Yeah, pretty much. The shapes and material for both the armor and and vest carriers for NIJ/police soft armor have changed with the times, but the general function has not, aside from more agencies approving the use of soft armor (and plates) in external armor carriers Vs. being worn under the uniform shirt. Science has made ballistic material lighter and more effective, but unfortunately we are nowhere near the cool nano/carbon/space-age polymer coolness that someone in the 80s thought we'd have in the 2000s.
Any body armor, soft or hard, is unnatural to the body and takes some getting used to, hence the reason that after almost 20 years of copping, my wife makes fun of me because I walk with my arms stuck out a little, since I've had to clear armor and a gunbelt for so long. When it comes to selecting armor (IMHO), it comes down to a few factors:
1. The level of protection needed/desired;
2. Application;
3. Budget.
The absolute smallest, most concealable and most comfortable package that I can think of would be something like a Tru-Spec Concealed Armor T-shirt with 10" x 12"soft armor panels/plate backers:
https://www.truspec.com/24-7-series/shirts/men-s-concealed-armor-shirt
This comes with it's own concerns, i.e., no side protection, poor heat management, etc., but I think it could be a viable solution for the right application.
Besides that, it starts moving up to separate vests/plate carrier combos with different levels of armor and features:
A. Slick vest (no attachment points for extra gear/accessories) - NIJ-style soft armor, completely slick plate carriers:
http://www.safariland.com/products/...er-E1_C.html#sm.00013gluah153hdyryvv3rbobzo2v
https://www.first-spear.com/the-slick-ultra-lightweight-plate-carrier
B. Semi-Slick vest/plate carrier (considered a "Slick" with no extra gear attached, but the ability to add accessories):
https://ferroconcepts.com/products/the-slickster
http://www.perrozdesigns.com/shop/equipment/low-profile-slick-plate-carrier/
https://www.velsyst.com/low-profile-armor-carrier.html
http://lbtinc.com/6094sc
C. Plate carriers (worn overtly, ranging from trim, "no-frills" designs to assaulting terrorist compounds. These usually have more MOLLE and velcro and are intended to carry thicker rifle plates):
https://www.cryeprecision.com/ProductDetail/blc04202lg0_jumpable-plate-carrier-jpc
https://www.skdtac.com/Shellback-Banshee-Plate-Carrier-p/shb.125.htm
http://lbtinc.com/vest-h-gear-carriers/plate-carriers/modular-plate-carrier-c.html
https://www.velsyst.com/low-profile-assault-armor-carrier.html
I am by no means an expert, and even worse when it comes to rifle plates, but I'm a gear nerd and have done a lot of research for my needs/budget. Based on your desires, I'd probably recommend something that you can wear that is fairly concealable, would be decently comfortable for an occasional armor wearer, something that you could wear to the range, and something that you could re-sell if you decided it wasn't for you. I'd probably go with something like a Slickster and IIIa armor panels from our friends at SKDtac...
https://www.skdtac.com/Ferro-Concepts-The-Slickster-p/fer.121.htm
https://www.skdtac.com/SKD-Armor-Soft-Armor-Plate-Backer-IIIA-10-x-12-p/amr.358.htm
For roughly $350.00, this package would probably take care of your needs, have good resale value, allow you to up-armor/up-equip as you train, and cost much less than a new NIJ-style vest, and work better with a battle belt (from experience).
