Fashion designers offer discrete ways for women to carry firearms

Marilyn Smolenski uses a mock gun to demonstrate how to pull a handgun out of the concealed carry clothing she designs at her home in Park Ridge, Ill. (AP Photo/Tae-Gyun Kim)
Marilyn Smolenski uses a mock gun to demonstrate how to pull a handgun out of the concealed carry clothing she designs at her home in Park Ridge, Ill. (AP Photo/Tae-Gyun Kim)
photo Marilyn Smolenski demonstrates how to pull a handgun out of an undergarment designed for concealed carry. She founded Nickel & Lace, a company that produces women's holsters, corsets, camisoles and other feminine fashions designed to conceal guns.
photo Anna Taylor, founder and CEO of Dene Adams in Atlanta, displays a corset that allows for the concealed carrying of a firearm. For decades, women have had few choices when it comes to the clothing they can wear to hide that they're carrying a firearm. Taylor's company makes clothing geared to women seeking to carry a firearm concealed.
photo Anna Taylor, founder and CEO of Dene Adams in Atlanta, displays a corset that allows for the concealed carrying of a firearm. For decades, women have had few choices when it comes to the clothing they can wear to hide that they're carrying a firearm. Taylor's company makes clothing geared to women seeking to carry a firearm concealed. (AP Photo/Lisa Marie Pane)

Cindy Thomas carries.

As in a gun.

Nothing fancy, mind you, just a small handgun in her purse or at her side in the car.

Like many of women nationwide, Thomas carries for own safety. What she's not doing, though, is camouflaging it with fashion.

Guns and fashion?

Yes. From holsters in bras to corsets, purses and blouses created specifically to conceal weapons, women can be packin' and stylin' at the same time.

Until recently, a woman had few choices of where to hide a gun on her person other than wearing baggy clothing or carrying it in a purse, which could make her vulnerable if the purse was swiped. And getting a gun out of a purse in an emergency can be awkward and time-consuming in a situation in which speed may be critical.

"The concealed carry fashion market is all about combining beauty, confidence and self defense," says Marilyn Smolenski of Indiana, who in 2011 founded Nickel & Lace, a company that produces women's holsters, corsets, camisoles and other feminine fashions designed to conceal guns.

"It is still a fairly young market which was largely untapped, until recently, with the large growth of female gun ownership and female involvement in the shooting sports. Plan on seeing a lot more fashion-forward holster products in the upcoming years."

And to make it even more feminine, some manufacturers are producing guns in colors such as pink, purple and blue.

"I don't have much interest in anything other than safety," says Thomas, 62, who got her handgun - in a standard color - as a Christmas present last year. Had she known, though, she might have gone for a colored one, she says.

Since 2007, concealed carry permits for women have increased by 270 percent nationwide, according to the Crime Prevention Center. But the fashion aspect of carrying is not just for the sake of fashion, it's also for convenience and an extra level of safety.

"When starting Nickel & Lace, my main goal was to provide women with holster garments which would allow them to discreetly conceal on their person without having to dress in an overly masculine or bulky manner," Smolenski says. "Over the years, the business expanded to include fashion shows, women's events and speaking engagements that promote situational awareness and firearms safety."

Smolenski also works with groups such as the United States Concealed Carry Association during its annual expo.

Locally, Amiee Gregory, co-owner of Shooter's Depot in Chattanooga, says she sells compression tank tops to women wanting to conceal their guns under clothing.

"They hold the firearm snugly against your body so as you move, run or walk, the gun always feels secure," says the 41-year-old Gregory. "I know there are some corset-type belly bands that are popular."

The Flashbang Holster has a great line of bra holsters," she says, noting that she sells the product in her store.

"I see most women wanting to carry in a purse or bag, however, those that do want to carry concealed on their person really like the Flashbang Holster or tank-style concealment holsters and shirts."

If women like Thomas carry guns in their purses, Gregory recommends having a designated spot in the purse for the firearm so you don't have to fish around for the handgun.

"As long as the firearm is easily accessed in the event of a situation, I feel it is safe to carry either way - whichever she is most comfortable with," she says.

Thomas says she's comfortable carrying her gun in her purse. It's something she never thought she'd have to do.

An executive secretary for Hamilton County government, she says that, until recently, she had never been around guns but, because of gang violence in Chattanooga, she thought she needed one.

"The gang violence in Chattanooga was the determining factor to carry," she says. "We also have some property in Meigs County, and it is fairly remote, so I feel more at ease having a gun."

Contact Karen Nazor Hill at khill@timesfreepress.com.

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