Issey Miyake Pleats Please Olé Jacket

Most open cardigans hang straight, which is why most of them are unremarkable. This one flares, so the two front panels swing outward as they descend and the garment traces an A rather than falling in parallel lines. That single decision gives an unstructured, unfastened layer an actual silhouette. Red at this saturation is the other decision, and Olé is an apt name for it: this is a declarative colour, not a considered one, and the flare gives it movement to match. Side pockets keep it from being purely a gesture. It is the most extroverted piece in the line and it is still, underneath, a simple pleated cardigan you can put on without thinking.

Why we selected it

The flare is what makes an open cardigan a shape rather than a drape, and the red is worth having in a wardrobe that is otherwise mostly black.

Colour used at full strength is a recurring pleasure in Issey Miyake‘s work, and this jacket is the line at its most cheerful.

Materials and construction

100% polyester, made in Japan, in red. Flared cardigan with an open front and side pockets.

Fit notes

Open front with nothing to fasten, flaring toward the hem. Pleated cloth opens in wearing, so the flare is more pronounced in motion.

Styling

A red this strong wants everything else neutral. Over black it is at its sharpest; over cream it softens considerably.

Care

The pleats are heat-set into the polyester and are permanent, so it washes without losing them. Wash at 30°C or below in a laundry net on a short cycle, or press gently by hand, and never tumble dry, iron, steam, or dry clean. Store it rolled along the direction of the pleats. Our fabric care guide covers polyester and technical cloth.

Related pieces

The Basics Cardigan and the Tatami July are the open layers beside it, and the Chiffon Twist Top in red in the main line is built around the same strong red. Everything we carry from Issey Miyake is listed together.