Atama features

The Leticia Ribeiro Limited Edition is all about the insanely cute, yet understated, detailing. Dark purple and deep pink embroidered butterflies and stars at the shoulders and upper left trouser leg make this gi extra special. Much like the OTM Supa Star kimono, the Leticia Ribeiro Limited Edition uses very considered accenting with bold, feminine colours on a white gi to create a spectacular and unique overall effect.

In addition to the embroidery, the Leticia Ribeiro Limited Edition has lovely dark purple Atama-branded piping on the inner cuff and around the outside hem of the jacket. The placement and design of the embroidery and piping gives an impression of great attention to detail. There is, however, one small aberration: while the label inside the jacket names the gi the ‘Leticia Ribeiro Limited Edition’, the trouser label names the gi as the ‘Kyra Gracie Limited Edition’. Now, there *is* a new Kyra gi out, and while the embroidery on her new gi looks beautiful, I’m not quite to the point of wearing that much pink (though I am loosening up on this score). Nevertheless, considering the hard work in design this gi suggests, it is a bit of a shame there was less consideration in the implementation. (Amendment: this may be a one-off mistake as feedback in the comments suggests this isn’t the case with all trousers.)
Atama fit

With the Leticia Ribeiro Limited Edition, I am getting closer to a perfectly fitting women’s cut gi, for me. While I am a particular fan of the Fenom Classic, the Fenom Lotus and the OTM Supa Star, there are aspects of each of these gi that aren’t quite right for my ‘V’ shape.[2] I believe that this has everything to do with Atama’s willingness to sell jackets and trousers separately and this adds weight to my argument to gi vendors to offer women’s gi as separates; this review is of the F3 top and the F2 trousers.[3] (Note: the US-based site asks you to choose a size to add to the cart, this is actually the jacket size you want. You are then prompted to choose a trouser size. It it unclear to me if the Atama Europe site allows similar flexibility in ordering.)

I love the short, flared skirt on the Fenom Classic, but my undersized derriere is lost in the trousers. The OTM Supa Star jacket’s shoulders cut perfectly on me and I adore the A-line silhouette, but I’m not booty-full and the trousers look more than a little outlandish from behind. On the one had, in Fenom I wear an A1 and I am at the absolute top of the size range, yet the trousers aren’t great for my shape, though the A0 would surely be too small in the jacket. On the other hand, while I am dead centre in the F3 size range, I’d need at least F2 and probably F1 trousers in the OTM though the F3 top is just right for me. This is the crux of much of the trouble with creating women’s gi. All women are different individuals, of course, but women’s body shapes come in four generic types – A, V, X and O – and it can be very difficult to accommodate all these shapes with one product. Knowing the trouble I’ve had with other women’s cut gi in fitting my bony behind, I was psyched when I could purchase the F3 top and the F2 trousers, which has resulted in a much better combo for my V-shape.

The Leticia Ribeiro Limited Edition has an A-line silhouette, similar to the Supa Star. The jacket fits neatly at the shoulders and opens out to the bottom of the skirt. The skirt of the jacket is of the longer style, similar to the Tatami Women’s Zero G and the Fenom Lotus, versus the shorter skirts of the Fenom Classic and OTM Supa Star; I have a personal preference for the shorter skirts, but the Leticia Ribeiro Limited Edition jacket does fit well and allows for freedom of movement. The trousers have the greater room in the seat, hips and thighs as expected in women’s cut gi and work with the jacket to produce a lovely tailored outline. The gi is a single weave construction advertised as, ‘identical to that of our Mundial Model #9’. The jacket and trousers are 100% cotton and I can’t help but feel that I would be in state of crazy-bunny-boiling-obsessed-love if this gi had rip stop trousers as in the Mundial Model #9, rather than in my current a state of warm but controllable, affection.[4]
Atama size
Atama gi are not preshrunk and you can expect skrinkage up to 5%. I wash my gi on a warm (60C) wash against manufacturer’s instructions, but found that shrinking stayed well within acceptable parameters. Further, the deep colours of the embroidery did not bleed onto the white of the gi.
Measurements | Prewash(cm/in) | 60°(cm/in) |
---|---|---|
A | 70/27.6 | 68.5/27 |
B | 71/28 | 70.5/27.8 |
C | 25.5/10 | 24.5/9.6 |
D | 27/10.6 | 26.2/10.3 |
E | 95/37.4 | 93.2/36.7 |
Conclusions

This is a beautiful gi and it preserves Atama’s reputation for high quality, well-constructed and superbly-designed women’s gi. The Leticia Ribeiro Limited Edition is soft on the skin and comfortable when rolling. I would suggest that Atama’s celebrity limited edition gi might be better with rip stop trousers like their Mundial Model #9 cousins. Finally, if you are a fellow purple belt and a fellow fashion victim, may I suggest the Fenom belt and the Scramble Newaza Hoodie as the purple used in these items matches the gi perfectly.
Disclaimer
All reviews are based on my independent observations. I have no formal qualifications, I am not sponsored by any company and I do not endorse any one brand. If you chose a gi based on my review, please let the manufacturer know that MegJitsu persuaded you. This will not benefit me financially, but can help me to get more gi to review. As always, thanks for reading.
Credits
Thanks to Dave Birkett at Dartford BJJ for playing uke in my photos. Thanks to Seymour Yang/Meerkatsu for accepting my imitation as flattery; the gi dimensions diagram is a useful innovation!
[2] For reference, I am 163cm/5’4.5″, 60kgs/130lbs and have bust, waist and hip measurements of 86.4cm/34″, 68.6cm/27″ and 91.4cm/36″; this review is of the F3 jacket and F2 trousers.
[3] Addendum: as of 27 Jan 2011, Fenom Kimonos offers jackets and trousers as separates.
[4] For a discussion of the different gi weaves (and for the best collection of men’s gi reviews on the planet) check out Meerkatsu’s blog.
13 Jan 2011 @ 6:12 pm
I bought this as well. I have a previous Atama women's gi — the white with big pink patches (but it fits perfectly, so I forgive them) (maybe the #7?). I got the same size as before (F2/F2), but the new jacket is definitely bigger and longer; it's been through hot water and the dryer and shrunk a little. The pants fit me well, too, though mine didn't come with the Kyra Gracie patch; one of the little girls got this for Christmas, too, and hers also has the correct patch on the pants. I think you're just lucky (or not?) on that one.
13 Jan 2011 @ 10:33 pm
Hi Leslie, thanks for commenting! Fun to know I have a weird one off patch! Great to have your insights into Atama's women's line. I find the jacket a little long but was much happier with the fit in the body after shrinking; loved that the sleeves were still a good length! While it feels more tailored after washing, the skirt is a little long for my personal preference, but at the same time I do love the gi and 100% feel like a Queen when wearing it, hope you do too ;D
17 Jan 2011 @ 12:14 pm
Great review Meg! But you're not missing out with the lack of ripstop pants on your gi – not only do they feel weird against your skin when damp, but the white ones have a tendency to become slightly see-through when wet as well!!
17 Jan 2011 @ 12:21 pm
Thanks for reading, James! LOL, I don't mind a little transparency in the gi bottoms; I adore the rip stop trousers with my OTM. But this is the thing, isn't it? You can't please everyone all the time, so I have a lot of patience with gi-makers; they are trying to cater a a wide range of tastes! 🙂
20 Jan 2011 @ 8:22 am
i love your review but i'd love a gi that's not so flowery and pink, one day there'll be a line of gis for women that aren't all pink, something normal that fits just right…one day far far away
20 Jan 2011 @ 8:29 am
I understand what you're saying, shakiharris, and I am sure many female grapplers would agree. Happily, there are such options at the moment! Tatami Fightwear in the UK has a women's line with a range of colours and designs, which includes much less 'girlie' options. Fenom Kimonos in the US makes the Lotus women's gi which is white with black detailing.
See https://megjitsu.com/2010/08/tatami-zero-g-lightweight-bjj-gi-review/ | https://megjitsu.com/2010/07/fenom-lotus-womens-bjj-gi-review/
Thanks for reading!
15 Feb 2011 @ 2:39 pm
Hey, thanx for a great and useful review!
How do the F2 pants fit, and do you know the length for the inseem of the pants after shrinkage?
I’m about to order a new gi for competition-use, this will be my first gi in a F-size 🙂
15 Feb 2011 @ 2:53 pm
Glad you liked it, Kira. Thanks for your comment!
The F2 pants fit me perfectly. The inseam after many many washes at a higher than recommended wash (so fully shrunk) is 70.5cm. That is measured from the top where the crotch seams intersect to the bottom of the pant leg.
As I mention in the review I am a V-shape; my shoulders are wider than my hips. I’ve found women’s gi to be consistently too large in the bottoms for me as they are designed more for A-shape women (where hips are wider than shoulders). So I got the F3 top and F2 bottoms, ie a size down on bottom so bear that in mind if you are using my thoughts in your decision making. Worst case scenario you booty will be lost in the folds of extra fabric but the length should be fine 🙂
P.S. If the review helped you purchase let them know MegJitsu swayed you! 😉
31 May 2011 @ 5:26 pm
It seems Atama make the women’s kimonos in a different cut but no one else really bothers. In your experience do manufacturers who sell women’s kimonos actually make an effort to make sure the kimono is a different cut or is it usually just a different colour and different sizing system?
31 May 2011 @ 5:38 pm
Hi! The vast majority of women’s kimono are cut differently. There are the odd gi where you think ‘this is a small man’s gi, not a women’s cut gi’, but by and large the tailoring is made for women. There are a range of different cuts within women’s gi world, e.g. Atama and Fenom have some similarities in proportions while the OTM and the upcoming Predator BJJ ranges have aspects in common in terms of jackets and trousers, but in very generic terms, narrower shoulders and wider bottoms, cuz that’s how most of us are made (though not so much me HAHA). 🙂
Leticia Riberio X-guard iPhone app review | A BJJ Blog by Meg Smitley | Women in BJJ | BJJ Women | BJJ Gi Reviews
17 Jun 2011 @ 2:47 pm
[…] Leticia, a highly decorated competitor and major proponent of women in BJJ, has also released the Atama Leticia Ribeiro Limited Edition gi and runs regular seminars for women, especially around the USA, such as those organised by Fenom […]
18 Aug 2011 @ 6:52 pm
Hi
Maybe you can help me. I’m a big girl and I have a Fenom classic in a size 3. I also have the atama Leticia limited edition in F4 and it’s to small in my tummy. I would like to order the new predatora and I’m not sure what size to get. Is the predatora sizing more similar to the fenom or the atama leticia? I’m short and big in the middle. Thanks so much.
18 Aug 2011 @ 7:04 pm
Hi Sandy, thanks very much for reading the reviews and I do hope that I can help you. The Predadora top is cut more like the Fenom Classic than the Atama Ribeiro gi. In fact, it is slightly more tailored through the body than the Fenom Classic and the Predadora has a very similar fit as the OTM SupaStar. For this reason I would suggest that these gi – Predadora and SupaStar – wouldn’t be the best choice for you, as I have busty pals who find them a tight fit. I suppose the most generously cut top I’ve worn has been the Atama Ribeiro, so that’s not very helpful to you! Sorry I couldn’t offer a solution. Please let us know if you find a gi that works great for you. You might ask Julia Johansen for advice as she’s a bigger girl | http://juliajohansen.wordpress.com/
Best wishes on your search!