Issey Miyake Pleats Please: how to recognise, wear and care for it
Few garments are as easy to recognise across a room as a piece from Issey Miyake’s Pleats Please. The fine, permanent pleats, the light weight and the way the fabric expands and contracts with the body have made the line a quiet classic. This guide explains how the pleats are made, how the clothes fit, and how to look after them, so that a Pleats Please piece can stay in your wardrobe for many years.
A different way of pleating
Traditionally, fabric is pleated first and then cut and sewn into a garment. Issey Miyake and his studio reversed the process. The garment is cut and sewn first, two and a half to three times larger than its final size, and then pleated as a finished piece in a heat press. The polyester fabric holds the pleats permanently. This technique, known as garment pleating, was developed in the late 1980s and became the foundation of Pleats Please, which launched as its own line in the early 1990s.
The result is a garment that is extremely light, packs into a small space without creasing and dries quickly. Those qualities made Pleats Please popular with dancers and travellers, and they make it particularly practical in a warm city like Dubai.
How to recognise a genuine piece
Look for the Pleats Please label at the neck or waist and the care label with composition details. The pleats should be crisp, even and consistent across seams. The fabric has a characteristic feel: smooth, slightly springy and very light. Prints, when present, sit across the pleats and change as the fabric opens and closes. If you are buying second hand, ask the seller for photos of every label and of the pleats close up.
How Pleats Please fits
Because the pleats stretch, Pleats Please is forgiving. Sizes are usually given as numbers, and the same number can fit a wider range of bodies than conventional sizing. Length is often the most important measurement: a top that falls at the hip on one person may sit higher on another. Try pieces on when you can, and pay attention to how the garment hangs when you move your arms. Details such as frilled or extended sleeves, like the black Pleats Please top with frilled sleeves we listed recently, change the silhouette considerably.
Styling ideas
Pleats Please works both as a statement and as a base. A plain black top pairs easily with tailored trousers or a long skirt. Bright colours and prints can be balanced with simple pieces in neutral tones. Because the pleats add texture, there is rarely a need for many accessories. In the evening, a pleated top under a structured jacket gives an interesting contrast between soft and sharp.
Washing and drying
Always follow the care label. As a general rule, Pleats Please garments are hand washed or machine washed on a gentle cycle in cold water, ideally in a laundry net. Avoid high temperatures, which can affect the pleats. Do not wring the fabric. Instead, gently press out the water, then reshape the pleats by hand and let the garment dry flat or hanging, depending on the label’s guidance. Pleats Please dries quickly, so it is usually ready to wear again within a few hours.
Storing
One of the advantages of Pleats Please is how well it stores. Many owners twist the garment gently along the length of the pleats and then roll or fold it, which keeps the pleats aligned. Keep pieces away from direct sun and heat sources. There is no need to iron; in fact, ironing can damage the pleats.
Pleats Please and the wider Miyake world
Pleats Please sits alongside other work from the Issey Miyake studio, including the main line and projects such as HaaT, which explored textiles and techniques from different traditions. Collectors often look for pieces from these lines because they show the same interest in how fabric can be engineered. At H5 lab, we have carried pieces including a HaaT asymmetrical cardigan alongside Pleats Please, and we regularly feature Japanese magazines that document the Miyake design laboratory.
Finding Pleats Please in Dubai
Our archive changes with every drop, and each listing on Instagram includes the size and price. If you are looking for a particular colour or style, send us a direct message: we can tell you what is on the rails at the moment and describe how each piece fits. You can also visit us at Warehouse 32A, Lane 4, Alserkal Avenue.
