Black Friday came and despite my best intentions not to buy a new gi I crumbled when I saw the Gr1ps sale – well it was nearly my Birthday! Regular readers will know that I have had several Gr1ps gis so Black Friday combined with my husband wanting to wear a black gi for competition gave me all the excuses I could need! So as always this review will look at how it performed and was it a good choice.

I was lucky enough to be given a version of the Primero gi a few years ago when I completed at the European Championships but this there new edition designed and cut for females. As per the previous edition, this is made with 100% pre-washed cotton that is steamed to prevent shrinkage. It has additional padding in the shoulders and triple stitching in all the right places. The design is subtle but definitely feminine with turquoise logos and mandala design.

The jacket is 100% pearl weave and the lining is sublimated providing tastefully detailed pinstripe style artwork. I’ve already mentioned the clean design and I’m not 100% sure if I will patch this as it is really pretty but there is definitely space to if I change my mind.

The pants are much improved from the previous edition that I had as they are now 60% cotton and 40% ripstop making them and gi much lighter (good from both a competition and a laundry viewpoint!). The pant fastening is standard gr1ps style with the lovely elastic tubular drawstring that stays tied fantastically. The pants are beautifully tailored down to the ankle making those pant grips a little bit more tricky whilst creating a slim silhouette and staying competition legal.

Out of the bag, it fits pretty much perfectly. All good and ready to roll as a post-birthday treat. But this did leave me slightly concerns that it may shrink to a point where it may not be competition legal. So onto those all-important measurements:

	Out of the Bag	After 3 Washes
Body Length	73 cm	73 cm
Body Width	52 cm	50 cm
Wing Span	157 cm	156 cm
Sleeve Length	51 cm	50.5 cm
Cuff Width	16 cm	15.5 cm
Inside Leg	63.5 cm	63 cm
Outside Leg	87 cm	85 cm
Pant Width	19.5 cm	19 cm

*3 Washes = cold wash, tumble spin and air drying. For Gi Map click here.

As you can see from the measurement the pre-shrinking once again held firm with only minimum shrinkage (mainly on the legs). I’ll be honest I am nervous about it passing a competition check but I did test it at home and it passed.  In terms of performance it definitely a gi that’s worth taking the risk for.  Difficult to grip and easy to roll in. I found it a great gi to wear and it still managed to look stylish even when I was a hot sweaty messy mess.

Once again Gr1ps has produced a stylish and great fitting Women’s gi. There women’s sizing is slightly smaller than previous female gis they have produced and there is very little shrinkage so as always check the size chart before you buy. But if you are after a new gi for your collection then this would be a good choice. You can buy yours directly from the Gr1ps website or via Made 4 Fighters. They retail for around £120 / 139 Euros.