Your quest is the same as many have done before you.
You will buy and sell several good firearms.
You will try many holsters, always seeking holster Nirvana.
You will OC and CC and argue the benefits of both.
You will buy clothing to fit your style of carry.
You will end up with an unintended handgun collection.
There is no end to this quest. It is the journey that is important.
I have been carrying a Glock 26 for a long time in a Crossbreed supertuck holster. I am 145lbs and 5'8" and do not find it bulky at all.
There are a lot of guns out there that are thinner, but to me reliability is of the highest concern, thats why I stick with Glocks and carry and Glock 26 or Glock 27.
Good luck on your search.
You have many quality options to choose from. Several several have already been suggested. I prefer smaller carry guns. I have small strong hands and can easily handle the 9mm in the smaller sized weapons. I have currently settled on 3 carry guns and rotate them as it suites me. They are the Ruger LC9 in 9MM, the Sig P938 in 9MM and the Taurus PT-111, third generation, also a 9mm. The Ruger and Sig are single stack and the Taurus is a 12 round double stack. I previously owned the Kahr PM9 which I carried in my earlier carry years because I felt it was a very high quality weapon for that time period. Since then several other quality weapons have become available that better suited my personal tastes. All have proven reliable and easy for me to handle.
I prefer a safety as I grew up with hunting weapons with safeties and was in the military for several years where both my M16 and 1911 had safeties thus I just feel more comfortable with a safety. I also prefer guns with the 3 dot sights over the various other sight layouts. In general, I prefer a SA or SA/DA action over a DAO setup irrespective of me now owning a Ruger DAO. I just do not like the extra long trigger pull of DAOs probably because of my hunting weapons and military weapons background.
My point is there are so many variables now available to you in a carry weapon, you should try several and see what works for you, what really feels good in your hand. So many options. SA/DA vs DAO. External safety vs built in safeties. Thicker vs thinner weapons. Several different sights. Weight, length, height, thickness. Single stack vs double stack. $300 vs $900+. Enjoy the experience of selecting you personal preference. I could not settle on one so now I have 3.
Its so good to hear that this is normal. Im amazed at the collection I ve accumulated over such a short time. I feel like I should be done, but there is always something else I want.
I picked up a Ruger SR40c as my first weapon. went to the gun and knife show, held a dozen of them and this one felt the best for me. I carry both inside and outside the belt.
I haven't shot it yet, bit I picked up a Sig P938 today for me. I picked a Ruger LC9 with a laser for the wife. I will let you know about them after I shoot them.
If you can afford a Kahr PM9, that would be a great option. If your looking for SUPER skinny, the walther PPS is TINY. Never heard a bad word about bersas either.