Tatami Fightwear Estilo 2.0 Review

According to the Tatami website, the Estilo is a gi "that is built to the highest quality and craftsmanship but also with cutting edge style and detailing"...and they've got it spot on!

The first thing that I noticed about the Estilo is that it looks very nice. I'm a huge fan of contrast stitching; I think it just looks cool. Also, my favourite colour combination is black, red and white - it's no surprise then that I adore the style of the Black Estilo gi, with its red contrast stitching.





Size

If I had to use a phrase to describe how the Estilo fits me it would be 'like a glove'. I'm six foot and 195lb so opted for the A3 gi as per the suggestions on the website and the fit is perfect, so I would advise others to follow the size guidelines also. As the gi was already a fairly good fit, I didn't feel the need to try and shrink it, so took measurements of it, then gave it two washes at 30C (manufacturers guidelines) and got the following results.

Pre Wash/ Post wash (inches)

Jacket:
Wingspan  68.5/ 67.5
Cuff Width   7/ 7
Length  32.5/ 32.5

Trousers:
Outer Leg Seam to Crotch  16/ 15
Cuff Width  9.5/ 9
Total Length  40/ 39
Inner Leg  30.5/ 30

As you can see, shrinkage was minimal with the main areas being the sleeve length and leg length. In terms of weight, the gi is roughly 2kg - so not extremely heavy, but enough that you'll start to feel the heat by the end of a long session (though this is probably to be expected when dealing with such a high quality gi, of such fine construction)

Trim, Patches and Details

I'll start with the patches - most of the other reviews that I've read have been critical of the patches on the Estilo gi, citing the fact that they're quite large/ busy AND there are quite a few of them...I don't share this criticism; I quite like the fact that they are big, colourful and obvious (but that's probably the showboat in me). At the end of the day, they're no more obtrusive than the patches on, say, a Breakpoint or Gameness gi. Also, they're easily removed with the use of a stitch ripper if that's your preference. Tatami seem to have heeded the criticisms anyway, and have an upcoming 'Estilo Classic' without the questionable patches. The trim details that I'm especially fond of though, are the embroidered Estilo insignias and Tatami logo, along with the Estilo seam tape that appears in several locations. In most cases it appears to serve little functional purpose, but it looks very cool.

Jacket

My first impressions of the Jacket as I removed it from the packaging were that the pearl weave was quite rough, and would probably be quite unpleasant against my (fairly sensitive) skin, also, that the thick collar would be brutal on my neck - choking me before my opponents got the chance...I was massively incorrect on both counts. The weave of the gi is surprisingly comfortable, especially after it has heated up a bit (and trust me, it will) - at fear of sounding cliched you don't even notice it when you get going. As for the collar - it is immaculate! As you can see in the photos it is thick, well stitched and durable. I don't imagine it will wear through or rip as you would find on cheaper gi's. Even better though, is the fact that it is so comfortable around your neck, and seems to be quite difficult for opponents to get a good grip on.

Trousers

The canvas cotton of the trousers is remarkably comfortable - feeling light and cool, yet as strong and durable as the jacket. The rope drawstring, that threads through the four belt loops provides a great deal of confidence in that the trousers aren't going anywhere. I would agree with Meerkatsu that they're a little on the long side, but as someone who has six loops on each shoe lace (no I'm not exaggerating...yes I know I'm weird) I can't really complain. I love the little embroidered Estilo insignia on the shin - I think it's a nice touch. The knee reinforcements are comprehensive, as is all the stitching and reinforcements, but more on that later...

Reinforcements

Well...when I look at the reinforcements on this gi I'm amazed at the attention to detail. The entire gi has been triple stitched, making it quite strong to begin with, but further to this is the fact that every area that could be considered a weak area has been reinforced - the crotch of the trousers, the armpits, the base of the jacket etc. Pleasingly though, these reinforcements haven't compromised comfort.


Conclusion

This is an outstanding gi with excellent overall quality, beautiful styling and brilliant attention to detail. It is a top quality gi, and given the quality it is a very reasonable price at £85. I would recommend this gi to everyone and wholeheartedly believe that you won't be disappointed with it.


I want to say a special thank you to Gareth at Tatami Fightwear for sorting me out with this gi.

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