneakers. A little skin showing at the ankle is ok with tennis shoes, but make sure the legging completely tucked into an ankle bootie or knee-high boot.

For concealed carry, a belly-band works great with leggings. Or you could try a pair specifically designed for concealed carry with a special pocket or added belt-loops. Read about the best concealed carry leggings for women here.

Belts

Belts are in baby! With large buckles and paired not only with pants. On the runway, designers belted jackets, sweaters and dresses.

When it comes to concealed carry, your choice of belt is extremely important. I spent years trying to make normal fashion belts work, but they didn’t support my gun properly which lead to printing. You can read about that experience here: Best concealed Carry Belts for Women.

When choosing a belt, make sure it is designed for concealed carry so your gun will stay secure. Belts like the Savanna (pictured above and below) can be styled as a decorative piece or used more practically to support your gun.

Purses

An easy way to look current is to add a pop of color to your outfit with a purse. This season’s popular colors include burgundy and other shades of red, deep green, brown.

For a fun trend full of personality, try adding bag charm to your purse. Similar to how I added key chains to my backpack as a kid, this is a great way to express your personality and style. Sometimes these accessories are specifically designed for a purse, but other times, women are adding pieces of jewelry or a colorful scarf to their bags.

The shoe trends are becoming more comfortable as well as lady-like. We’re seeing a lot of flats and lower heels called, kitten heels as well as patent leather and suede.

One of my favorites is the ballet flat, which is on trend in a variety of styles- pointed, round or square toes, with bow embellishments or straps. I’m also a huge fan of the slingback kitten heels that are becoming popular.

Of course, we can’t forget boots when talking about Fall! In general, boots have gotten taller this year. I’m noticing a lot of knee-high and thigh-high boots. Even the ankle bootie has a slightly taller shaft.

Shoes may not seem like they have much to do with self-defense, but consider this, they do affect how easily you can run away! Choosing a pair with good grip on the bottom can help.

“Chime-In”

Have you started your capsule yet?

Which Fall Look is your favorite?

What challenges do you face with Fall Concealed Carry?