White keikogi advice and experience?

[T.Lee]

I'm looking to buy another gi, particularly a white one since my home dojo is one of those that likes kyu members to wear white gi's. since its decided now that ill be in adult kyu for at least the next 2 years, i figure i should buy a new white one.

my current one is the ebogu "super keikogi". i like it, and i could just get another one, just in white. but i figure i might try something different.

anyone have any recommendations? i'm looking particularly into the eguchi "Super Soft New Inai White Single Keikogi".

ive also used the "lightweight" gi from ebogu's lowest cost set i believe. that ended up getting kinda crusty after a year (although i still recommend it for beginners for the incredibly cheap price for the set), so i dont want another cheap gi.

[rainmaker]

I bought this Super white gi from eguchi. I love the feeling of this gi, very light and soft. BUT, you really have to be careful with size. It DOES SHRINK after you put it in dry machine. Especially your chest get really tight. That is my only concern. I usally wear medium size but I had to exchange to Large. But it is still tight on my chest and armpit after wash. So, if you have wide chest, I wouldn't recommend this.




I'm looking to buy another gi, particularly a white one since my home dojo is one of those that likes kyu members to wear white gi's. since its decided now that ill be in adult kyu for at least the next 2 years, i figure i should buy a new white one.

my current one is the ebogu "super keikogi". i like it, and i could just get another one, just in white. but i figure i might try something different.

anyone have any recommendations? i'm looking particularly into the eguchi "Super Soft New Inai White Single Keikogi".

ive also used the "lightweight" gi from ebogu's lowest cost set i believe. that ended up getting kinda crusty after a year (although i still recommend it for beginners for the incredibly cheap price for the set), so i dont want another cheap gi.

[T.Lee]

yeah, that was another concern. thanks for the feedback on the shrinking. good to know. i fit a size 3 loosely, (typical korean build. 5'8", 175lbs. my motorcycle jacket is a size 42.) i can TIE it tight around my chest, but i leave a bit of slack in the knot, if thats any indication. i dont put my gi in the dryer anyway. heck, i hardly ever wash it :)

(honestly, my current super keikogi hasnt picked up any funky smelling bacteria YET, so no need to wash frequently. just once after reseting the dye twice when i first got it)

what size is yours?

[binni]

Rainmaker,


You were allowed to exchange your gi back to Eguchi even after washing it? I bought the same white gi from them and even tried it on in person before purchasing. It was slightly big on me new, and after I washed it and dried it, it suddenly because a tight fit, especially shoulders/chest. I swear the thing shrank two sizes. I don't like wearing it because it also shrank lengthwise and I have to keep pulling down on the sides to keep my legs from showing through the sides of the hakama.

[T.Lee]

hmm wow. shrinks that much eh? i might just think twice about buying this...

binni, did you air dry or machine dry?

[Infinity]

the good thing about a white dogi, any kind, is that you can wash it after every practice.
i have a white summer gi and #7000 white hakama from koei budogu.
i put both it the washing machine and hang to dry.
(i wouldnt recommend putting it in a dryer unless you are in a real hurry and have it on a cool setting.)
i usually have to iron the hakama pleats again but it always look bright and new when i where it.
it is my back up dogi however and i usually wear an indigo dyed dogi until it needs a wash.
while my blue dogi dries (sometimes it takes a couple of days) i wear my white dogi.

[rainmaker]

T.Lee, you really have to wash white gi everytime you practice. If you wash with breach, then it is clean all the time. Otherwise, you will have blue mark all over the place.

Regarding shrinking, it shrink quite a bit and I am not Kidding. You really have to ask people first before you buy it. If it shrink, you still need to pay for shipping charge out of your pocket. It might get shrink even if you don't use drier.
As long as you are okay with tight chest and armpit, it is nice to have one. Very light and comfy..

I would recommend size 4. It will shrink to size 3... Don't use drier..

[T.Lee]

"breach"

lol


thanks rainmaker.

i might just get the white super gi from ebogu... my indigo has not shrunk noticably at all.

[rainmaker]

In US, you should be able to... I bought this at the one of the tournament. I washed it same day and realized that it was shrinking so I exchanged it next day... I saved shipping charge that way..




Rainmaker,


You were allowed to exchange your gi back to Eguchi even after washing it? I bought the same white gi from them and even tried it on in person before purchasing. It was slightly big on me new, and after I washed it and dried it, it suddenly because a tight fit, especially shoulders/chest. I swear the thing shrank two sizes. I don't like wearing it because it also shrank lengthwise and I have to keep pulling down on the sides to keep my legs from showing through the sides of the hakama.

[binni]

hmm wow. shrinks that much eh? i might just think twice about buying this...

binni, did you air dry or machine dry?

I tumble-dry it to keep it soft (feels a bit stiff after air-drying) This gi is very well-made, soft, comfortable...you just need to get it in a bigger size. Despite being too small, it's still my favorite gi that I own.

[Tiki-kun]

I use the white "moisture wicking" lined gi from e-bogu. I have two, and rotate them through out the week. You do have to wash the gi after every class to keep it clean. I add bleach maybe once a month. And yes - it shrinks A LOT. A while ago I got 2 nice "natural unbleached" cotton gi from Tozando, and even after ordering 1 size larger they shrank too much for me to wear comfortably. The lined gi did not shring quite so much.
A nice bonus with the white is no nasty indigo smell (although I bet I am in the minority for not being a fan of indigo odor). Now the only nasty smell on my gi is me :wink:

[Hai_hai]

I got a single-layer white one from bogubag.

[T.Lee]

well, i bought the super soft one from eguchi at todays tournament, size 3. i asked about the shrinking, just said absolutely no machine dry. it put it on before i bought it, it was already pretty roomy. we'll see. i do appreciate everyones comments.

btw, i have the same gi from ebogu that has the jersey material mentioned above but in blue, and that has not noticably shrunk yet at all. just keeps bleeding indigo however...

[Flylkorean]

Your lucky you were thinking of buying a white keikogi right in time for the tournament so you could get a discount. BUT, she would have given you a discount anyways even if you didnt buy it at tournament price and just visited her, since shes cool like that. Anyways , goodluck with your new keikogi, and may a new journey of odor come to you. ;)

[JamesD]

the good thing about a white dogi, any kind, is that you can wash it after every practice.


Slightly off topic, but does this mean you shouldn't wash a blue one after every practice? If not why? And how often should you wash it? I was and hang it and my hakama after each training session...

So much to learn...

[tantadi]

Slightly off topic, but does this mean you shouldn't wash a blue one after every practice? If not why? And how often should you wash it? I was and hang it and my hakama after each training session...

So much to learn...
You need to wash the blue keikogi after every practice, if you sweat in it. If you don't, you will have bacteria growing in it, which will lead to smell and can give you skin problems. If you wait with washing, the problem will be difficult to get rid of. There is no reason why you can't wash it, I wash mine all the time (handwash).

[Infinity]

You need to wash the blue keikogi after every practice, if you sweat in it. If you don't, you will have bacteria growing in it, which will lead to smell and can give you skin problems. If you wait with washing, the problem will be difficult to get rid of. There is no reason why you can't wash it, I wash mine all the time (handwash).

Depends on the type of blue keikogi you have.

If you have a chemical dyed gi then washing it after every training session is fine.
Mine is a heavy, indigo dyed gi from Koei Budogu and if I washed it after every practice
a) it wouldn’t be dry before next training and
b) it would loose its lovely dark blue colour and turn pale blue very quickly.
I hang my dogi in a well ventillated area between training sessions and wash my gi about once a month (I wear it 3 or 4 times a week).

My blue hakama gets a wash every 3 or 4 months.
I have found if I fold it correctly, place it in a pillow slip and then in a lingerie bag, it washes quite well in the washing machine.
Otherwise a good hand rinse is what is recommended.

There is a product called Black Wash for your dark clothes. I put a bit of that in or just turn on the rinse cycle.
I am told the indigo dye is actually an antibacterial agent, inhibiting most of the smell associated with sweat.

[tantadi]

What can I say? I'd rather have a pale clean gi than a smelly dark one...which would happen for me after a month training in the same clothes without washing them. And personally I don't belive that the indigo dye prevents bacteria growth to that extreme extent.

I use several lightweight gi that I rotate (and wash) so that I always have a clean one. It cuts down the the wear on the individual gi as well.

[alan dean]

Ok,,,,my wife has come to the point where she now can order her first Keikogi

However she has been looking at website and she sees to like the color white more than the blue one I wear...

I had a question about things if she gets the white,,,,
My question is, that down the line when she puts on some real Kando armor will not the blue dye come off on her nice white Keikogo?

She has never had the armor on yet, but she will one day and so I dont want her to end up with funny dye marks on her nice clothes...

any advice here?
Is my concern a real problem?

[JamesD]

My gear is the less expensive man made fibre type (no natural ink). Thanks for the feedback - I'm going to continue washing it twice a week - the the amount of sweat produced in a Kendo session suggest to me that washing it is a good idea...

Is there much advantage to having the expensive natural dyed gear? Does it look better, or wear better? I'm happy with my inexpensive set at the moment, its price matches the quality of my Kendo....

[LarsCW]

Ok,,,,my wife has come to the point where she now can order her first Keikogi

However she has been looking at website and she sees to like the color white more than the blue one I wear...

I had a question about things if she gets the white,,,,
My question is, that down the line when she puts on some real Kando armor will not the blue dye come off on her nice white Keikogo?

She has never had the armor on yet, but she will one day and so I dont want her to end up with funny dye marks on her nice clothes...

any advice here?
Is my concern a real problem?

We have a lady in white wearing blue bogu from the club and she still has a nice white keikogi and hakama but there is also a guy that trains with a white keikogi and blue hakama and he had blue where the do himo are so I think it will depend on the washing skill of your whife. Ofcourse she could get white himo too

[joekc6nlx]

For Alan Dean: If you use an oxygen-based bleach, such as Oxy-Clean, or similar, or even Chlorox 2 for colors (which doesn't contain chlorine), it should remove the blue dye from the himo marks, and it won't yellow the white fabric the way chlorine bleach would do.

[binni]

I had a question about things if she gets the white,,,,
My question is, that down the line when she puts on some real Kando armor will not the blue dye come off on her nice white Keikogo?

She has never had the armor on yet, but she will one day and so I dont want her to end up with funny dye marks on her nice clothes...

any advice here?
Is my concern a real problem?

Yes, it will get blue dye marks from not only the himo but even more so the men flaps along the keikogi's collar/shoulders, especially if the bogu is on the newer side. The blue X on the back looks kind of cool -- wear it w/ pride. After each practice, before the sweat dries, pre-soak the gi in hot water for a while and throw it in the washer. You can soak it with or without bleach, but if I didn't use bleach, the blue would never come out with just detergent alone (from my experience). I've used regular Clorox and my gis are bright white, no yellow tinge. The good thing is, my first white gi was my break-in gi which took all the blue mess from the bogu. The second white gi was much easier to maintain.