It's now possible to buy a bulletproof Italian leather jacket.
It's more expensive, but the "high fashion" clothing can reportedly resist rounds from a .357 magnum soft point, reports Steve Raabe of the Denver Post.
Denver-based Elite Sterling Security LLC is marketing ballistic apparel — such as shirts, jackets, backpacks, and blankets with bullet-resistant panels — to security-conscious civilians and undercover police officers.
Products include a Caballero polo shirt— advertised as capable of stopping a 9mm full metal jacket round or a .357 magnum soft point — being sold for $875.95. The Italian leather jackets go for $3,044.95.
The company, the only U.S. distributor of the Colombia-based Miguel Caballero line of ballistic apparel — claims the gear is better than Kevlar at absorbing the impact of a bullet.
"If you get shot wearing Kevlar, you'll fall down with a broken rib and feel like you want to vomit, but you will live," Timothy Hogan, chief operating officer of Elite Sterling Security, told the Post. "With ours, it feels like you've been hit with a water balloon."
Raabe notes that the clothing that protects against high-power rifles requires heavier garments that look more like traditional body armor.
Critics say there isn't much of a civilian market for bullet-resistant clothes — given the very low odds of being shot — nor should there be.
"It is better to educate the public, and especially our children, that they should be vigilant, should be aware of their environment, should travel in groups, and should immediately report any early indicators of potential violence,"Security consultant Richard Sem told the Post. "Ultimately that will pay off far more than this armor."
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