Old school "pajama pants"

I think most everyone here knows what I'm talking about. These are the traditional street abadas you find all over Sao Paulo. The most famous producer of these pants is Kingston. They're generally characterized by an elastic waist that stretches and groups, one solid color for the main part of the pants, and three colored stripes down the side of each leg. Often times there will be a little Brazilian flag sewn on the bottom of one leg or the front of the hip. Although these come in white with colored stripes, the main part of the pant is usually a color other than white. They also have belt loops for your cord even on the colored pants which I have yet to understand. I call these pajama pants because that's pretty much how the fit and how they feel. These pants are great for road trips, they're extremely comfortable and loose, but I wouldn't recommend them for the roda. They don't fit extremely well and because of the elastic waist, they are really baggy in the hips and bunch up at the top. They are usually made from a material with a lower thread count in comparison to the higher quality abadas that you can buy, and so they don't last as long and sometimes the stitching comes apart pretty easily. The thin material makes them move around a little too much in the roda, when you're doing an au or a hand stand often times they'll fall all the way up to your knees. Whenever I wear these to a roda they get in the way of my game and I spend more time thinking about how I wish I had worn different pants than the roda itself. Bottom line—these are great for lounging around, but not ideal for playing or training.

What to look for in a pair of Capoeira pants

If you want a high quality pair of pants here's what you need to look for. The best material to date is 100% polyester, it's very comfortable and strong. If you get a pant with the right thread count, the material will stretch slightly and move around easily, but keeps its form so the pants move with you and don't get in your way. Polyester is breathable as well which is really great for a hot day or when you're training hard. The best abadas will have reinforced stitching on the seams. If you can check out your pants before you buy them, look for double stitching on all the major seams, especially the crotch since it absorbs most of the strain.

Which brings me to another point; some pants have what is called a reinforced crotch. I think it's more commonly called "the little circle piece between the legs." This is great for durability and flexibility, what most people don't know is that it actually makes the pant roomier up at the top, this is great for guys for sure and definitely makes the pants more comfortable. However, if you're a girl and looking for a pant with a sexy fit, stay away from "the little circle" because it will cause unwanted bunching that isn't exactly flattering if that's not the look you're going for. Another great thing to look for is a draw string waist. Polyester is flexible and pants with a good cut (which we'll talk about in a second) can employ a drawstring to give the waist a few inches of flexibility without bunching up. Most Capoeira pants have the drawstring on the left side of the pant. Why? To be honest I don't know, maybe it's because you can flex your muscles and look cool while you're tying them off on the side instead of the front, that's probably not it. Anyway, drawstrings can adjust the pant to fit tight enough to be comfortable and still not fall off your hips while you're training (unless that is the look you're going for. You wouldn't be the first).

Let's talk about the cut of the pant. Great Capoeira pants when laid out totally flat will make an upside-down V shape, if you pull the legs together parallel while the pants are on the floor, it should cause the crotch to bunch up. Conversely, if you have to bunch up the outside of the hips to get that V shape, they're not going to fit well while you're playing. Unlike jeans which are made for walking and have legs that go straight down, Capoeira is an art full of wide steps, kicks, and of course the ginga. Great Capoeira pants are cut to fit you when you're moving and taking big steps.

The best pants in the world

The best abadas I know of are made by Marimbondo Sinha. It is of course a Brazilian brand name that specializes in Capoeira pants. These pants have all the good and very little of the bad. As far as the fundamentals are concerned, it's the cut and workmanship that sets them apart from the pack. They have a great flattering fit with drawstrings and legs that are form fitting but not suffocating. All of the stitching is doubled up, and they use thick (high thread count) polyester which means the pants will last a long time. Marimbondo Sinha pants are also known for their creative style and great colors. All in all you can't go wrong when you get one of these pants. I just ordered a pair of Capoeira pants from VirtualCapoeira.com that looked suspiciously like these pants, and when they came in the mail it had the Marimbondo logo on the tag, to date I think they're the best pants I've owned.

Hopefully this provided some insight as to what to look for in a pair of Capoeira pants. Like I mentioned before, VirtualCapoeira.com has great pants, or you can just google "Capoeira pants" and see the different places they're available. Good hunting!

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