Some people are very vain about their clothing choices. Personally, I'm not vain about my appearance......which those of you who've met me will attest to.C-dub wrote:I did once to a friend at the time. I didn't know he even had a CHL, but sure did that day. We were making a run to Whataburger for several friends that were together at an event and he put it on before we left. Regular pair of jeans and a fitted white t-shirt. While were standing in line waiting to order I could clearly see in his IWB that he had a mid sized Glock 9 or 40. I think I said something like, "I guess you have your CHL?" He actually seemed surprised. I told him he might want to think about a looser t-shirt and maybe a little darker color. He replied that as long as it was completely covered he was legal. I told him that was mostly correct, but even while covered if I can narrow it down to either of two models of Glocks then it might not be good enough cover. I think we only met once or twice more. Otherwise, he was a smart guy, but on this he was just plain defiant that what he was doing was adequate. He claimed he had never had a problem with it.
There are two young men at my church (who happen to be brothers), both of whom have carry weapons in .45 after talking to me about buying a gun. One has a Kimber Pro Carry II, the other has a XD Compact which he purchased from a forum member I put him in contact with. Both of them like to wear close fitting shirts and pants. They dress like "hipsters." They both ask me what will be the best way to conceal their chosen weapons because they want their CHLs. The first thing I tell them is that they are going to have to make some concessions to the way they dress or they are going to have a hard time concealing their pistols, and they are a little bit resistant to the idea because they have some of their identities tied up in the way they dress. It's not just that their shirts are too tight, it's that they are too short also. (Personally, I think that a lot of young men don't dress "manly" anymore. Some of these modern fashions are decidedly metrosexual, and they blur the male/female boundaries....but that's a whole 'nuther conversation....) Anyway, I keep trying to guide them toward some rational concessions to concealed carry.
In the end, there are three ways to approach clothing and concealed carry:
- Pick a gun, and then dress around it.
- Pick a fashion, and then find a gun that fits it.
- Some combination of #1 and #2.
C-dub, I think your former acquaintance is probably very aware that he prints badly, and he likes it. I think he is one of those people who "wants" people to know that he has a gun. If he is that vain about his clothing choices, then you can take to the bank that he likes to look at himself in a mirror. If he likes to look at himself in a mirror, and if the printing was that obvious to you, then you can take it to the bank that he already KNOWS he is printing. When people act all surprised when they are outed and it is THAT obvious, I don't believe they are surprised. I believe it is faked, and I believe that they get a secret charge out of having been identified as a gun-carrier, and they actually hope that people will notice it.
