The Great Holster Search

There are OWB (out-of-waistband) and IWB (in-waistband) holsters, and most men who carry concealed will pick an IWB. I know there are a few other options men use, like shoulder holsters, pocket carry, etc. but still, almost all holsters are designed with men in
mind. 

The BellyBand was a good starting place for me.  However, I didn’t like fastening the Velcro, and then twirling the band around to the front each time I put it on.  The Velcro had a tendency to snag my clothing, and irritate my skin.  So, I ended up ripping off the Velcro, and replacing them with bra hooks.  Ah, much better!  However, I found that due to the way I’m built, carrying above my waist wasn’t comfortable when I wore it for hours.  My back hurt, and when I sat down, I still had some trouble with my gun poking me.  I found that if I moved the band down to between my waist and my hips, I could solve both of those problems.  However, since the band wasn’t designed for that position, the elastic kept curling, instead of lying flat.

Several people said that anyone could wear an IWB holster, if they had a good sturdy gun belt.  So, I ordered a custom made leather holster and a good quality gun belt.  While I was waiting on those to be made and arrive, I discovered the SmartCarry. www.smartcarry.com/  It is designed to carry the gun below one’s waist. I ordered one of those as well.

Finally my IWB holster & belt arrived!  Those people who said that anyone could wear an IWB holster were wrong, it doesn’t work for everyone.  With a woman’s waist being higher than a man’s, the distance around my waist varied greatly from standing to sitting.  If the belt was comfortable standing up, it was way too tight sitting down.  Vice versa – If the belt was loose enough sitting down to not give me stomach cramps, it was way too loose standing up.  Not to mention problems associated with bathroom issues.  Also, had that problem with the gun poking me in the flab surrounding my ribs.  Even though I wear jeans a lot of the time, this method still wouldn’t work for my other pants or skirts, that didn't have the belt loops to accommodate the gun belt. 

Much better than either the BellyBand or IWB holster.  Only complaint was the Velcro problem again.  After a while of putting up with it, I ended up buying some large parachute buckles and strapping, and replaced the Velcro with those.  This has remained the holster I use most often.

I’ve altered purses for concealed carry, and even bought one that I found at a semi-reasonable price. Even though I’m not an advocate of purse-carrying, I do think all women ought to have that as an option for those occasions when they just don’t have a
holster that will work.  For me, that’s when I have to go to see medical people – I just never know what they’ll want to do to me, so it is best to put it where they won't be searching.  I’ve also purse carried at my mom’s funeral, because I the dress I wore wouldn’t accommodate a holster. 

I’m contemplating buying a 3-speed Holster 3speedholster.com/ as it appears to be an improvement over the SmartCarry.  I
contacted the company, and was told that if I provide the strapping they would sew that on my holster, rather than the Velcro.  I'm still trying to decide if I want to or not, check back with me in a few months.

Thankfully, with more women toting guns, more holsters are being designed for women.  Thigh holsters can work if one has skinny thighs.  www.desantisholster.com/desantis-blog/dress-for-success-with-desantis2019-new-thigh-high-holster  Bra based holsters work for smaller guns, and women without a midriff roll of fat. ultimateconcealedcarry.com/flashbang-holster-1.html and www.naturallyconcealed.com/index.html

I’ve got a concept for a wide dressy belt that could also be a holster, but haven’t seen anyone else making one like that yet. It wouldn’t work for me right now, so I haven’t hurried to sew one up.  Still looking for the right buckles to buy to use for it, for one thing.

There are all sorts of other holsters out there that I’ve not tried, like the bicycle-shorts type holster.  www.armedinheels.com/undertech-undercover-compression-shorts-product-review-pg-12.html?CDpath=3 One downside of that would be washing it on a
regular basis.  Undershirt holsters also have that problem.  www.undertechundercover.com/  But at least people are thinking, and what works for one person, may or may not work for someone else.  I haven’t heard of one person who kept using the first holster they bought as their primary holster, so don’t feel like you’re the only one to have difficulty finding the one that works
best for you.