Carrying While Wearing Business Attire - US Concealed Carry

IntroductionCody S. AldersonCARRYING WHILE WEARINGBUSINESS ATTIREThe Suit Offers GreatConcealmentEmployment that requires wearing formal business attireautomatically subjects employees to levels of risk that makeit even more appropriate to be armed. Even if it is not thejob that increases risk to the person, the simple fact of wearing asuit makes a person appear to be a more lucrative target for thecriminal element. A guy in a suit or a woman in business attirewill usually accessorize with better jewelry and watches. It is justthe thing a criminal is interested in.It would be nice if every office job or place of employment thatrequires business attire would simply encourage their employeesto be trained and armed. However, that is far from what actuallyoccurs. Even attorneys and others who work in our court systemsmust disarm as they walk the halls of a building that by reasonof its purpose has a higher concentration of sociopaths persquare foot.No one should make himself a felon by carrying any weapon in aplace where it is illegal to do so. However, there are places whereit is not against the law to carry, but they may come with the riskof being asked to leave or being in violation of a company policythat could result in termination of employment. Some states havestatutes making it a firearms violation when someone brings aweapon onto property that prohibits the possession of weapons.In other words, the state that one lives in may have a law thatmakes it a firearms crime if a person is caught carrying a weaponon private property where it is posted no weapons are allowedeven if the person has a permit.The nice thing about a business suit is that it comes with acoat that is expected to be worn. That is a very good thing.For those in public who are wearing casual attire, thephotographers vest is often used as a cover garment. On a hotsummer day it just looks weird. Untucked shirts are actually thisauthor’s favorite casual cover garment. I can conceal a largecaliber weapon since I’m a heavy guy and have been wearinguntucked button-down shirts for years. People expect to see medressed that way. However, an untucked shirt does not work asbusiness attire.In all of the places I have ever carried concealed, my gun was onlynoticed twice. The first time was when I was wearing a pancakeholster on my hip and reached overhead to do something. WhenI did, my shirt went up in the back. Someone coming down thestairs saw my gun. No one else was in the area with me, andthe person who noticed the gun had just come down the stairsas I was reaching overhead. He asked me if the gun was real.Though he saw it and it was obvious it was “real” and in a “real”holster, he couldn’t process it in his mind that someone in closeproximity to him had a gun—and in fact a real gun. Not beingable to comprehend a civilian with a legally possessed gun, thewords popped out of his mouth asking me if the gun was real.Other states may only charge such a violator with a trespassingviolation. Still, other jurisdictional authorities may only beallowed to force a violator to leave the premises. This report isnot going to delve into the legal ramifications of carrying on thejob or anywhere else where one is wearing business attire. It isonly going to go into a few of the ways of carrying while wearingbusiness attire.4Here is a pancake style holster worn on the belt. Though it offers quick accessto a handgun, it is one of the methods of carry that is easiest to spot. (Noticethe model is not wearing an adequate gun belt. We did not have one to fit himat the time.)© 2003-2011 U.S. Concealed Carry Association & Delta Media LLC - All Rights Reserved. Reproduction without permission prohibited.