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Triin wrote a great article on the Fenom: Lessons Learned in Five Years Part I . I had no idea that Fenom started less than a year before I began doing BJJ.
HAPPY 5th ANNIVERSARY, FENOM!
Fenom was the first gi I ever owned. Triin was responsive, and I loved her customer service. I’ve ended up with a ton more gis in my rotation, but currently don’t own a Fenom now that I’m a much smaller size. I appreciate that it’s a company that caters to a niche market within BJJ – it’s wonderfully refreshing! Note to self: get a Fenom when I move back to America!
The article is very interesting! It shares some insight into the BJJ gi market, other BJJ gi companies, and talks about the five years in terms of the “white belt” years, the “blue belt” years, etc. It’s accessible, even if you know nothing about business.
Many companies go under since the brand-new-business-excuse cannot be used forever. Making a hundred gis and calling it “limited edition” has its charm until every other company tries to do the same thing. The fluctuating product quality, uncertainty of dealing with vendors thousands of miles away, and cash flow problems can send any company spiralling downward, no matter how cool their products look. Very often you can’t tell if it is a real business, or one of the fantoms trying to make a quick buck promising the moon and the stars, then disappearing, and re-appearing under a new name weeks later.
I can’t wait to read part two (or three, or four, or five!)
Jiu Jiu’s Question: Please share a positive Fenom story! Triin peeks in here now and again, so it’s a fun way to support the company! Tell about your Fenom gi, your interaction with the company, the products, etc.
Triin has always been super supportive of any and all women’s only open mats. She helped me get Amazonian women’s open mats exposure and always had encouraging words for me. I also love the new patch giveaways, anytime they get some new patches I think she gives away 100! Great company repping women’s Bjj
That’s so exciting! She mentioned they’ll be giving away 5 gis for their 5 year anniversary!
The second part of the article is published now as well. http://poweredbyshe.com/2014/10/15/lessons-learned-in-five-years-part-2/ Thank you for reading and onto the next 5 years!
Hahaha, Fenom’s fabulous customer service was responsible for my ugly discovery that it is possible to have thighs bigger than your waist.
I had ordered a gi with a bigger bottom than the top. They contacted me about my order to make sure everything was correct or possibly because they had run out of the color I wanted in a particular style. So I asked about the difference between pants they labeled slim and those labeled curvy. They told me the diameter of the slim pant leg was 20 inches. That didn’t seem all that small to me so I measured my thigh size. Something I had never done before. I was shocked to discover my thighs were larger than my waist and not even close to being able to squeeze into those pants. Sigh.
This was dead in the middle of last years miserably cold weather when I hardly went out except to go to Martial Arts.i was doing a lot of computer work at home. Since then, I’ve lost enough weight that my thighs are now smaller than my waist. As shocked as I was to discover the diameter of my thigh, I was equally shocked to discover how many inches you can shave off a thigh by losing 8 pounds.
Even though my thighs are now just a tad over the 20 inches, I’m sticking to their curvy pants. I’m all bass and hardly any treble. So glad they have styles that fit different body types and let you buy different sizes for tops and bottoms.
I actually thought your description of base and treble was great. Very well put. Good description and humor.
Hahahahaha I totally feel your pain. When I started I was a paltry 5’4″ and weighed more than 200 lbs. Sigh. All the shorty gis only go up to about 160 it seemed like.
Congratulations on finding gi pants that fit! I am going to do that as well. I’m so sick and tired of pants being for what Koreans call “chopstick legs” (ps. that’s actually a compliment, not a derogatory term!!). I also appreciate that Triin lets folks send her measurements. Yay for awesome customer service!
Thanks Julia! We appreciate the kind words. On Friday, October 17th, we are doing a big, five gis giveaway to celebrate our anniversary. We could not be here without you all and giving back has been part of our mission from day one. Thanks again 🙂
I’m really glad to help support you. I think your company is really awesome.
Love what Fenom is doing for women in bjj! I love the clean look of these gis and the fact that they are fitted for women, while having a bit more of a sleek, or discreet look, than some of the other women’s gis out there. I also love the little giveaways, like receiving a belt-rank keychain for no other reason than they had extra to give away. Keep up the good work, Fenom!
2 out of my 3 gis are Fenom. I love them and have regular compliments about them (soft and/or colour – the navy one).
A company that allows you to choose top and bottom size separately is one that is aimed at pleasing customers! Like Anne I love their look as well.
And the customer service is great. I wondered what size pants to get (it’s the opposite for me I wanted a slim fit but not knee-high legs) and Triin was so kind as to email me all the measurements and give me advice.
It’s great to have good products and be able to support a small business. Happy Birthday Fenom!
I am a brand spankin’ new bjj practitioner but I did my research before I started classes (after my trial, though) and wanted a female cut gi. Thank you internet blogs :). I found out about Fenom and my boyfriend offered to buy the one I wanted for my birthday. So he did. And it is my very first gi. (Okay now I have a second one but it’s a unisex cut and blah.) I want another one but I may wait until I’m a blue belt (sort of a reward system for myself to keep motivated).
Hey there! Welcome to Jiu Jitsu, and welcome to the blog! Sorry – I was drowning in student papers for a bit there. I have officially escaped the tides now!
Which Fenom did you end up getting? (Do you have a pic? Share a pic!!)
Sure, you can wait until you’re a blue belt, BUT if you start doing a lot of BJJ, have one per week day that you train! Or…more. Lots and lots more.
JiuJiu I found your blog after starting a no gi female self defense class. It didn’t take long for me to want to train more BJJ. I started my journey at around 250lbs – your blog helped me understand what I might expect and how I might progress and that I am responsible for my BJJ journey. Your blog also was the source of me finally finding a great gi. I read your post about gi’s for women and it convinced me to look at Fenom. It didn’t take me long to be in touch with Triin and give her my measurements and we found me my first gi. I ended up with the an A4 blue embroidered crystal weave (which some of the guys in my class were inquiring after btw!). I carry my weight in my belly, so as I train I’m hoping to shrink that so my belt has a little longer tails but overall I’m very pleased with my purchase and I thank you and Triin for being there for moral support – even though you probably weren’t aware of your positive influence in my life!
Hi Jocelyn! Thank you so much for your kind words! How long have you been doing BJJ now? It’s always exciting to hear about folks either starting/continuing/coming back to jiu jitsu after reading my blog. It’s definitely served the purpose of being an overall positive voice online, and thank you for helping make it that place!
I tend to carry my weight in my thighs. It’s the first place I notice weight gain. This means that in general I have to order a different size top and bottom. A0 in dude size is perfect for my top, but I need an A1 in bottoms. Same with Tatami – the top is perfect, but the bottom gives me sausage legs. Ah well.
I’m so glad that you were able to find a gi that fit you well! Keep on keepin on! Hugs and chokes.