The phrases “single weave”, “double weave”, and “gold weave” don’t really have a definition. Most companies have adopted them as a convention to convey the thickness of the fabric and detail / quality of construction. We’ve seen uniforms sold as “double weave” that were identical to our “single weave” and no one can say they were being, um, “untruthful” since their catalog had even lighter (or CHEAPER) uniforms they called “single weave”.
In other words, there’s no industry standard for the definitions. Usually the fabric weight is at least 600g on double weave uniforms… Other than that, it’s just whatever the marketing people want to call it… Nothing magic about the factory sewing it “double”, running it through some machine twice or using “gold thread” in the fabric.
Our “single weave” uniforms are made of 450g fabric (which is about the mid range for lighter uniforms) and really intended for the newer student. This way you don’t have to spend a bunch of money on a uniform but it’s still going to last them around a year. Plenty of time to see if you want to stick with it and maybe get an idea of what kind of (expensive) uniform you might like to get next. It’s also nice as a “summer weight” uniform for areas that have high heat/humidity and a heavy uniform is too uncomfortable (and the budget doesn’t allow for a gold weave).
Our “double weave” uniforms are made of 700g fabric and have much thicker lapels with more reinforcements for the stress points on the uniform. They are _substantially_ thicker and intended for serious students that are doing lots of working out. Also popular if someone is just plain big – since that puts more stress on the uniform. The 450g / single weaves are going to wear out eventually and if you weigh over 220 lbs, it’s going to happen sooner rather than later.
Our “gold weave” kimonos are made of either 475g or 550g fabric and designed specifically for advanced students and instructors. They have a “jiu-jitsu cut” and TONS of reinforcements in the high stress points of the uniform. While they are clearly lighter in weight than the “double weave” uniforms, they are actually stronger.
The gold weave fabric is made with the longer strands of cotton fiber. Picture a cotton ball – when you pull it apart, you have all those little strands? The thread is actually made of those little strands, braided together. The longer the strands are, the thinner the thread could be and still have the same strength. The gold weave fabric is made of “long strand fiber cotton”. That’s why even though it’s thinner and lighter thread, it’s even stronger than the double weave.
That, of course, is why the gold weave uniforms cost more. The longer strands cotton fiber is a lot more money to purchase.
However, the fabric is much softer. The gold weave uniforms typically feel like you’ve been washing them for a year right when they come out of the box. Picture the difference between a cotton handkerchief and a silk handkerchief. One cost a lot more, but it sure does feel better.
If you had all three in front of you, you’d notice the different weave of the fabrics right away (that’s pretty much cosmetic), but the difference in quality would be completely obvious when you touch the gold weave uniform. The other two would simply be different thicknesses of fabric.