Alford Designs, stylish concealed carry options for women

FASHION WITH A FUNCTION

Alford Designs’ purses and handbags give women options for carrying a concealed weapon in style.

STORY BY PAUL PAWELA PHOTOS BY ALFORD DESIGNS LIMITED

If you have been reading American Shooting Journal for a while, then you have probably come across the advertisement for Alford Designs Limited, a line of fashionable concealed carry purses and handbags designed specifically for women.

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

A wearer of many hats, Dr. Mary “Paula” Alford also makes and markets leather purses and other concealed carry options for women, products that are not just functional but also fashionable.

All the women in my family – including my beautiful wife, two adult daughters, and two adult granddaughters who proudly serve in the military – carry firearms for self-protection, so I wanted to find out more about the items sold by Alford Designs Limited. I went straight to the source and called Dr. Mary “Paula” Alford herself. What I anticipated would be a 20- to 30-minute chat turned into a two-hour conversation. Thus, the genesis of this article.

DR. ALFORD IS a fascinating woman who wears many different hats, and is a

Alford Designs’ offerings include stylish Southwestern-themed satchels, crossbodycarry purses and belts made from exotic leathers such as alligator hide.

role model to boot. She grew up around firearms and always had a healthy respect for them, which was instilled by her grandfather, a World War I combat veteran, and her father, a World War II veteran and later a police officer.

Around 1998, as a hobby Dr. Alford began trap shooting, a pastime that was designed for leisure and dominated by men. Diving headfirst into the trap shooting world, she competed heavily in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

While competing in her beloved sport, one thing Dr. Alford quickly found out was the importance of a good shooting vest. Unfortunately, there were virtually no shooting vests tailored for women, and if on the rare occasion she found one, it either was the wrong size or a fashion nightmare. So, as a business-minded entrepreneur who happened to have degrees in both fashion merchandising and business administration, Dr. Alford decided to design and create a vest to suit her needs.

Dr. Alford has been a part of the apparel business in many different facets, including retail and merchandising, manufacturing, advertising, and teaching university courses in apparel design and construction, retail merchandising, retail management, business and more. Dr. Alford continued her education and earned a master’s degree in business administration and then a doctorate of business administration.

AS AN EDUCATOR of many different disciplines, Dr. Alford is fully aware that Americans rank violent crime as their greatest concern. While some less security-conscious persons might think this is paranoid, consider that the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting statistics for 2020 documented that armed private citizens fatally shot more criminals during the commission of felonies than police, a fact that seems to be unreported and avoided in our mainstream media.

Women are often the target of these vicious attacks, including domestic violence, sexual assault, battery and rape, and this is why women are the largest section of the American population getting their concealed carry licenses and permits.

The company’s purses are made with cut-resistant straps.

With a full understanding of the above, Dr. Alford has become the quintessential advocate for women in many ways. First, as a role model. Second, as an educator for women’s safety and training. Lastly, as a woman who understands the needs of other women when it comes to concealed carry handbags that are not only fashionable but functional.

With a wide variety of handcrafted leather purses, concealed carry bags, satchels, briefcases and more, Dr. Alford offers women peace of mind, with the knowledge that tucked securely inside their bag is a tool that can and will save lives. Alford Designs Limited makes products for different makes and models of firearms, and all items are personally guaranteed against defects in workmanship. The quality is unsurpassed and is worth every dollar! All Alford Designs products are made in America with American pride.

Self-defense boils down to good training, good tactics and good equipment, and especially for the needs of women’s personal protection, Alford Designs Limited has it covered!  Editor’s note: For more info on Alford Designs, go to alforddesignslimited.com.