Meg poses in Fenom Lotus ripstop pants in front of pairs of sparring BJJers
Fenom Lotus with New Ripstop Trousers

Fenom Kimonos burst on to the BJJ gi scene in the new year of 2010; I was delighted to wear one of the first two Classic Fenom kimono to arrive in the UK! Since launching, Fenom has gone from strength to strength and consolidated and grown its position as the women’s BJJ gi brand. While its initial product range was launched after extensive product research, Fenom hasn’t rested on its laurels and in addition to adding childrens gi and a choice of three adult women’s gi to its range, Fenom have sought to refine and update their offerings in line with the latest trends in ‘gi technology’. Hence, Fenom now offers its while ‘Lotus’ lightweight gi with ripstop trousers. The Fenom Lotus retails for $75USD and pants are available separately for $25USD + shipping. This review is of the A1.(1)

Lotus Ripstop Features

Close up of Fenom lotus patch on trouser
Lotus Patch on Ripstop

Fenom is known for its understated, feminine but tough styling and the new ripstop trousers include a revised use of embroidered patches. While the original Lotus trousers included a stylised lotus flower patch on the left thigh and an ‘F’ logo on the bottom of the right leg, the new trousers have been updated to have a larger flower patch on the right thigh and no Fenom logo ‘F’ on the lower leg. The knees are reinforced and there are two drawstring loops.

Lotus Ripstop Fit

BJJ Gi DiagramThe canvas trousers shipped with the original Lotus were a good fit through the seat and legs, but shrunk-to-fit a bit too short to end several inches above the ankle bone. The dimensions of the new ripstop trousers are slightly different, including increased length in the leg, and, as they’re ripstop, they are pretty much impervious to shrinking even after a warm 60° wash. While the length of the Lotus trousers has been increased (and is comparable with those gi such as the Break Point and Fuji which have the best length for me) there’s been other tweaks to reduce the generosity of the cut through the thighs. I am near the top end of Fenom’s A1 spectrum but tend to hold my weight in my middle and be slim through the hips and thighs, and as the gi are shrink-to-fit, it may be advisable for women of a thicker set in the bottom and legs to consider going up a size if they are borderline; this might also help to ensure the best sleeve length as these come up a bit short on me after a warm washing (check out this review for pictures).

Measurement Ripstop (cm/in) Canvas (cm/in)
E 50/19.7 50/19.7
F 26/10.2 28/11
G 92/36.2 87/34.3
H 20/7.9 18/7.1

Credits

Big thanks to Fenom for sending through the new ripstop trousers for review. Join them on Facebook!

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.
(1) 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 A1.

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