by Ayanthi
Out of the many gi companies that seem to have sprung up over the past few years, Inverted Gear has stuck out for its simple yet playful design. Founded by Alliance brown belt Nelson Puentes in 2012, the company has soared in popularity and I've seen many competitors wearing these gis as well as students at various academies.
Inverted Gear also offers tall/slim and husky sizes, so they cater to all body types. Inverted Gear offers a simple, fun, and solid gi that I'll review here.
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First Impressions
My first impressions were that this was a very clean, solid gi. The top is a pearl weave material with ripstop fabric covering the collar. The collar is not overly thick, but still quite sturdy. The slits in the bottom of the jacket have black taping on them. The armpits of the gi are reinforced with pearl weave fabric.
The sole adornment on the outside of the gi aside from the black tape on the slits are two inverted pandas on the sleeves. The pants are 12oz ripstop with knee reinforcement and a pearl weave crotch. The drawstring is a cord as opposed to a flat piece of ripstop gi material. I definitely prefer the cord over the gi material as I feel it stays tied better.
Details
The beauty of this gi is in the details. There is seam tape on the inside of the gi jacket and sleeve cuffs that show the repeating logo with a green background, which is a nice touch that keeps the outside of the gi plain.
As opposed to the regular 2-6 belt loops used in most gi pants, Inverted Gear uses four loops on each side of the pants: a long rectangular loop, two loops close together, and another separate loop close to the center. This means the pants rarely come untied or undone. This is a feature I have not seen in other gis.
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Another unique feature, and I can't help but find it ironic given the name of the company, is that there is an extra patch of ripstop fabric reinforcement on the butt of the pants. The patch is sewn on the inside, so for all your berimbolo-ing, inverting players, these are the pants for you!
Inverted Gear Measurements
Before I get in to the actual review, here are some post-wash measurements that may be helpful for you:
Sleeve to sleeve: 60″
Height of gi top: 28.25″
Cuff: 6.25″
Width of top: 21.5″
Armpit to bottom: 18″
Armpit depth: 9.75″
Width of pants: 19″
Pant length: 34″
Bottom pant cuff: 8″
 
At 5'5″ and 123 pounds, I was given the A0S to try. Despite the size being an A0S, I was surprised at the fit of the gi. While the pants seemed to fit almost perfectly, the top was a bit long and the sleeves were a little baggy. I was able to shrink down the gi so that the length of the sleeves was okay, but the bagginess still remained. While some may prefer a baggier gi sleeve for ezekiel chokes, I prefer a more tapered fit. Additionally, I found the top to be a little long, as it reaches just below the bottom of my butt.
Since these are 12oz ripstop pants, they are a little heavier and less “see through” than other lighter ripstop pants. While my preference will never be ripstop pants, I found these to still be comfortable during rolling and they did not absorb much sweat. I was also surprised by how well the tie system keeps the drawstring in place. Even if the knot came untied, I never had to worry that the rope would slide back in to the pants, as the loops keep the string well in place.
Overall
I have worn this gi several times over the course of a few months and have not seen any loose threads or rips in the gi. Overall, I highly recommend this gi. As someone who likes basic, durable gis with minimal flashiness, this gi has the design and quality that I look for.
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The white gi goes for 125 dollars, which is a relatively low price for a gi these days. Apart from the minor sizing issues, I have no problems with this gi. Their customer service is quite responsive when I asked about sizing, and Nelson is always looking to improve the company. He was open to the idea of creating an Inverted Gear women's gi, so maybe we'll see that in the future.
