Because I am an NRA instructor, firearms enthusiast and a woman, I get asked a lot of gun related questions. I was recently asked what I could recommend for holsters, especially for a woman such as I – short, maybe some extra pounds, etc. I decided to take a look at the various holster products out there overall and then discuss some of them for women specifically. Some holsters and carry methods include: (a) Inside-the-waistband holster-IWB (b) Belt holster-strong side hip-OWB, (c) thigh, (d) ankle, (e) fanny pack, (f) body belts and belly bands, (g) cross-draw holster, (h) T-shirt holster, (i) Small-of-the-back holster-SOB, (j) purse, (k) dayplanner, (l) shoulder holster - SR or SH, (m) pocket, and (n) "novelty" holsters.

An IWB holster works well with flat semi-autos – not great with revolvers with their round cylinders. They are pretty quick to bring into action, and they can be worn with short jackets, since most of the gun is concealed due to the fact that the holster really rests inside one’s pants or skirt. If you get one of these, or a strong side hip holster, make sure that you use a good, thick gun belt to support the holster. The main problem with this for women is most IWBs are made for men and are not women’s bodies friendly. When I wear an IWB, I wear a camisole next to my skin for comfort's sake.

An OWB holster is great if you wear blazers, or overshirts regularly. OWBs can be described in much the same terms as IWBs as far as ease of use, etc. However, they also force women to face the same problems as does the IWB. There are a few models deliberately designed around the problems we face, though. One is designed by Matt Del Fatti of Del Fatti Leather also makes a holster specially raked for women - The SLP-F - from Matt's site:

A holster made for women and specifically designed with the assistance of women to be worn forward of the strong side hip with a muzzle forward rake. The holster has an extended and slimmed down wing to the rear of the weapon. The rear belt loop is formed by a tongue of leather that wraps around the belt and secures to the outside of the wing. This method reduces the leather bulk at the belt attachment so as to reduce the chance of discomfort at the top of the hip. There is a second tunnel loop behind the weapon. Most women find the holster comfortable, concealable, and fast. It works best with shorter barreled pistols.

Thigh band and ankle band holsters are essentially the same holster. Galco makes the most reasonably priced of these I have found, hovering in the $25 to $35 range. These are most useful during driving. If you drive a lot (as in employment), this is really much more comfortable than anything at your waist or under your arms. The biggest problem I can see is speed of accessibility. The ankle holster would be dicey for me as I have difficulty reaching down to floor level in a vehicle due to my shortness and other attributes. The thigh holster would probably be best worn with a skirt. I know I wouldn't try to put it under pants. Despite the photograph, I wonder at its usefulness for any man.

Fanny Packs are probably one of the ugliest inventions known to man as far as fashion wear is concerned, but as holsters, these things can be quite useful. I've carried one out in the field with my .38 in it and it was very effective. Rear holster compartment closes by velcro. I am unsure as to the strnegth of velcro on every fanny pack, but on the two I own, it is quite strong. Advantage to that is the gun is not falling out. Disadvantage is if you are in a situation where you want to stay very quiet the rip of that velcro sounds like a train wreck. I wouldn't carry a heavy gun in one if for no other reason than they do tend to pull at your waist-hip-back if they have too much mass in them. This is also not an every day carry idea in my opinion, but sometimes quality of life depends on options and this is a pretty good one.

Belly bands or body belts are a heavy duty elasticized cloth band. It goes around your body between your underwear and your outer clothing. Usually worn low on the hips, typically has two pouches -- one on each side of midline, right over one's abdomen. The dress or pants would have to have some room in them, and not be so tight as to reveal the presence of the belly band. While they might add warmth to the day, this is a good option in the summer. One selling point for this for women is that they can basically be worn anywhere along the trunk. For instance, if one is “hippy”, one could wear it higher under the breasts. Either way, I've been told it's a good idea to wear a light camisole under it or it ends up being itchy.

Cross draw holsters are belt holsters that are worn on the weak side, but forward. The belly band you see above is functioning as a cross draw holster as well. They are usually positioned between the middle point between the abdomen and the protrusion of the hip. They are best for accessing your gun while in a seated position such as when you are driving. They're harder to conceal, and said to be more easily accessed by Bad Guys, but concealed is concealed. If the BG doesn't see it, the BG is unlikely to go for it. They are also not used in most training classes or competition due to the possibility of "sweeping" before the firearm comes to aiming position. I do not see that as a problem and wouldn't hesitate to wear a cross draw holster, all else being equal.

T-shirt "holsters" have the advantage of being very concealable. They can be somewhat uncomfortable, depending on the size of the gun. They are best suited for thin semi-autos and small revolvers. Their biggest disadvantage is that, being under your shirt, they are slow to get into action. This is probably slightly less of a problem for women as (1) they have the "girls don't carry guns" advantage and (2) the action of folding one’s arms and reaching for the pistol would be pretty much in line with physical actions expected out of a woman at crunch time. However, for anyone, man or woman, who has difficulties with reach or is large chested, these are probably not a good solution. There is one model that I particularly like the look of, though. It's made by Kramer Leather and its billed as an "All-Weather X-Dry compression performance Power Shirt that fits you like a second skin." T-shirt holsters will also result in cross draw.



Purses were something which I had formerly recommended with great reservation. I cannot recommend them at all any longer. My reservations had to do with two questions.

What does the Bad guy want from you first?
What is the object women lose the most often?

I've left my purse behind on more than one occasion, most recently a week or so ago. I got ripped off and things were a pain to replace but the idea of losing my pistol to a felon/criminal just does not work. No purses for me no Matter what the excuse or how nice looking they are. I'll still carry the Galco Classic that I own but I will not be putting my sidearm in it. By the same token, dayplanner holsters are even dopier (technical term) as holsters and I can't conceive of any circumstance where I would willingly choose to do so.


Small of the back (SOB) holsters have the advantage of being highly concealable as long as you are facing someone and are wearing a loose cover garment. They are very uncomfortable when seated in anything that has a back such as car seat or desk chairs. They are also in such a position as to cause serious spinal cord injury should a fall take place. I do not recommend these in any way, shape or form. I am told I am being overcautious on the strength of my recommendation not to carry this way, but I really believe the disadvantages outweigh any advantage. On a personal note, having had surgery on both shoulders due to an abusive ex-husband, there's no way I could effectively carry that way, even if the holster were offset to the kidney position.

Personally, I alternate between two main modes of carry; the shoulder holster and a pocket holster, both made by Matt Del Fatti of Del Fatti Leather. Matt is great and I love his stuff. The quality is impeccable but the wait for delivery can be long as he makes custom goods almost exclusively.

The shoulder holster is problematic for some people because there are those that believe the only way to clear leather (get your gun out) is to sweep everyone in the place. No, no, no. What needs to happen is the firearms is pulled out, already putting pressure to bring the nose down, sweep it (still facing down) to near ready, then twist the wrist and bring it up to the correct position. It's neither slow nor awkward once one practices a bit. Two things to worry about are the weight distribution and where the butt of your gun falls.

With my P7, it's almost impossible to wear without two loaded backup mags in the strong side pouch to offset the weight of the gun. As for where the butt of the gun rests, most women will not be able to comfortably go straight across their breasts to unholster. Experimentation with your own holster or one borrowed from someone willing to lend theirs for a few days to a week will help decide adjustments. Ideally, it should tuck nicely under your arm, be quickly accessible, allow you to clear leather in a safe manner, be comfortable, and be covered by clothing that suits the mode of carry. This means that the area across the chest and back may be a different style than some women are used to wearing. My daughter was not happy with the idea of not wearing form fitting shirts and I think I was very patient in explaining that (1) you can still wear those, but (2) you then have to have some kind of overblouse, blazer, jacket, etc. that covers the rig and gun or it's pretty pointless.

The pocket holster works best with what some erroneously call a hammerless revolver. It's not hammerless, of course, but either shrouded or fully concealed. Shrouded is visible, but doesn't stick up and fully concealed is no longer even visible, but fully contained within the frame. Either is fine, although I really do prefer my S&W Model 638 "Bodyguard AirWeight" in .38 Special. The shrouded hammer, with only a small tip of the hammer exposed, allows for manual cocking, which could improve accuracy, but prevents the hammer from snagging into clothes or other obstacles during a defensive draw. It creates barely a bump on the side of my jeans and is concealed enough during carry that my daughter, who has taken my class and knows I carry 24-7 where and when it's legal, after hugging me a while back said to me, "I didn't know you carry a beeper." The other thing about that pocket holster (and no, Del Fatti doesn't pay me or gift me) is that it is perfect for the rare occasion that I put my gun in my purse. That happens most often when I am stuck using a public restroom - there simply is no good place to put your gun down but neither am I going to perform the drill with one hand holding my gun in my pocket. It's never an issue at any other time because the tension of the fit of my pants keeps the gun perfectly in place.

    
My holster - my jeans - as you can see, this holster fits perfectly and would barely show.
It's incredibly comfortable in any pair of pants.And it's signed by the artist.

The very last type of holster is "all the other ones." I found one in particular to be of interest to me. This vertical holster resembles a camera case or cell phone case and can be worn on the left or right side. The gun sits in an adjustable holster insert inside a zippered pocket ready for you to pull the tab at the top down for a quick release and instant draw. You also get a zippered pocket up front for your extra ammo or wallet. The holster has the overall appearance of an inexpensive camera bag. Not so fancy that anyone would be motivated to steal it from you and worn on the belt so it will not be lost, it appears to be a handy addition to an active individual's collection of holsters.

Large, medium or small sized, nylon or leather, comes with an adjustable 1 1/2 inch nylon belt with quick release buckle or you can use your own belt in the loops on the back of the pack. $29-45 depending on size and material ordered.

All mistakes are my own - don't hesitate to let me know where I've made them or what additions you'd like to see to this page or site. My thanks to those who contributed advice and photographs for this page.

All of the photographs taken or gathered for this page can be found here on a particularly unorganized page.

Questions and Comments © Copyright 2005 Neva Li, All Rights Reserved.