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Does your dress/atire change your OC encounters?

joejoejoe

joejoejoe

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2010
Messages
319
Location
Vancouver, WA
Hey guys, I was just thinking about something. I dress to impress when I am out so my reactions are at minimal when OCing. What do you guys think? Does what you wear change the reactions you get when OCing?

Joe~
 
kwikrnu

kwikrnu

Banned
Joined
May 14, 2008
Messages
1,956
Location
Brentwood, Tennessee
joejoejoe said:
Hey guys, I was just thinking about something. I dress to impress when I am out so my reactions are at minimal when OCing. What do you guys think? Does what you wear change the reactions you get when OCing?

Joe~
Click to expand...



Dress may affect the impression people will have, but it shouldn't.
 
golddigger14s

golddigger14s

Activist Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2010
Messages
2,068
Location
Lawton, OK USA
Dress

I don't dress to impress, but I do try to present a professional non- gang type image. Usualy a polo or button down shirt.
 
J

Jayd1981

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2010
Messages
387
Location
Richland, Washington, USA
I wear whatever my other activities for the day dictate. My days off I'm most likely wearing jeans and a t-shirt. However my jeans are at waist level and the t-shirt is my correct size. I don't think I look like trash, but then again, beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.
 
Batousaii

Batousaii

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2009
Messages
1,226
Location
Kitsap Co., Washington, USA
Usually Blue jeans and T-Shirt, or button shirt with an old school wheel gun. Usually curious commentary, mostly all positive so far. i try not to look crusty or shady, but other than that i just wear whatever i feel like.

:D
 
sudden valley gunner

sudden valley gunner

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2008
Messages
16,674
Location
Whatcom County
I believe in normalizing OC. So I dress however I feel like and what I would normally wear. Well except now I wear a damn belt. But this whole summer it's t-shirts and shorts, often in slippahs (flip flops for you haoles). It is amusing to see the confused look on someones face when asking if I am a cop?
 
6

69Charger

Guest
The way you dress will affect someones first impression of you, gun or no gun.
So I say, YES.
The way you dress will affect the way you are seen.
And when your pants are around your knees, Its real hard to draw your weapon. LOL :)
Dave
 
gogodawgs

gogodawgs

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Oct 25, 2009
Messages
5,669
Location
Federal Way, Washington, USA
kwikrnu said:
Dress may affect the impression people will have, but it shouldn't.
Click to expand...

Why shouldn't the choices you make affect the impression other people will have? You wear trash and I have no right to form my own opinion? Certainly the choices you make in your appearance and dress do affect and should affect others impression.

Now when you talk, communicate (both verbally and non-verbally) with others they will add to their initial impression of your appearance. You might modify their initial thoughts, they may not.

How you dress and groom yourself is part of your behavior.

I have always said, be polite, be professional, be nice, be kind while you OC.

sudden valley gunner said:
I believe in normalizing OC. So I dress however I feel like and what I would normally wear. Well except now I wear a damn belt. But this whole summer it's t-shirts and shorts, often in slippahs (flip flops for you haoles). It is amusing to see the confused look on someones face when asking if I am a cop?
Click to expand...

I agree with SVG, normalize OC, dress how you would normally (except you need a belt), I wear anything from jeans and t shirts, to polos, to shorts....
 
O

oneeyeross

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2010
Messages
500
Location
Winlock, , USA
sudden valley gunner said:
I believe in normalizing OC. So I dress however I feel like and what I would normally wear. Well except now I wear a damn belt. But this whole summer it's t-shirts and shorts, often in slippahs (flip flops for you haoles). It is amusing to see the confused look on someones face when asking if I am a cop?
Click to expand...

What, you one local boy? You evah get the tie undone on your slippahs so can walk ok?
 
joejoejoe

joejoejoe

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2010
Messages
319
Location
Vancouver, WA
Anyone just roll out of bed, throw on some clothes, and strap on the gun? I feel I at least need to have my hair combed. Anything that draw attention to me WITHOUT a gun is probably worth correcting... lol

Joe~
 
Metalhead47

Metalhead47

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2009
Messages
2,800
Location
South Whidbey, Washington, USA
I don't "dress up" but I at least try to look presentable. If I've been out in the shop all day marinading in motor oil & what not, and need to run up the local Ace, then I'll usually conceal. I think all the local sheeple already know me as "the wingnut with the gun" anyway.:rolleyes:
 
USMC1911

USMC1911

Regular Member
Joined
May 9, 2010
Messages
190
Location
Vancouver, Washington, USA
Being an older gentleman (the Vancouver group pointed that out to me) and the fact that I am a Marine, my dress is always important to me. First impressions DO make a difference in how you are treated, like it or not, how you are perceived is most likely how you will be treated. Even if I wear jeans and a t-shirt, they are clean, serviceable (no holes) and presentable. I wear my hair short, am clean shaven and carry myself in a manner that does not cause alarm in on lookers. With OC in the lime light right now, I think we should be putting our best foot forward. My .02
Semper Fi
 
RussP

RussP

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2006
Messages
393
Location
Central Virginia
joejoejoe said:
Hey guys, I was just thinking about something. I dress to impress when I am out so my reactions are at minimal when OCing. What do you guys think? Does what you wear change the reactions you get when OCing?

Joe~
Click to expand...
Yes, what you wear will influence how people react to you and to the fact you are carrying
a firearm.

It has been shown that conservative attire, even while carrying a S&W 29 with a 6" barrel holstered on your hip, does not draw unwanted attention.

Yet, when the same person dresses down to more intimidating clothing and switches to an unconventional weapon and carry method, peoples reactions change drastically. People met in the same location previously while conservatively attired, react much, much differently.

When open carrying, I personally dress to fit into the surroundings, neither too dressed up, nor too under dressed.

Before retiring, I dressed in public in a way that if I met a business client, it would reflect well on me and my company. I guess I still do that. I dress well to project a good image of the open carry community.
 
kwikrnu

kwikrnu

Banned
Joined
May 14, 2008
Messages
1,956
Location
Brentwood, Tennessee
Most people I see begging for money aren't recently bathed nor do they wear nice clean clothes. I don't think they should carry guns for self-defense. It is only reasonable to expect those who want to carry a gun for self-defense should look clean, smell good, and have nice clean clothes. "Shall not be infringed" has and continues to be misinterpreted by gun nuts. "Shall not be infringed" really means reasonable regulations are fine.
 
amlevin

amlevin

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Messages
5,937
Location
North of Seattle, Washington, USA
kwikrnu said:
It is only reasonable to expect those who want to carry a gun for self-defense should look clean, smell good, and have nice clean clothes.
Click to expand...

and carry AK-47's with orange on them too, maybe?


BTW, most of the "beggars" I see around here are recently bathed, wear worn but not ragged clothes, and probably don't smell to bad (although I never get close enough to sniff). They should because when they are done begging they go home to their house or apartment. Begging at intersections is often more profitable than holding down a job.
 
V

Vandal

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2008
Messages
557
Location
Spokane, Washington, USA
First opinions are everything. I am recently out of college so I still dress the part a bit. In summer its often khaki cargo shorts and a button down or polo, untucked, with the gun on. Wintercomes around and the shorts get swapped out for jeans. I look presentable but not like I do at work with the shirt and tie on. I am also clean shaven and keep my hair short and styled a bit. When I OC I don't wear a basic t-shirt, always a button down or polo.

People really do look at and treat me differently based upon how I am dressed when I OC. That combined with both verbal and the non-verbal communication when OCing can make or break the experience for the general public and will have a large impact on how people perceive the OCer.
 
K

k.rollin

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2010
Messages
133
Location
Bellingham, Washington, USA
kwikrnu said:
Most people I see begging for money aren't recently bathed nor do they wear nice clean clothes. I don't think they should carry guns for self-defense. It is only reasonable to expect those who want to carry a gun for self-defense should look clean, smell good, and have nice clean clothes. "Shall not be infringed" has and continues to be misinterpreted by gun nuts. "Shall not be infringed" really means reasonable regulations are fine.
Click to expand...

Who decides what "reasonable regulations" are? I ask this of you because what is reasonable to one person may be wholly unreasonable to another. The whole idea of "reasonable regulation" is flawed because it is entirely subjective. Every person deserves the right to life and the right to feel safe until they do something so heinous (such as taking someone else's life or feeling of safety without justification) that they ought not have their own rights about them any longer.
 
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