Something we all deal with.
My friend Alex runs “The Suited Shootist,” a community dedicated to those who like to dress well while heavily armed. It’s an important topic, because I’ve noticed a certain groupthink when it comes to the firearms community and clothing. We (as guys) tend to fall into one of two camps:
- The Not-So-Rugged Outdoorsman: Cover garment is a flannel shirt if you live up north, a lightweight Columbia (or equivalent) fishing shirt if you don’t. Jeans (with pocketknife and flashlight clips peeking out) are essential, as is a pair of low-profile hiking boots or a pair of Crocs. A body which is capable of doing a 10-mile ruck march at the drop of a hat? That’s optional. VERY optional.
- The Nine-Line Spokesmodel: He’ll yes, bother, until Van Halen! Merrell shoes. Beard oil. A minimum of one American flag per square foot of clothing. Cargo pants that could conceal a sizable portion of Portugal. Tactical man purse to hold the 33 round spare mags for their backup gun. “Don’t Tread On Me” ball cap. Will talk about their score in the latest Tactical Games event until they’re blue in the face.
Both of these groups of people think they’re blending in with society, but in reality, they’re blending in with the other members of their group. This was brought home to me a few years ago at Tac-Con, where a bunch of attendees were milling about in a hotel lobby and we all looked exactly the same. Our choice of clothing made it clear that we were all part of some event and shared a common culture, the problem was, it wasn’t the same culture as our peers. We stood out like a sore thumb compared to the other patrons of that hotel.
By Kevin Creighton
