(Newser)
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Woolrich's new $65 chinos feature an additional pocket and stretchable waistband—and not so you'll have a place to stash a Hershey bar and a way to feel comfortable after you've downed it. The features are custom-built for holding a gun, specifically, for hiding one, explains the New York Times in a look at fashion designed with concealed weapons in mind. The permit-holding masses have grown from 5 million in 2008 to 7 million three years later, and clothing companies have taken note.
And rather than creating shirts and pants befitting commandos, they're designing clothing with function and fashion in mind. The style even has a name (actually, two): concealed carry or covert fashion. 5.11 Tactical will roll out a vest this fall that contains a frontal "stealth compartment," which seems like the kind of place you'd warm your hands, but actually allows you to be somewhat secretly holding your gun. Under Armour is getting in on the action, too, and boasts that its signature moisture-wicking fabric prevents rust. And Woolrich notes that its concealed-carry line features pockets made for storing things beyond a gun: like a knife, flashlight, or plastic handcuffs.
