Well, work attire is button up shirt, tucked into the pants. No shorts. I've got to remove the firearm before entering work (company policy) so I really am just carrying to work and after work.
After work attire is usually jeans and button up shirt.... don't wear shorts around the farm either. Around the farm I can wear a shoulder holster or carry a rifle on a sling.
The issue I'm having with belts is being tight enough to keep the holster from slowly working the pants down, yet loose enough to be able to breathe and move around. Even on the job, the pants/belt combo that works before and after end up being too lose while working (yeah, constantly having hike the pants up and re-tuck my shirt all day is a drag.) That's why I'm thinking suspenders might be a reasonable compromise. I've tried reinforced belts, but over the years they break down, and the new ones feel like I've got a hoola-hoop wrapped around the waist.
The thing is ... people at work may secretly nickname you Mork.
I get your drift on constantly hiking up your pants. Annoying. The sad thing about men is as you age, your hair falls out, nose and ears grow, you get a bag for a belly and your ass shrinks. I've learned that if you keep your belly as flat and fit as possible, your pants wont creep down and a decent belt will work as it is supposed to. Easier said than done with anybody over 50 but it is doable. 60 setups a day and healthy eating will keep your belly tight.
Regarding gun belts... the super stiff/thick type and also the steel reinforced variety are no good for me. Can't stand them. Not to mention they look like you bought the ten dollar special at WalMart. Or resemble a duty belt, which screams "I have a gun". I also dislike the ubiquitous "Western" stitching common to some gun belts. I'm not a cowboy and there are no rodeos near me. Although I do have some very nice boots.
Maybe I'm a unique case but my job most of the time was to blend in and not look like cop. Or easily be identified as the man in charge of a security detail. Because a pro in an organized assault would shoot you first. The random wacko, no matter how nuts they are would know enough to avoid your gaze. It's always best for a violent perpetrator to be surprised when you put two rounds in his chest.
My observation over the past couple of decades is overtly tactical apparel and gear sells because it gives guys who cant get laid and certain other types of gun owners a boner. I say you don't need any of that shit. A good, comfortable leather belt with a normal buckle that's 1.5 or 1.75 inches is more than enough to support a quality holster and EDC firearm, unless you are carrying a big-ass duty weapon or five pound Desert Eagle. Then you do need a Bat-Belt.
On the subject of blue jeans, I was delighted to discover that some regular-looking jeans (not designer types) are offered in a fabric that stretches slightly. I found this to be better than upsizing your pants a couple of inches to accommodate an IWB holster. The problem with regular pants being a couple inches larger at the waist is they are falling off your ass when you have to stow the holster. So you are constantly hitching them up like grandpa.
