The Wonders of an Undershirt
When I first started carrying, I prioritized holsters that were comfortable to carry. I carried strong side pseudo-appendix at the time, around 2 o’clock, and I gravitated towards holsters that were more comfortable. I found my perfect holster in Black Arch and the Protos was a my every day wear for three or four years, until I made the move to a weapon light, which forced a change. While I love Black Arch holsters, they don’t support lights on any of their holsters. I never bothered to wear an undershirt because my holster was so comfortable.
As I started to look at holsters that would fit the guns I carry (CZ P-07, HK P30, G19 MOS), with the exception of the 19, finding a holster supporting a light forced me down the full kydex route: getting a leather backed holster simply wasn’t an option. As I tried out the new kydex holsters, and started to experiment with actual appendix carry, I quickly realized that having a kydex holster against my bare skin was not just less than ideal, it was a non-starter for me.
I started to experiment with different ways to make carrying a kydex holster more comfortable, and I found that an undershirt made a huge difference.
An Undershirt is for More Than Just Comfort
An unintended consequence of wearing an undershirt was that it actually made my draw better, I found I could get a better grip on my gun, since my hand wasn’t competing with my own skin to get a grip and get the gun out. Previously, I found I would tear up my thumb on the holster backing, before developing a callus, or have the uncomfortable drag of my thumb against my bare skin. Having an undershirt, especially the synthetic ones, made drawing easier. I also found that when training, either live or dry fire, that the synthetic shirts stay in place better than the cotton a shirts. Synthetic undershirts also don’t bunch up, making re-holstering much safer. I ultimately settled on synthetic shirts for both every day carry and training.
Synthetic vs Cotton
Initially I experimented with cotton undershirts, but found they did not work well for what I needed. First, they did not stay in place well. If I adjusted my pants, practiced my draw, or even got out of the car, the undershirt didn’t stay in place. While this wasn’t great for comfort, it was horrible for safety. The cotton undershirts would bunch up, making re-holstering downright dangerous. Finding the great cotton undershirt experiment a failure, I tried synthetic undershirts and found them to be much better. They stayed in place, never bunched up or caused a dangerous situation with the trigger guard, and had the added benefit of being cooler than their cotton counterparts. I suspect they will need to be rotated more frequently due to the wear from the grip on the synthetic material, but overall, I find them a much better fit than the classic cotton beater.
I wish I’d made the move to wearing undershirts sooner. I think I would have branched out into other carry methods, holsters, and guns sooner had I not felt tied down to trying to carry with a “comfortable” holster.
Any gear mentioned in this post was purchased for my personal use. I have not been compensated or incentivized by any company for any product reviews, highlights, or opinions.
Upcoming Live Fire Classes
Defensive Pistol Fundamentals – 1
Saturday, January 27th – 9am to 1pm
This class is a live fire training opportunity to work on defensive pistol skills. This first class will focus on fundamentals, including grip, site picture, and draw.
Intermediate Defensive Pistol – 2
Saturday, February 24th – 9am to 1pm
This intermediate defensive pistol class will focus on taking the next step in your firearms proficiency with items like target transitions, reactive targets, and reload drills.
Next Level Defensive Pistol – 3
Saturday, March 30th – 9am to 1pm
This next level defensive pistol class is an advanced class for practicing shooting and moving, transitions, and reactive targets.
Other Posts you Might Like
Holosun 407C X2 Review- 12K Rounds Later
*Updated February, 2024* I’ve been carrying the Holosun 407C X2 daily since 2021 and have over 12,000 rounds through it at the time of writing. Below is my experience with it over a few years and a few thousand rounds. Consider this a Holosun 407C X2 Review, just 12k+ rounds later. The vast majority of…
T.Rex Arms Sidecar Review
Updated 12.15.2023 with a reflection on two years of carrying. If you’ve been concealed carrying for any amount of time, you probably have a a collection of various holsters in different combinations for lights, guns, belts, sidecar setups, etc… When I saw T.Rex Arms had come up with a new Sidecar setup using a flexible…
I’ve got my CCL – Now What? Next Steps for Concealed Carry
One of the most common questions I get is what to do once you have your concealed carry permit. Students who have taken a concealed carry class or friends who have just gotten their permit in the mail inevitably ask: Now what? What are my next steps for Concealed Carry? While different people may have…
NeoMag Alias: A Great Low Vis Option
Updated December, 2023 Back in October of 2021, I picked up a NeoMag Alias, a low visibility belt clip option for concealed carry. I’d previously switched to carrying appendix a few months prior and needed something to wear with a suit that didn’t obviously show the clips. Carrying strong side on a suit was easy,…