Rubino said...

Rubino said...
Hi Elyse, I just want to thank you and Georgette for doing this! It has helped out tremendously!. I'm 5'6" and 125-130lbs. The first gi i bought was a Judo Star gi (it was a man's gi and the jacket didn't fit at all). The pants weren't bad though, except that while the pant length is good, the corresponding waist size is too large.
Then i broke down and bought myself an Atama F3. While I love the F3, i have only ever washed it in cold and air dried it and it shrank in the arm and pant lengths, (especially in the pant length!) This is not so good because I'm already at the upper end of the F3 height bracket so now i'm wearing Atama gi long shorts rather than Atama gi pants :(
You mentioned in your review of the catfight gear that it didn't shrink? Is that still true now that you've had it/used it a while?
October 26, 2009 11:31 AM

Lynn said...

 Lynn said...
I just wanted to throw out there that it seems like the act of drying, whether air dry or dryer, shrinks cotton. Like Rubino said, she had only washed it in cold and air dried it and the it shrank in length. I think that has been a lot of our experiences right there. Of course making gi buying even more difficult because we're gonna sweat in it and it's gonna dry and it's gonna shrink.

For more than you ever wanted to know about cotton shrinkage see Page 3 "Drying shrinkage" of this document:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/20270203/Guide-to-Improved-Shrinkage-Performance-of-Cotton-Fabrics

Atama #1 by Aparna Modi

Label: Atama
Model: Women's #1
Size: F2
Color: White

For reference, I'm 110 lb. and 5'4".

The only gi I had trained in prior to buying this one was a $30 judo gi, and at the time (about four years ago) this was the only women's gi that I knew was available, and was not just a pink version of a men's gi.

The initial fit wasn't so bad; however, a single wash in cold water and air drying, the sleeve length and the pant length shrunk. The sleeve shrinkage wasn't too bad, but at this point, the pants are way too short, and too wide for the length. For my height, I have slightly longer legs (really, my torso is just super short), so that might contribute to the short-pants. The sleeve shortness isn't awful, and the jacket otherwise fits really well. The material is pretty strong-- it's been trained in for about a year or two, and its the only one I trained in, and nothing has torn/come apart. The only other complaint I would have about the jacket is the back seam --shrimping and general movement on your back can be a little painful with the thick seam rubbing along your spine.

Amanda said...

Amanda said...
I'm 5'7" and anywhere between 138-144 lbs. I have wear 3 kimonos right now.

First was the Gameness A1 Single Weave (it's like $75 at Budovideos). It fit really well when I first got it but with hang drying, the sleeves and the pants have become short on me. They would never pass for competition but I like it for training. It's really comfortable but the collar is very easy to grab. The pants have 2 loop holes and each drawstrings has kind of busted out on the side. It's hard to explain but it doesn't seem to affect the performance at all.

My second gi is a blue A1 Gameness Pearl. Unlike my single weave Gameness, I haven't noticed any shrinking at all. The sleeves and pants are still are great lengths for competition. This gi feels heavier than my other Gameness but it is still very comfortable.

My final gi right now is a red A1 Keiko Raca Limited Edition 2009. The pants fit perfectly for me since day one but the jacket was big. I've attempted to shrink it about 3 times now with some success. The shrinkage is very minimal each time (could be good or bad!). As of now, the sleeves are a good length but I feel like the width of the jacket itself is still big. It's definitely manageable though. The jacket closes perfectly on top of each side.

I just pre-ordered a White Ripstock Shoyoroll gi in A1. I should receive that in Dec 2009 or Jan 2010. I'll be sure to let everyone know how I like the fit.