For as long as any one can remember, weaponry of every sort has been a part of human existence. And when the ruling authorities have forbidden weapons from the hands of the people, human ingenuity has sprung into action in order to take charge of the situation. In ancient Japan, the common people were banned from carrying standard weapons. So they worked to perfect their empty handed fighting styles, and even learned how to use every day farm implements with deadly skill. When your life is under the constant threat of harm, you would be amazed at how creative you can become. In this day and age, feudal lords are not the authorities who have banned weapons. And in our modern society, “self defense” often includes “preemptive self defense,” which is really nothing more than a nice way of saying, “I intend to get the other guy, before he has a chance to get me.” In localities where weapons such as guns and knives are forbidden by the law, the common citizens must be creative in how they carry such things. At one point, even ladies’ dresses covered garters loaded with Derringers. Not to carry them would turn people into victims, as outlawing anything does little more than put that very thing into the hands of outlaws. Thus, articles of clothing have been forced to adapt to their new role as hiding places for weapons. Here are a few places, which may be modern or classic, but all share the same trait – they conceal something dangerous. 1. Vests. Even back in the old west, well dressed men knew that it simply wasn’t proper to carry their guns publicly. But beneath a vest, one can keep a gun, and a few extra clips. Nowadays, they look a little odd… but if you see someone in a vest, go ahead and ask what they’re carrying. 2. “Sagging” pants. There are actually training videos for school administrators in which they show a young man removing stacks of weapons from his relaxed fit pants, including several knives, a stick and an Uzi. They don’t just wear them that way for fashion’s sake. 3. Towels. If someone has a towel around their neck, wonder why. There are actually martial arts in which bolo-like weapons with a small weight on the end are used to “whip out” and cause nasty cuts in their opponents. A towel with a coin sewn into it works just as well.