Well, I meant to write this review before I left for the holidays, and failed. So I put all the photos into google drive so I could write it from my family's house. Or.... so I thought. And rather than wait till after Christmas to post this, I'll show you my thoughts and what pictures I do have.
I reviewed the Deus Fight gi, two pairs of workout/running tights, a sleeveless rashguard and a sleeveless workout top. They're made in Brazil, not Pakistan or China, too.
From their site: "First, who is DeuS? DeuS is Portuguese for God. Genesis 1:1 No começo Deus criou os céus e a terra. We capitalize the D and S in Deus to emphasize that HE is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and Omega. Next, who are we? We are a FAITH based fitness brand for the active wear market with an emphasis on yoga and martial arts."
They have also instituted a number of projects to give back to communities. The Favela Kids project speaks for itself:
"DeuS is working in Brazil to make a difference in the poorest areas of
the country. By pulling kids off the streets and out of the favela's
using Jiu Jitsu these academies are not only saving lives, but giving
kids an opportunity and hope for a better future. DeuS Fight contributes
through their #Gis4aGi Campaign. For every 3 products purchased, DeuS
Fight donates one to these academies. DeuS Fight also provides on going
financial assistance from the sales of their products, too, by giving a
majority of their profits away. This not only provides these children
with the equipment, food, and supplies they need to keep their programs
going, but it also allows them to participate in occasional competitions
to enhance their skills, motivate, and encourage them."
Please visit the site for more information about several other projects under this banner including Terere's project... DeuS also promotes what it calls the "Witness Protection Program" which visits churches and church schools teaching self defense.
But, back to the gear review. The short version: well-made lightweight gi, noticeably Christian embroidery, suited for longer limbs, doesn't shrink much at all... one of my new favorite rashguards... workout wear with style.
The long version....
I wish I had the photos of me wearing this gi. It looks great, except the sleeves and pants are quite long. For reference, I have an A1 (my usual size) and I'm 5'2" and, in these photos, my winter insulation weight of 145. :( 36-29-39 :(
I'll add more pictures when I get home, but the sleeves came well past my wrists but not all the way past my fingertips. The bottom of the jacket is down past my bum. The gi pants were about 2"-3" past my ankle bone. I hoped I could shrink the heck out of it with hot washes and dries, but (good news for you) it really won't shrink much at all. This will be great for taller, slimmer people who don't want all the bulk of a bigger gi, or people like Meerkatsu who feel they have unusually long limbs. The size chart says an A1 should be for people 5'4"-5'8", but the A0 gi was for slenderer folks than I, weighing under 120 lbs. I can just get the length altered pretty easily.
Measurements, unwashed, and then after 3 washes on hot and 3 dries on hot:
Jacket:
Sleeve length, top, from cuff to edge of lapel: 30"/29.5"
Length of jacket from shoulder top next to lapel, to bottom hem: 29.5"/28"
Width of jacket bottom at hem: 24"/23"
Pants:
Waist, across laid flat: 20"/20"
Pant length, front: 38"/37.5"
Pant length, back: 40"/39.5"
I liked the colorway, crisp white and medium grey accents. Here's the clean sholder embroidery.
All the seams are double or triple sewn. Here's the inside of the jacket, you can see the weave of the fabric is different, smoother next to your skin. A minor bobble in one of the triple seams shouldn't affect the wearability or durability.
The pants are ripstop, but they feel cottony instead of plasticy which is how I prefer them. I have concerns about the differently-colored crotch gusset though... it's a medium grey twill, very comfortable, and probably not visible unless you're looking. However I have been told that the IBJJF does not permit gi pants with more than one color. The wording of the rules themselves is debatable. Deus Fightwear assures me the gi has been vetted by the IBJJF and is legal.
Another little sewing mistake in the pants I received, but not a huge deal.
The lined portion of the front of the pants comes to just above ankle length for me, mid-shin for taller folks.
I especially appreciate the shorter rise in front, longer in back, which makes room for a butt. I also really liked the number and placement of belt loops. The cord is slim and not too springy, and just long enough for a square knot at the waist. Doesn't come undone during hard sparring either.
Inside the left lower lapel of the jacket, this quotation. Doesn't flake or peel yet.
Stress points are well reinforced, and the split hem is nicely covered in twill tape. Cuffs are triple seamed at the wrist without any scratchy lining or tape.
The most noticeably Christian logo appears on the front lower left of the jacket and is about the size of a grapefruit.
They sent me two pairs of workout capris. I think either could be worn under the gi pants, possibly for nogi as well, and very easily for running, working out, or just around town with a sweatshirt. I loved the "racing stripes" which are appliqued strips of white and grey fabric. The material of the pants is not shiny, that's just from the camera flash. Not sure what size this is on their website, but the label says "3" and I'm thinking it's a large, because they'd first sent the other pants (below) and they were a little small at size "2".
The waistband is contrast white, and on the front over the right hipbone is an embroidered cross inside a laurel wreath. On the back in the center is a small Deus emblem. They're very comfortable... I see myself wearing these a lot, especially when it's a little warmer.
The other pants are REALLY cute. Again, small cross over the right hip bone. The red accents are a nice touch. I was also sent a red sleeveless top of the same stretchy, perforated material (like basketball shorts) which I love wearing under a gi and do not have photos of, sorry.
LOOK! they're actually very low-profile pockets! Just big enough for an ID/license, a small ipod... but stretchy and slim, so highly unlikely to catch a finger when rolling nogi.
Here's the red workout top I mentioned, as shown on their site:
And then, I LOVED the grey-and-black sleeveless rashie (below). Couple reasons: the grey accents on the sides create the optical illusion of a more defined waist. Sadly, with all my comfort eating and working from home lately, I need all the help I can get. Also, the material is a velvety-but-sleek feeling fabric unlike any rashguard I've ever worn.
My only negative comment on this sleeveless rashie is that the cross in the center back right under the neckline (not shown in pictures, sorry) is not sublimated but "painted on," so it cracked and started to peel within 3 wears. However, it's small, about 1.5" tall, and not noticeable unless you're really looking. The cross in front on the hip is embroidered nicely.
They also have traditional rashguards, fight shorts, yoga pants, and other workout wear. All in all, if you know a Christian grappler who'd appreciate repping the philosophy, or if you don't object to wearing a discreet cross on your workout gear, this is nice stuff to put under the tree.
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