02/08/1993 By AMY WESTFELDT, Associated Press Writer
   PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Linda Mutchnick suffered for 10 years while
trying to find a way to conceal her .380 Beretta without hurting
herself or her look.
   The Philadelphia paralegal finally got tired of searching for a
solution last fall and created her own: a company to make and market
clothes for pistol-packing women.
   Mutchnick's clothes feature quick-release zippers, jackets roomy
enough to conceal three guns and pants and skirts with adjustable
waistbands.
   Women have particular problems carrying guns comfortably, she
said.
      "It's just the way we're built," Mutchnick said. "If she wears
a holster at the hip, the swell of the woman's hip causes the barrel
to kick out and the handle of the gun to kick into her ribs."
   Mutchnick, 49, named her company PistolERA, feminizing the
Spanish word for gunman and capitalizing the last three letters to
symbolize the power of women.
   Mutchnick began carrying a gun a decade ago after receiving
telephone threats. She immediately faced a dilemma when trying to
buy clothes -- stylish business wear made hiding a weapon
impossible, and baggy, oversized jackets weren't fashionable for the
office.
   The clothing she designs, available in linen, cotton, wool and
silk and in colors such as tangerine, cinnamon and Wedgewood blue,
costs $110 to $275 per item. She may add a line of evening wear.
   She has received 12 orders for the outfits made at her Bensalem
home and more than 100 requests for brochures, which feature
Mutchnick staring confidently at the camera, pulling back her roomy
jacket to reveal a pistol in a hip holster.
   Women for years have made do with unique holsters, some that
require acrobatic moves to reach a weapon quickly. There are
specialized ankle holsters, thigh holsters -- "like a really
complicated garter belt," said Peggy Tartaro, editor of Women & Guns
magazine -- and even a holster that sits underneath a bra.
   "The gun is between your breasts and if you need it, you whip up
your shirt and pull it out," Tartaro said.
   Women who must wear their guns on the job share Mutchnick's
problems. Sgt. Terry Young, a public affairs officer for the
Philadelphia Police Department, said it's a struggle to hide a
pistol beneath form-fitting business wear. About 1,280 Philadelphia
police officers are women, and many carry their guns off duty.
   Young and Tartaro agreed that tailored, gun-friendly clothing
will give them more fashion choices.
   "It doesn't mean everyone has to dress like a bag lady with long
sweaters and long skirts to dress concealed," said Tartaro.