Guide for Concealed Carry in a Shirt and Tie

Students sometimes tell me they don't carry their every day carry (EDC) gun every day because they have to wear formal clothing at work or at church. The major problem is the button-up, tucked-in shirt and tie for men. For women, they struggle to carry their handgun while wearing a button up blouse, dress skirts or pants.

Wearing formal clothing creates real challenges when carrying a concealed handgun. I'll address these challenges and offer some tips on how to overcome them.

Concealed Carry Wearing a Button-up Shirt —

A step in the typical draw process from concealed is to clear your cover shirt so you can access your handgun. Formal, button-up shirts are inherently more form fitting with less stretch than a t-shirt, factors which also may hinder a clean draw.

Overcoming button-up shirt challenges —

  • Try a button-up shirt designed for concealed carry. Manufacturers replace the shirt buttons with snaps. The snaps break free during the draw process and provide better access to your gun. I own some shirts like this and there is a consideration when using snaps instead of buttons. While drawing, part of the shirt that you don't grab may cover the gun, especially when carrying in the appendix position, similar to how an unzipped jacked moves during the draw.
  • Practice your draw wearing the clothing you wear most. As mentioned, your draw will be different when you wear a button-up shirt and tuck it in, compared to a t-shirt. So grab an old button-up shirt, tuck it in and hit the range. Spend at least a portion of your range time wearing your button-up shirt. If you do, I bet over time your draw will be much better.

concealed carry wearing a button-up shirt and tie

Concealed Carry Wearing a Tucked-in Shirt —

Usually, people wear their button-up/formal shirt tucked into their pants. Any shirt designed to be tucked in is longer. So not only must you pull a tucked-in shirt out of your pants during the draw process, but it hangs lower; this means you must clear more material to get your gun.

Another issue is that you may not even be able to tuck your shirt into your pants because of your holster.

Tenicor holster with dress shirt

Overcoming the challenges of a tucked in shirt —

  • Must you wear your button-up shirt tucked in? I've seen and own some button-up shirts which are not supposed to be tucked in. They are not as long and have a more square bottom hem. One popular brand that makes shirts like this is called “Untuckit.”

Concealed Carry Wearing a Tie —

Not only are ties uncomfortable and, in my opinion, an odd piece of clothing, but they are incredibly unsafe. In a physical fight, I don't want to give the attacker an advantage by giving him access to something that he can use to choke me and control my head.

Here is a short story to underscore my point. While working patrol, sometimes I would wear the optional tie with my uniform. It so happened that during a fight, the suspect thought it would be a good idea to gain an advantage by choking me with my tie. This wasn't an issue, as I thought about this problem ahead of time.

Bow ties are an option, but you risk looking like Bill Nye, the lunatic guy.

Overcoming the challenges of a tie—

  • Make a modification to your tie. I cut all my ties and sewed in velcro so they could fasten and break free with a slight tug. You don't have to do what I did. I just had a few uniform ties and didn't want to throw them away, so I fixed the issue on my own.
  • Use a clip-on tie. We wore them as little boys, and they worked just fine.
  • You could also opt for a bowtie, but I recommend you ask your wife first.

A quick point concernging lanyards —

Another issue is that the tie can affect the draw if you carry in the appendix position. It probably isn't a big deal, but you want to at least practice your draw while wearing a tie. The index point for most appendix draws is the belly-button, and that is precisely where the bottom of the tie reaches. You may grab the tie along with your shirt, or you may decide to use the dominant hand to clear the tie, depending on what works best for you.

Also consider if you wear a nametag on a lanyard at work. The same things that apply to a tie, apply to the lanyard. I recommend a breakaway lanyard if you wear it around your neck. And if you carry in the appendix position, consider adjusting where the name tag rests. Grabbing a cloth tie along with your shirt is one thing, a plastic badge is another. I simply shortened my lanyard so that my nametag was high enough as not to interfere with me grabbing my shirt.

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How to tuck in your shirt while wearing a holster –

Tuckable Holsters —

You may have noticed some holsters described as being “tuckable.” What this means is that the holster uses a clip system which allows the shirt to tuck between the holster clips and the gun. If you tuck in your shirts even occasionally, consider a tuckable holster. One issue with tuckable holsters is that the holster clips are visible. That may or may not be an issue depending on your individual circumstances.

Belly Band Holsters —

Belly band holsters are an option that allow you to tuck in your shirt because they don't attach to the belt. Therefore, belly band holsters don't leave clips exposed. However, belly band holsters are not for everyone and many people find them sweaty and irritating to the skin. If you opt for a bellyband, consider one that covers the trigger guard with reinforced material.

Chassis System —

Phlster enigma chassis

The PHLster Enigma is unique because it isn't a belly band, and not a holster. It is an independent chassis and belt system that your holster mounts to. I prefer the Enigma over any belly band products on the market. If the Enigma sounds like the solution to your concealed carry clothing problem, read my review here.

FlashBang Bra Holster —

This holster is for women only, as the name implies. The holster attaches to a bra and is an option for women who struggle to find any other suitable method of carry. Before discounting this as unsafe or impractical, check out this thorough review by Annette Evans.

flashbang holster

“Clothing” Holsters —

Some manufacturers sell clothing with built-in pockets designed to carry a gun. One example that comes to mind is this shirt from 5.11 Tactical. I'm not a fan of these methods personally, but I am sure it may be practical for someone in limited application.

Alternative Methods of Carry —

For the purposes of this article, I am grouping ankle, thigh, pocket and shoulder holsters in with off body carry, because the shirt you wear won't affect these methods. Each one has its own pro's and cons that you should weigh before choosing as your primary method of carry.

Drawing from an ankle holster in the kneeling position.

Conclusion

Not everyone can head to work in a “tactical tuxedo.” You may have to get creative on how to conceal your gun while wearing formal clothing, but it can be done. I want to reiterate the earlier point about practicing in the clothing you often wear. Whatever method you come up with, spend some time on the range in similar clothing so you can establish a repeatable draw.

What do you think about this topic? Have you struggled to conceal your handgun at work? Have you used any of the methods mentioned above? What else worked? Let us know in the comments section.

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About Matthew Maruster

I follow my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who is the eternal co-equal Son of God. I currently live in Columbus, Ohio with my wife and daughter. I served in the Marine Corps Infantry. I was a Staff Sergeant and served as a Platoon Sergeant during combat in Iraq. After I was a police officer at a municipal agency in San Diego County. I have a Bachelors's Degree in Criminal Justice from National University. MJ Maruster Defense.

14 Comments

  1. Michael on February 10, 2015 at 2:58 pm

    I use the belly band at work because:
    1)My short must be tucked in
    2) My work pants do not have belt loops

    Works verry well, as comfortable too

  2. Brad on November 6, 2017 at 2:19 pm

    I have the urban Carry holster, my firearm is so concealed that no one knows that I’m even carrying a gun.

  3. Dave on November 6, 2017 at 2:53 pm

    I have 2 tactical undershirts that I used with my previous job but I found that my gun was too loose and would fall out if I bent over. Solution, used a pocket holster with the tactical undershirt. This also helps keep sweat off my weapon.

    Also for ease of entry i sewed 2 velcro dots on each of my button down shirts were the 3rd and 4th buttons used to be. I simply slide my had through my shirt and the velcro pops.

  4. Mark on November 6, 2017 at 4:02 pm

    I’m a pastor who conceals with my suit. I use a pocket holster which works well. I keep an extra mag clipped onto my belt. No one has asked me what it is even when I take my suit coat off.

  5. Duane on November 8, 2017 at 4:10 pm

    I’m a pastor who is never, ever unarmed, especially when I’m preaching. For me, it’s pocket carry. No one would ever suspect.

  6. Mikial on November 8, 2017 at 10:02 pm

    Suit and tie? One of the easiest concealed carry situations there is.

    Like to keep your jacket buttoned? Shoulder holster.

    Like your jacket open . . . .A subcompact in your inside jacket pocket.

    Leave your jacket on and open all the time . . . small of the back.

    Anything else, IWB holster.

    I’ve done a lot of CP work in all sorts of clothes, but a suit is one of the easiest to conceal in there is.

  7. Jay Lacson on July 18, 2018 at 7:40 pm

    I wore the 511 Tactical V-Neck shirt for over 8 years while wearing a long sleeve shirt, Tie and Jacket. It takes some time to get used to it. I carried a issued Sig 229 that I was required to carry while on duty. The one thing people have to train on is the person utilizing this 511 shirt is the cross draw. Not to many concealed carriers or law enforcement officers are trained on cross drawing a firearm. I also had a Velcro carrier around my ankle to carry a set of handcuffs and a small tactical knife. The best part about this ‘deep concealment holster’ (do not laugh) is when I had to use the restroom I never had to worry that I would leave my duty issued firearm in the bathroom. Believe it or not but law enforcement officers have a bad habit of leaving handguns in bathroom stalls to include lavatories on commercial aircraft. The 511 Tactical V-Neck shirt will never let you down.

    • Steve on November 19, 2022 at 10:05 pm

      A weird article topic. The easiest and most traditional way to dress and conceal carry. Shoulder holster or waist holster. Men have dressed normally and conceal carried for one hundred years. Be a cop and make detective. Go to work. —. Weird post unless you just don’t know how to dress.

  8. Andrew on July 18, 2018 at 9:50 pm

    I spent years looking for and trying out the “perfect holster”. What I found was there is no such thing. There is the best holster for a particular situation, mode of dress, place. You need various holster options. Like any other tool, there is the right tool for the right job. The most important take away of this article is to train presenting your weapon from every holster option you will use.

  9. Lee on July 19, 2018 at 7:53 am

    I also have to wear dress casual with a tucked shirt every day. I am slim, so super baggy clothes won’t work for me. However, the Brave Response holster works with a Glock 43, .380 or a 38 snubbie. I have a wallet holster for my .380 that hides well for some of my slimmer slacks. It can definitely be done, just not with a full size gun, not for me anyway.

  10. Chriis La Porte on December 31, 2019 at 1:09 pm

    Pocket holster with Glock 43.

  11. Keith on December 31, 2019 at 3:50 pm

    The Brave Response appendix carry holster is my personal preference. It allows for an additional clip and is comfortable for my dominant Rt. Hand or a cross draw carry situation with very minimal imprinting with shirt tucked.

  12. Ray on May 11, 2022 at 1:37 pm

    Just throw on a sportcoat or blazer over your shirt (tucked in behind the holster) and tie. Have to keep it on to stay concealed but the vast majority of the time that’s not a big deal.

  13. Mordecai on May 11, 2022 at 3:09 pm

    Here in Idaho I just open carry, in a Serpa level II retention holster. Nobody even blinks. If I have to conceal, it’s either my S&W J frame or my Kimber, each in a secure pocket holster. I’m in jeans 90% of the time, so even if I have to conceal on the spur of the moment I just drop my G19 EDC into my pocket for the time being. And yes, there is nothing else in that pocket any time there’s a gun there.

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