I’m angry today.
I’m angry that companies will sacrifice your safety and your life on the altar of sales.
Unsafe carry methods, like gimmicky self-defense products, are often marketed as clearly being effective because so many people have bought into them.
The problem is that popularity won’t save you when your tools are the very thing that hurt you, or when a determined bad guy shows up. They’re not going to stop just because you’re using a social media sensation. Worse, you may endanger yourself and those around you in your daily life.
If you must use a concealed carry legging, you must use a hard-sided trigger guard or holster molded specifically for your gun and it must be firmly attached to the leggings or your body (products like the Fabriclip, designed to prioritize your clothing, are not sufficient). If attaching to the leggings, the leggings themselves must be sturdy enough to support the weight of your holstered gun. Jamming a gun partially into a soft pocket is a recipe for the gun falling out in the ordinary movements of your day.
A flat card on one or both sides of the gun inside the pocket is not a reliable means of protecting the trigger from unintentional manipulation, and may in fact make it easier for the gun to fall out with physical movements. Strong elastic alone or an extra layer of fabric is likewise insufficient, especially for all-day-every-day carry.
And this orientation of gun at all is extremely difficult to draw if your shoulder movement is compromised or limited in any way, not to mention how difficult it is to maintain a safe orientation for the muzzle as you bring it to bear on your target, potentially endangering innocents around you.
Yes, hundreds or thousands of people can be wrong. Companies selling products can be wrong. Trends and viral social media campaigns can be wrong.
Your life and your safety require you to be an informed consumer, and not being a victim starts with not being a victim to marketing.