by Sally Arsenault
Hey everybody, my name is Sally Arsenault and I'm a brown belt out of Renzo Gracie Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada. You may have seen some of my other reviews on Breaking Muscle or BJJbySally.com, but if not, check them out. We've done a lot of great reviews on womens jiu jitsu gis and other gear.
In preparation for this guest review for GiReviews.net, I received three of the women's War Tribe gis for review right before I left for Masters Worlds in September. Unfortunately I was injured at the tournament and still haven't been able to roll in them two months later! Regardless, I wanted to share this preview with you so you can at least see all of the thought and detail that was put into the construction of these beautiful gis.
War Tribe Gear has had me excited from the very beginning due to their vibrant, yet simple, gi designs. They have released a line of gis designed specifically for women's bodies and after wearing the gis for months, I can attest to the fact that they have succeeded in producing a comfortable, high-quality product that stands up to the toughest rolls.
View all women's jiu jitsu gis available at Amazon
I received the following gis:
Fiercely Feminine gi, size W0 – $214.99
Women's War Tribe gi, Black and Teal, size W0 – $169.99
Women's War Tribe gi, Black and Purple, size W0 – $169.99
All of the War Tribe gis fit perfectly right out of the box. I am 5'0 and about 115lbs; size W0 was consistent for all three gis in the length and width of both the pants and jacket. Although I haven't been able to roll in these gis yet, I have worn each of them to technical training classes for drills and have been please with the comfort and mobility they provide.
All gis have been washed in cold water and dried in the dryer with minimal shrinkage but I feel these gis should be hung to dry over time to preserve the vibrant colours.
Stay tuned for my full review of all three gis and than you to GiReviews.net for the opportunity to provide a guest review!
To enlarge the following photos, simply click. Enjoy!
Gi Features
I was sent the Black/Teal and Black/Purple women's gis as well as the Fiercely Feminine gi.
Black/Teal – $169.99
- Solid Black with Teal contrast stitching
- Honeycomb weave using premium 100% cotton fabric
- Ripstop pants, double reinforced stitching
- Comes with both the ripstop and stretchy rope drawstring
- Teal Embroideries on chest and pant leg
- Light weight and extremely durable
- Preshrunk
- IBJJF legal
- Tailored arms for mobility and lighter weight
- Pants designed to fit a women’s frame
Click here to see user reviews on War Tribe Finesse Women's Gi
Black/Purple – $129.99
- Solid black Gi with purple contrast stitching
- Honeycomb weave using premium 100% cotton fabric
- Ripstop pants, double reinforced stitching
- Comes with both the ripstop and stretchy rope drawstring
- White and Purple Embroideries on chest and pant leg
- Light weight and extremely durable
- Tailored arms for mobility and lighter weight
- Pants designed to fit a women’s frame
Fiercely Feminine – $199.99
- Sublimated Lycra Lining
- Pearl weave using premium 100% cotton fabric
- Ripstop pants, double reinforced stitching
- Comes with both the ripstop and stretchy rope drawstring
- Direct embroidery on shoulder and pant leg
- Well built & extremely durable
Style
All three of the War Tribe gis I was sent are very sharp looking and the contrast stitching really pops (Check out Emil's reviews of three War Tribe men's gis). The colours are so pretty that I always washed cold and hung these gis to dry to try and preserve their vibrance. The logo is shaped like an anchor, which is very popular here in Nova Scotia, Canada with other brands like East Coast Lifestyle. I'm not a huge fan of the anchor design myself but they are subtle and blend well with the overall scheme of the gis.
War Tribe has ensured that their gis have plenty of room for team and sponsor patches so they are perfect for the competitive woman on the mats.
Purchase War Tribe Finesse Women's Gi while stocks last!
Comfort
I've been injured since August and now we're almost to February so I haven't been able to roll very intensely during these reviews but I have been training a lot and doing lots of fast paced flow rolls.
These gis have been very comfortable right out of the bag, with the except of the scratchy seam tape lining the wrists. I found this tape to irritate my wrists during the first couple of months but after all of the washing I've done, they have softened and I no longer notice them. Some ripstop pants become stiff and waxy when wet but the War Tribe pants remained soft for all three gis.
I loved how the Fiercely Feminine gi looked however I have always been nervous about buying a gi with a rashguard liner because I always wear a rashguard, though short sleeved, for rolling and I thought it would be too hot. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I didn't notice a difference between the lined gi and the other gis. I usually sweat a lot when I roll anyway so I had worried over nothing. I also enjoyed the smooth feeling of the fabric against my arms instead of the typical cotton weave of other gis and I guarantee women who wear sports bras will fall in love with this gi.
I think the drawstring on the pants really adds to the comfort of a gi. If it's always coming undone and causing you to stop and retie, it takes away from your rolling experience. War Tribe supplies both a ripstop and a stretchy rope drawstring with each gi so you can choose the one you like best. I like the ripstop drawstring and I find it has always stayed tied. It gets loose after you warm up and your gi starts getting sweaty, but after that initial stretching of the fabric, the retie stays nice and tight.
Quality
I have been rolling in these gis for a few months now and the construction has held up nicely. Shrinkage was not noticeable but I always cold washed and hung to dry. War Tribe has reinforced stitching and fabric at all of the most common stress points: the armpits, the hem splits, etc. and the seams have remained in tact.
The only flaw I've noticed is a manufacturer's error on the Fiercely Feminine gi. I've been worried that it would unravel over time but it has held up. I might give it a little clear coat of nail polish, just in case. It works on panty hose, so why not? Where I received the gi for free to review, I have not contacted the company for a replacement but I am sure if anyone else had a similar experience, they would stand behind the quality of their products.
Overall, I am very pleased with these gis and I love wearing them to class. I highly, highly recommend them. Gi companies have really been paying attention to what women want to wear to train BJJ and War Tribe has delivered a line of very thoughtfully designed and crafted gis. The fit and style will give you that extra bit of swagger on the mats and though some of us say we don't care about how we look, we all kind of do, don't we?
Check out the War Tribe Lioness Black V2 women's gi at Amazon
Get the Women's War Tribe gis and the Fiercely Feminine gi at wartribegear.com.
