Roll Supreme is a UK based brand established in 2012 by a group of friends, training partners and family members. The initial concept of Roll Supreme is a BJJ/Street Apparel brand.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Jack Colvin regarding Roll Supreme’s first gi,
The Base. Here’s the interview followed by the review of The Base.
Are you the only owner or are you sharing the brand with someone else?
Me, a couple of friends and my brother chipped on some seed money when I was first setting up but they’re silent partners. I do pretty much everything. That means designing all the products, graphic design and website. Plus all the day to day stuff like running all the social media accounts, accounting, customer care, sending out orders, dealing with suppliers, standing in the post office everyday... In fact everything except the web development side of things. I can’t code for shit!
How did you get started and when?
I started developing the idea late 2012 when left my job just before Xmas. I knew what I wanted to do, but it took a few months out, and I went traveling to figure out exactly how to set the wheels in motion. I started selling on the website in Spring 2013
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What made you start your own brand?
There’re 3 main reasons for that. Everyone with any type of clothing brand says this but… there wasn’t much out there that I liked. There’s some sick BJJ brands don’t get me wrong. It’s just I thought I’d be able to make something a little different.
When I started training at MG Origin Newcastle I fell in love with the sport. I’m never going to be the guy on the podium at any big comps, let alone doing it consistently enough to make a living. Setting up Roll Supreme seemed like a good way to make ends meet and still get to roll a ton. I left my job at as a designer and set up Roll Supreme (plus a bit of freelance design and traveling on the side).
Sitting behind a desk at 26, making other people money, when I could be out there hustling-- trying to do it alone appeals to me much more. Treat life like jiu jitsu, where you either win or learn. You make mistakes when you’re starting out. It is normal. Andy from Dojo Outfitters always says to me “Be Relentless”, that couldn’t be more true.
Base Review
Initial Impression
First thing I loved was the gi bag. One side is made of twill cotton and the other side is made of very light fabric with little small holes. This allows the gi to breath especially after training. This works best when you have to travel for some time after training.
The jacket was made of 450gsm pearl weave fabric. Using a very classy design and elegant embroideries on both shoulders with the brand logo in navy color, Roll Supreme reminded me of top brands such as RVCA.
There are no patches visible in front of the jacket. There is a print of the brand’s logo inside the left jacket. Both sleeves and skirt have inner tapes colored red, navy and white color lines. The gi has a grey contrast stitch that adds appeal to the gi.
The word
“The Base” was embroidered using a navy blue thread at the lower back part of the jacket. As for the lapel, the company made use of EVA foam that is moderate in thickness.
Roll Supreme provided a couple of details to the pants. Made of 100% ripstop cotton in clean white and grey stitching, they placed two designs on the hip area. The extra thick bungee rope in red color is a perfect match for the six grey loop holes. The pearl weave groin gusset is also in navy color.
I have to thank Roll Supreme for making the rope a bit shorter than usual. It makes it easier to tie/untie especially in between rolls.
There are two patches on the higher part of the pants. One of them is the brand logo and the other is the square woven label patch with the type font “the Base” along with some cleaning instructions.
The best detail of the pants in my opinion is the knee reinforcement which goes from mid shin to mid thigh. It was made of pearl weave cotton fabric. In my opinion, I would prefer the reinforcement to go all the way down.
I must say that I´ve been rolling on this gi for weeks and I didn´t feel any scratching issues on sleeve tapes or knee area. In terms of fit, it is perfect for my frame. It fits well within competition regulations even after several washes.
I went for an A1L this time because I was informed that the gi had an athletic fit.
Shrinkage
The gi shrunk an inch upon first wash, and another inch on the next couple of washes. I was surprised because that amount of shrinkage wasn´t normal for most of my gis.
I wash my gis through short cycle on the laundry machine, then I hang the gi dry. Summer in Spain can reach 40ºC easily so it was easy to dry the gi.
After the initial washes though, it was a perfect fit for me. As for any bleeding and stitching problems, the gi endured weeks of washing and rolling without any sign of wear and tear.
Rolling Impression
In my opinion this gi is perfect for both guard passers and guard players due to the high quality knee reinforcement made of single weave cotton, and its gusset. They also fit perfectly on the legs (at least for my frame).
As for the next gis Roll Supreme plans to release, I’d prefer maybe an extra layer of ripstop cotton on the inner tapes to allow grip resistance on the sleeve?
The inner portion of the jacket is comfortable and soft which is why this gi became part of my regular rolling gis. As for the weight of the gi, it is light (around 1.5kg), perfect for travelers and for those located in hot places.
You can buy this gi for approximately $160 or £98 from the Roll Supreme
website you are after a gi from a small brand that prioritizes aesthetics and high quality products, I believe that this gi is worth the try. Though it falls a bit above the average price of gis, this is a good buy in my opinion.
