I talk to many women who want to carry concealed but aren’t sure where to start. I usually begin by asking what their daily wardrobe looks like. And one thing I can say for sure is this:
Women have an aversion to wearing belts.
Most guys I know wear a belt whether they carry or not. But women? No, women treat belts worse than underwire bras. 😂
And I get it. Before I carried, I hadn’t worn a belt since high school.
But when I started carrying many years ago, there were almost no safe beltless options. So I bought my first gun belt, and while it wasn’t comfortable, it worked, and I was able to learn how to carry and get to know the principles of concealment.
For many years, I’ve said that the easiest and fastest way to start is with a belt and a holster. I still mostly believe that, but I also know that the majority of women won’t do it.
Honestly? I hardly wear a belt anymore when I carry. We have better options now, and my concealment is dialed in, so I’m able to lean more into my style, which rarely includes belts.
There are several beltless options that I use and like, but today, let’s focus on beltless holsters. This is a holster with a clip that’s made to attach directly to fabric and doesn’t require a belt.
Sounds perfect, right? Well, yes and no. They work great when you follow some rules, but they won’t work for every outfit.
If you’re going to use a beltless holster, like this Standard IWB with the DCC Monoblock clip from Blacksmith Tactical, you need to be wearing pants that are tight and sturdy in the waist.
I use this holster without a belt when I’m wearing jeans that don’t have a lot of stretch and also fit tightly at the waist. Crunchy denim, not comfy denim.
Anything that’s soft or loose will cause your setup to flop around, and that’s a big no.
Leggings? Don’t even think about it unless they have a sturdy reinforced waistband like the ones from Alexo Athletica.
You’ll probably need to wear it a little higher on your torso, too. This is dependent on your body shape, but lower usually means more chance for it to tip over the top of your belt line.
This is just one way to carry beltless, of course. Let me know if you’d like me to show more options. 🖤
Happy Friday. Stay casual+tactical.
Great points to think about and implement. Thanks for reminding!!