Concealed Carry in a Suit: Holsters, Belts and Tailoring

Quick answer: Concealed carry in a suit depends on three things one holster maker names: “holster position, gun size, and suit fit.” Pick the holster by whether the jacket will stay on, wear a stiff gun belt instead of a thin dress belt, and tell your tailor you carry so the jacket and trousers can be cut around the gun.

Why a Suit Is Harder to Carry In

Alien Gear’s guide to suit carry sums up the problem: “The structured jacket, the dress belt that can’t support a holster properly, the fitted trousers that leave no waistband room — all of it works against you.”

It ranks the cuts, too. “Sport coats and blazers are somewhat more forgiving because they’re typically cut with a softer shoulder and more relaxed chest,” while “a fitted two-piece suit in lightweight fabric is the most demanding concealment challenge in civilian carry.”

Holster Positions Under a Suit

Alien Gear rates each carry position for suit carry like this:

• Shoulder holster: the jacket already covers it, but “the jacket must stay on.” Our shoulder holster guide covers horizontal and vertical rigs.
• Tuckable IWB: Falco’s blog puts it simply: “Remember that we’re wearing a suit, which means that the shirt needs to be tucked in. For this, you’ll need a tuckable holster.” Alien Gear adds: “If the jacket comes off, you’re still concealed.” See our tuckable holster guide.
• Strong-side OWB: Alien Gear says “it works best under a sport coat or loosely structured blazer rather than a fitted suit jacket.” Falco warns: “Relying on a jacket to conceal your leather OWB holster means that it can’t be removed.”
• Appendix: “AIWB in a fitted suit requires a slim-profile compact or subcompact,” per Alien Gear. Our appendix carry guide covers the position.
• Ankle: “Ankle carry is best treated as a backup gun position, not a primary.” More in our ankle holster guide.
• Pocket: “Jacket pocket carry works; trouser pocket carry in formal dress usually doesn’t.” See our pocket holster guide.

On the gun itself, Alien Gear’s view is that “A compact 9mm is the practical ceiling for most formal carry setups.”

What to Ask Your Tailor

Antonio Centeno, a former Marine officer and founder of the custom clothier A Tailored Suit, has written about cutting a suit for carry on his own site and on LuckyGunner. His first rule: “Take your measurements with your firearm.” His other jacket changes:

• Stiffen the hem: “Add an extra layer of lining or canvas to the bottom 12 inches of jacket; this will increase the stiffness and as mentioned reduce printing.”
• A little more length: “Add an extra ½ to 1 inch of length to the jacket (depending on your height).”
• Higher arm holes: “Make sure to have small arm holes to minimize the rise of the jacket when raising ones arms.”
• Weighted corners: in his LuckyGunner article he suggests you “sew a small fishing weight at each of the bottom front corners of the suit jacket.”
• A stiff front edge: “Sew in a plastic rod or zip strap like piece along the jacket’s front openings.”

How much extra room? In the LuckyGunner article, for belt holsters outside the pants “you’ll have to add 3-4 inches to the waist measurement of the jacket,” and “With the Inside the Pants holster, you should also add 2-3 inches to the waist of your trousers.” For a shoulder rig: “add 2-3 inches to the chest as well as the waist.” Alien Gear puts the trouser figure lower: “most experienced formal carriers size up one to two inches in the trouser waist to accommodate an IWB holster.”

Fabric and Color

• Dark and patterned: “Select dark colored fabrics for your suits, sport jackets, and trousers; also patterns that break up lines such as herringbone, nailhead, and birdseye work well.”
• No pinstripes: “Avoid pin stripes on a suit – they accentuate a bulge in the fabric.”
• Heavy cloth hides more: “Consider stiff & heavy fabrics such as cotton, flannels, and winter weight wools.” The catch: “Unfortunately they only look natural in cool weather areas.”
• Hot weather: Centeno suggests “unlined jackets or using a fabric such as mohair, linen or a lightweight cotton that breathes,” but adds: “Be careful of lighter colored jackets though as they are more likely to print.”

For more on why a gun shows through clothing, see our guide on how to stop concealed carry printing.

Dress Belt vs. Gun Belt

Alien Gear: “A standard dress belt is typically 1 to 1.25 inches wide, made from thin leather, and designed to hold up trousers — not a loaded pistol.” Its fix: “The solution is a leather gun belt built to look like a dress belt.” Falco’s blog agrees: “A lot of dressy belts are decorative and floppy.”

The leather Kore belts we carry are 1.5″ wide and 5mm thick, rated by Kore for “Up to 6 lbs. • IWB, OWB or Appendix,” with a “Power-Core™ Center for Added Stiffness and Support.”

• Kore Black Buffalo Leather Gun Belt 1.5″: made with “uncoated Buffalo Leather,” which Kore says has “a natural look and feel that develops character with use.”
• Kore Black ArmorTek Leather Gun Belt 1.5″: Kore says ArmorTek delivers “the premium look and feel of traditional leather with 2X the durability,” and it is “scratch resistant and weather resistant.”

See all Kore gun belts, or read how to choose a gun belt.

Comfort Under a Tucked Shirt

For inside-the-waistband comfort, the Cloudster Pillow holster wedge mounts to any IWB or AIWB holster with hook-and-loop, angles the grip into your body, and has memory-foam fill you can add or remove to set its thickness.

Before the Event

GunfightersINC’s formal-wear guide: “Practice sitting, standing, and moving around in your outfit to check that your holster is comfortable and accessible.” Centeno says the same: “Practice putting yourself together before you need to wear the concealed carry outfit.” Falco’s blog adds two questions to ask first: “Are you wearing a suit for work? Does your employer allow concealed carry?”

If the suit is for work most days, our concealed carry jacket guide and concealed carry pants guide cover clothing made for carry.

Concealed Carry in a Suit: Questions People Ask

Can you concealed carry in a suit?
Yes. Alien Gear: “Carrying concealed in a suit is a solvable problem, but it’s not the same problem as everyday casual carry.”

What holster works best with a suit?
It depends on the jacket. Alien Gear rates a shoulder holster excellent for concealment, but the jacket must stay on; a tuckable IWB stays hidden with the jacket off.

How much bigger should suit trousers be for IWB carry?
Alien Gear says one to two inches in the waist; Centeno says 2–3 inches.

Will a dress belt hold a holster?
Alien Gear: “A dress belt flexes, tilts, and lets the holster cant unpredictably.”

Written by the Cloudster Pillow team. We make the Cloudster Pillow and the Cloudster magnetic mag carriers, and carry Kore belts. We don’t sell holsters, firearms or suits, and no maker paid to be mentioned here. This page summarizes published guidance from the sources named; it is general information, not legal advice. Check your state’s carry laws and your employer’s policy.