Best gi brands for women?

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[DonnaQ]

My gi and gi pants have worn out and I think it's time for a new pair.

I have tried the 8.5oz Bujin women's gi and found it durable, but the material was not that comfortable for me. I also was not too satisfied with the feel when I sweated as well. However, the fit was wonderful.

I was thinking of trying a different brand and money is not too much of an issue. I would like it to be light and comfortable, but also tolerant of sweat (not sticking). And of course, a good fit would be fantastic. I would not say I am curvacious, but enough to benefit from the women's fit in Bujin gis (sidenote: Bujin women's hakama is perfect for curvy hips).

Are there women who have had a go with Iwata or Tozando gis (and pants)? The Tozando super soft aikido gi top sounds tempting, but I do not even fall into their size chart. I am 157.48 cm (5'2") tall. Their lowest is 160 cm and I do not know how that would work out. Not well, I would imagine. I am somewhere between petite and average sized.

All recommendations welcome! :)

[DonMagee]

I still think Atama makes the best gi's. It's just people overlook them cause they are for bjj. I've seen a few women struggle to find gi's that look right. The only girl I know who has a gi she seems to love got her's from atama. If you take the patches off it would be perfect for aikido. Plus the bjj cut is smaller in the skirt and sleeves which keeps it out of the way.

[Bronson]

If you do a search for "hemp gi" you should find some info on custom gi makers.

Bronson

[Steven]

There's also the Toraki uniforms which can be made to order.
http://www.toraki.com/index.asp?region=us

[DonnaQ]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I will give those a look. :)

[heathererandolph]

I looked at the Atama gi on their website. It does really look nice, but it has patches all over it, on the back, the sleeves, shoulders I think. I e-mailed the company to see if the gi is available without the patches, it is not. I asked if the patches are removable, I was told that they are actually embroidery.

[DonMagee]

My Atama gi, (mens however) actually had both embroidery and patches on it. The patches were removable, the embroidery was only on each shoulder but was just their logo (seems common to put logo on the shoulder for these kinds of gi's).

Its nice that they are going to all embroidery (because the patches rip off in training), but it really sucks because I like plain gi's with no patches.

Looking at the site, they do sell plain gi's for men (well they have the shoulder logo). I wonder why they don't do the same for women. I really think the bjj style cut is much better then the judo cut. It's slimmer, rubs less, and generally just more comfortable. It's too bad I can't find one cut for a woman not covered in patches.

[DonnaQ]

Thanks for the heads up about the patches and embroidery!

I decided to ask Tozando about the sizing and as it turns out, they DO have smaller sizes. Their customer service was really fantastic and prompt (even by e-mail). So I am excited to say the least.

Thanks again for everyone's help. :)