I missed this thread when it started, but I'm with the person who said "do what you want". You absolutely do not need a fancy gi, nor a custom-made one. But if either gets you something you want, and it fits your budget, go for it. I wish I'd though to have one made. I really like the feel and weight of a Judo-style gi, but all the ones I found had the stuffed lapel (to make it harder to grip). I often thought of removing the lapel and taking out whatever was so stiff in there, but didn't trust I'd get it back on looking nice. I probably could have taken it to a seamstress and asked them to fix that, plus make me a second to my specifications (probably with some decoration inside, because I love the gi's that have that), without spening much more than a decent Judo gi costs.
Back to my point: I could have continued to wear the white, lighter-weight Karate-style gi's used in most NGA schools. For practical reasons, I wanted to use a heavier gi - and encouraged my students to, as well. For aesthetic reasons (and a minor practical reason: grass stains), I chose to wear black - and encouraged my students to do the same. For a combination of practical and aesthetic reasons, I chose to weark hakama most of the time when training, unlike most folks in NGA (most only wear them when teaching, if even then).
None of those things were necessary. I had reasons for preferring them, and so I went that way. I had a student with a background in Karate who preferred a white mid-weight Karate gi. So that's what he wore. Because why not?
Do what you want, as long as it conforms to any requirements set out for you.
$200 on booze is a lot, but appetizers and drinks with a date can get pretty close to that if you go someplace bougie.
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