Overview
Stay classy and ridiculously good looking while wearing the Ouano Black N' Tan Premium Competition gi. Ouano's flagship gi comes in a bit on the high end price wise, (please refer to my pricing guide) but after all like the name implies it's supposed to be a premium competition gi. So while I was testing the Ouano Black N' Tan I kept two questions in the back of my mind, is this gi worth a premium price? And would I compete in this gi? Read on Gear Junkies to find out more!
The Fit
I'm 5'7 and about 165lbs right now. I ordered an A1 because I have really short arms and sleeve length is always an issue for me. Overall the top on the Ouano Black N' Tan shrank a fair amount. The body now fits snug on me (to be expected since I went with an A1) and the sleeves are now either at the legal limit or slightly below it. The length of the skirt is just fine in my opinion. The cut of the top feels a lot like an old school Koral MKM. Length wise the pants fit perfectly on me, but they are a bit snug in the thigh area restricting my movement a bit. The crotch is not baggy at all. I think if I were to order again I would go with an A2 in this gi and then everything would fit about right after it shrank. It's always hard to tell because sometimes I try and go this route, but the gi never shrinks as much as I need it to and I'm left rolling around in what feels like a heavy trash bag.
*A1 washed in cold and air dried.
| Before | After | |
| A | 64" | 62.5" |
| B | 30" | 30" |
| C | 23" | 22.5" |
| D | 22" | 20.5" |
| E | 6" | 6" |
| F | 19.5" | 19.5" |
| G | 36" | 35.5" |
| H | 8" | 8" |
| I | 23" | 23" |
Durability
I've had this gi for months now and it shows no signs of wear. The 450 gram pearl weave is rugged and seems like it's going to hold up for a while. The pants are thick, but soft at the same time and I think they walk a fine balance between hard to grab and comfortable to wear. The collar is also a decent thickness, but it's not really that stiff. This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how hardcore you are about your collars. The one thing that I will say is this gi is hot to wear in the warmer months. I think I'll put it into my winter time rotation. I have a feeling if the pants were a lighter material it would solve some of the heat issues.
The Cool Factor
The cool factor on the Ouano Black N' Tan premium competition bjj gi is by far the color combo. It's got a really great classic kind of look to it without having to be all bling and patches.
Conclusion
So now it's time to answer my original questions. Would I wear this gi in competition? The answer is maybe. I think in order for me to honestly answer that I would need to purchase this gi in an A2 size and see how it fits me after shrinking it. In it's current state my A1 is just to tight and restricting, plus I don't think the sleeves are legal length anymore. Would I pay the higher price for this premium gi? The answer is probably not. Money is always tight these days and I'm always looking to spend it as wisely as I can. There are plenty of great options out there in the mid level price range that in my opinion match the quality level of the Ouano Black N' Tan. It's a nice gi and if they came down to even $150 my answer to this question would probably change.
Deals
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