Issey Miyake
Pleats Please Straight-Leg Pants
These Pleats Please straight-leg pants by Issey Miyake are a cropped, relaxed-fit trouser with permanent vertical knife pleats, made from a flowy recycled polyester knit. Key specifications include a 25-inch inseam, 12-inch rise, elastic waist, and side-seam pockets, and the pants are made in Japan. The design is noted for being wrinkle-free and travel-friendly; to preserve the pleats, wash in a laundry net with cold water and dry flat.
- Material
- Recycled polyester knit
- Gender
- female
- Style
- relaxed-fit, cropped, straight-leg, minimal, classic, smart-casual, experimental
- Category
- Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Pants
Color
Size
Specifications
Relaxed, flowy pants from Issey Miyake with permanent vertical pleats, cropped straight leg, and elastic waist.
Permanent pleats, elastic waist, side-seam pockets, made in Japan.
- Material
- Recycled polyester knit
- Style
- relaxed-fit, cropped, straight-leg, minimal, classic, smart-casual, experimental
- Occasion
- everyday, work, date-night, travel, business-casual
- Gender
- female
- Age Group
- adult
- Condition
- new
- Category
- Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Pants
Additional Attributes
- permanent vertical pleats
- cropped straight-leg silhouette
- relaxed flowy fit
- elastic waistband
- side-seam pockets
- recycled polyester knit fabric
- made in Japan
- inseam length 25 inches
- rise 12 inches
- unique sumptuous appearance
- innovative material with permanent pleats
- avant-garde style
- delicate feminine elegance
Product Insights
Issey Miyake's Pleats Please Straight-Leg Pants ($995 CAD) deliver wrinkle-free, heat-set permanent pleats that never need ironing, even after machine washing and flat drying. The lightweight, breathable knit fabric offers fluid movement and a natural drape, though prolonged sitting may flatten pleats and the texture feels synthetic. The straight-leg cut flatters all body types, with a 25-inch inseam that hits above ankle on taller frames; black pairs are opaque with nude undergarments. While new pants hold strong resale value (median $108 used), counterfeits are widespread, requiring careful tag and pleat authentication. Buyers recommend seeking pre-owned pairs on eBay or TreFacs at steep discounts.
Verified claims
- Sizing
- Pleats Please sizing varies only in inseam length, not hip or thigh width.
- Wrinkle resistance
- Buyers report pants never wrinkle even when balled up in a suitcase.
- Fabric performance
- Fabric is lightweight and breathable; machine-washes with cold water and dries flat.
- Resale value
- Used pair sells for median $108, retaining value over time.
- Versatility
- Straight-leg cut flatters all body types and shifts from casual to dressy with a top change.
- Travel readiness
- Wrinkle-proof fabric: stuff in a suitcase, emerge crisp, no steaming.
- Seasonal comfort
- Lightweight knit keeps legs cool in warmth, layers under coats in cold.
- Platform pricing
- Poshmark median $200, 85% above eBay's $108 for same items
- Second-hand availability
- Buyers advise buying pre-owned; available on eBay, TreFacs at steep discounts
- Counterfeit risk
- Counterfeits are widespread; authenticate via tags and pleat consistency
- Fit
- Versatile straight-leg cut; 25-inch inseam hits above ankle on taller frames.
- Care
- Wash in net, cold cycle, flat dry; no bleach or softener.
- Pleat restoration
- Heat-set pleats restore from flattening by washing and never need ironing.
- Counterfeit test
- Authentic pants retain sharp pleats after washing; fakes lose shape.
- Design heritage
- Design heritage: 1988 scarf origin, dancer-tested, holds resale value
- Pleating
- Permanent pleats via heat-set, cut 3x larger: authentic process not replicable
- Breathability and texture
- Buyers report the fabric is lightweight, breathable, and has a unique ridged texture.
- Pleat performance
- Buyers report the pleats provide fluid movement and a natural drape, but note a synthetic feel and flattening from prolonged sitting.
- Authenticity
- Fake tags often have wrong kanji, off font, or missing details.
- Counterfeit prevalence
- Fakes are widespread in Pleats Please resale; inspect tags and pleats.
- Durability
- Buyers report the pants never wrinkle, maintain pleats after washing, and hold strong resale value.
- Inseam length
- 25-inch inseam lands at the ankle on most women and higher on taller frames.
- Opacity
- Black pants are opaque enough for daily wear when paired with nude undergarments.
Product record
- Title
- Pleats Please Straight-Leg Pants
- Brand
- Issey Miyake
- Price
- 995 CAD
- Availability
- In stock
Deep Research
The garment pleating process and design innovation
- Issey Miyake's founding concept—making clothing from 'a Piece of Cloth' as a continuous plane that wraps the body—materializes in the straight-leg pants via a minimal-seam construction that starts from a square of fabric folded into quarters and pleated diagonally. This origami logic produces the pant's unbroken vertical flow and a drape that activates with every step, embodying Miyake's aim to design for the body in motion rather than for a static fashion image.
- The sculptural pleating technique was born from a 1988 experiment by Issey Miyake's textile director, who pleated a polyester scarf in search of a paper-light, quick-dry material; after four years of laboratory refinement and live testing on William Forsythe's dancers in 1991, the line debuted for Spring/Summer 1994. The pants you're buying contain the genetic code of that decade-long genesis—the freedom of expansion and contraction that passed the dancer test is what makes them feel unrestrictive during a commute or a flight.
- Unlike conventional pleated garments where the fabric is pleated before sewing, Pleats Please pants are assembled oversized—cut 2½ to 3 times larger than the final size—then sandwiched between paper and run through a heat press, setting pleats into the finished garment. This process makes the pleats inseparable from the pant's architecture, so they hold their crisp vertical lines through machine washing and never require an iron, collapsing flat for packing and springing back into shape when worn.
Resale value and the pre-owned market
- Poshmark commands a median resale price of $200 for Pleats Please, roughly 85% higher than eBay's $108, so sellers maximize returns on Poshmark while bargain hunters should look to eBay for the best deal on these pants.
- Issey Miyake Pleats Please is a top-5 brand for resale value retention, holding both price and material integrity over time thanks to the permanent-pleat polyester, which supports the $995 CAD retail as a more durable investment than similarly priced trend-led labels.
- Pleats Please items typically sell within 15–30 days, and the median resale price has risen approximately 74% over the last six months, signaling that the market for pre-owned Issey Miyake is not only liquid but currently gaining momentum.
- A typical used Pleats Please piece sells for a median of $108 USD, with good-condition examples reaching $146 and deadstock pieces climbing to $205, a steep discount from the $995 CAD retail that makes the pre-owned market a high-value entry point for these pants.
Packability and wrinkle resistance for travel
- The Pleats Please fabric is famously wrinkle-proof to the point that Vogue describes the clothes as able to "curl up into a suitcase and unfurl like a flower in a new destination, with no steaming necessary," meaning these straight-leg pants can be packed tightly without emerging crumpled or requiring any ironing — a true grab-and-go travel garment.
- Diana Tsui, a fashion editor who covers Pleats Please, says she wears them on the plane as an alternative to sweatpants and crumples them in her suitcase because they're absolutely perfect right after — the straight-leg cut, with its relaxed yet tailored look, makes this a single pant that works for an overnight flight and a next-day business-casual event without any change.
- The permanence of the pleats is structural, not topical — Issey Miyake developed the technique by utilizing the thermoplasticity of polyester, heat-setting the folds so they won't flatten out from the pressure of being packed tightly in a bag; unlike temporary pleats that can crease out, these recover their shape every time.
- Unlike standard pleated garments where the fabric is pleated before cutting, Pleats Please pieces are first cut and sewn to shape, then the entire garment is pleated — this means the pleats are embedded into the garment's architecture, so rolling or twisting the pants for packing doesn't distort the lines or ruin the drape.
How the straight-leg silhouette compares to other Pleats Please cuts
- The classic straight-leg cut is widely considered the most adaptable Pleats Please silhouette — it flatters virtually all body types with its streamlined, mid-rise shape, and moves easily from casual to dressed-up settings, making it the safest entry point for someone new to the line.
- Pleats Please sizing is built on a length-increment system: sizes 1 through 5 change only in inseam and rise (roughly 2.5–3 cm per step) while the hip and leg width stay nearly constant. This means the silhouette itself — straight, wide, or tapered — dictates the leg volume; you select the cut for its width, not a size number, because sizing up won’t give you a roomier leg.
Styling applications from casual to polished
- At 25 inches, the inseam stops at the ankle bone on many women, turning the hem into a natural frame for statement footwear—a sleek mule, a chunky platform sneaker, or a minimalist sandal—giving the outfit a considered finish without requiring a trip to the tailor.
- Mohawk General Store's copy brands the pant as both a 'sophisticated bottom for both everyday wear and sophisticated settings' and 'the ideal, highly packable travel pant'—the permanent pleats stay intact in a suitcase, so the versatility extends across time zones.
- The pleats are frequently described as having a unique texture that stands out in any occasion—so a fitted top and low-profile footwear let the pants do the visual heavy lifting, turning a minimalist uniform into something editorial.
- Among Pleats Please pant silhouettes, the straight-leg cut is consistently recommended as the most versatile and the ideal first investment—its mid-rise, streamlined shape flatters a wide range of body types and moves easily between casual and dressed-up contexts.
- One owner swapped sneakers and an oversized sweater for a silk blouse and sculptural earrings to take these pants from errands to a gallery opening—the pleats' inherent visual texture means a simple top change transforms the entire outfit without needing to re-press or accessorize heavily.
Breathability and comfort across seasons
- The recycled polyester knit is singled out as ‘lightweight, breathable’ in a Pleats Please trouser review, so even in warm weather the cropped silhouette won’t trap heat, while the fabric weight remains thin enough to layer under a coat or sweater without adding bulk when temperatures drop.
Image Analysis
3 images- 01
Product
Black pleated straight-leg pants with narrow vertical knife pleats, an elastic gathered waistband, and a straight hem finishing above the ankle on a standing model.
- SilhouetteStraight-leg trousers with a relaxed straight silhouette extending from the hip to a cropped hem above the ankle.
1 region
x 0.15 · y 0.30 · w 0.70 · h 0.58 (medium) - Fabric textureUniform narrow vertical knife pleats running continuously from waistband to hem across the pant legs.
1 region
x 0.20 · y 0.35 · w 0.60 · h 0.50 (high) - WaistbandElastic gathered waistband with slight horizontal gathering visible at the top of the trousers.
1 region
x 0.28 · y 0.28 · w 0.44 · h 0.08 (high) - Hem detailStraight, unflared hem that falls slightly above the ankle.
1 region
x 0.20 · y 0.78 · w 0.60 · h 0.12 (high) - ColorThe trousers are solid black in appearance.
1 region
x 0.20 · y 0.35 · w 0.60 · h 0.55 (high)
Other
Studio product shot showing a standing model against a neutral light gray background; model cropped near the top of the head; soft shadow on the floor to the right; even studio lighting.
- Shot compositionFull-body shot of a standing model, slightly turned; image cropped near the top of the head and including feet and shoes.
1 region
x 0.00 · y 0.00 · w 1.00 · h 1.00 (high) - BackgroundPlain neutral light gray seamless studio background without visible texture or props.
1 region
x 0.00 · y 0.00 · w 1.00 · h 1.00 (high) - Lighting and shadowEven soft studio lighting with a subtle shadow on the floor to the model's right.
1 region
x 0.50 · y 0.82 · w 0.45 · h 0.12 (medium) - Model styling visibleModel wears a sleeveless pleated black top and brown open-toe heeled slides; only used as styling/context, not described as product features here.
2 regions
x 0.30 · y 0.04 · w 0.44 · h 0.36 (medium); x 0.34 · y 0.82 · w 0.32 · h 0.16 (medium)
Colors
black· pant fabric#0E0D0E- SilhouetteStraight-leg trousers with a relaxed straight silhouette extending from the hip to a cropped hem above the ankle.
- 02
Product
Front view of black pleated straight-leg pants with elastic waistband, vertical narrow accordion pleats, and ankle-length hem visible on a model.
- WaistbandElasticized waistband with gathered fabric forming a subtle ruffle at the top edge, aligned with the body center front.
1 region
x 0.33 · y 0.05 · w 0.34 · h 0.10 (high) - Pleat textureUniform narrow vertical accordion pleats running continuously from waistband down to hem across the front of both legs.
1 region
x 0.22 · y 0.10 · w 0.56 · h 0.75 (high) - Leg silhouetteStraight-leg cut with a relaxed fit through the thigh and a nearly straight fall to an ankle-length hem.
1 region
x 0.22 · y 0.15 · w 0.56 · h 0.70 (high) - Hem detailSimple folded hem with pleats continuing into the hem; hem sits just above the ankle on the model.
1 region
x 0.22 · y 0.73 · w 0.56 · h 0.18 (high) - Fabric appearanceMatte fabric surface with defined shadow lines between pleats creating a ribbed three-dimensional appearance.
1 region
x 0.30 · y 0.18 · w 0.40 · h 0.60 (high)
Other
Studio product shot showing a cropped frontal view of a model wearing the pants; neutral light gray background and visible shoes and hands used as props.
- Shot compositionCropped frontal studio shot framed from mid-torso to feet, showing model hands at sides and shoes on a flat surface.
1 region
x 0.00 · y 0.00 · w 1.00 · h 1.00 (high) - BackgroundEven light gray seamless background with soft shadow under the model's feet.
- PropsModel is wearing brown suede open-toe heeled sandals visible at the bottom of the frame; shoes are not part of the product.
1 region
x 0.30 · y 0.82 · w 0.40 · h 0.16 (high) - Lighting and shadowSoft, diffused studio lighting producing minimal specular highlights and gentle shadows that emphasize the pleat texture.
Colors
deep black· pants#0E0E0E- WaistbandElasticized waistband with gathered fabric forming a subtle ruffle at the top edge, aligned with the body center front.
- 03
Product
Rear view of black pleated straight-leg pants worn by a model, showing an elasticized waistband, narrow vertical pleats, a center back seam, and a slightly cropped straight leg that falls above the heels.
- Fabric pleatingNarrow, regularly spaced vertical pleats run the full visible length of the pants from waistband to hem, creating a textured ribbed appearance.
1 region
x 0.15 · y 0.06 · w 0.70 · h 0.82 (high) - WaistbandElasticized waistband with gathered pleating at the top back; no visible belt loops or fasteners on the back waistband.
1 region
x 0.26 · y 0.06 · w 0.48 · h 0.08 (high) - Center back seamA subtle center back seam runs vertically down the middle of the rear, visible as a slightly raised line interrupting the pleat pattern.
1 region
x 0.46 · y 0.16 · w 0.08 · h 0.58 (high) - Leg silhouette and hemStraight-leg silhouette with a relaxed drape and a hem that falls slightly above the model's heels, showing a cropped length.
1 region
x 0.18 · y 0.48 · w 0.64 · h 0.40 (high) - Side pocket areaNo visible external pocket openings or pocket topstitching on the rear side panels within the view.
1 region
x 0.15 · y 0.18 · w 0.70 · h 0.44 (medium)
Other
Studio rear-view shot showing the model from mid-back to feet against a plain light grey background with soft even lighting and a faint shadow under the heels.
- View and compositionRear three-quarter centered framing of a standing model, image shows lower back to feet with arms relaxed at sides.
- Background and lightingNeutral light grey seamless background with even soft lighting and minimal shadows.
- Shoes visibleModel is wearing brown heeled sandals that are visible beneath the cropped pant hems; shoes are staging props not described as product.
1 region
x 0.36 · y 0.84 · w 0.28 · h 0.12 (high) - Image qualitySharp focus on fabric texture and pleats with no visible motion blur or compression artifacts.
Colors
deep black· pants main body#0E0D0E- Fabric pleatingNarrow, regularly spaced vertical pleats run the full visible length of the pants from waistband to hem, creating a textured ribbed appearance.
Documents & Data
Q&A
9 answered- Does the recycled polyester fabric have a noticeable synthetic feel, or does it drape more like a natural fiber?
- The fabric has a noticeable synthetic feel, as some wearers mention the thin polyester can feel unpleasant. However, the permanent pleats create a fluid, structured drape that helps it move more like a natural fiber.
- How does the 25-inch inseam length typically fall on someone who is 5'6" or taller?
- For someone 5'6" or taller, the 25-inch inseam typically falls above the ankle, hitting mid-calf to just below the knee depending on leg length. It is designed as a cropped straight leg, so it will show more ankle on taller frames.
- Given the lightweight fabric, are the pants opaque enough to wear without showing undergarments?
- Since these pants are available in black, the color helps with opacity. The recycled polyester knit is lightweight but generally opaque enough for everyday wear. However, we recommend wearing nude undergarments to be safe.
- Besides using a wash net and drying flat, are there any specific water temperature or detergent restrictions to preserve the pleats?
- The care instructions recommend washing in cold water on a gentle cycle with a laundry net, then laying flat to dry. Use a mild detergent and avoid bleach or fabric softener to preserve the pleats.
- Are the pleats permanent?
- Yes, the pleats are heat-set to be permanent, but extensive sitting can cause them to flatten slightly over time.
- How should I wash them?
- Use a laundry net, wash on a gentle cycle with cold water, then remove from the net and lay flat to dry.
- Are they worth the high price?
- Many users believe the unique design and quality justify the cost, especially when found on sale or second-hand.
- How can I tell a fake from an authentic pair?
- Check the tags for typos, missing information, and incorrect Japanese characters; authentic pairs also maintain their pleats well over time.
- What is the sizing like?
- Sizing is unconventional; it’s recommended to try them on in person or carefully compare measurements before purchasing online.
Reddit Insights
5 threads · r/HerOneBag, r/japanesestreetwear, r/bitchesWETReddit largely admires Issey Miyake Pleats Please pants as a stylish, comfortable, and wrinkle-free travel essential, though the high cost, polyester feel, and prevalence of counterfeits are noted drawbacks.
The majority of commenters express strong admiration for the pants’ comfort, wrinkle-free travel ability, and unique permanent pleating. Criticisms mainly target the high retail price, polyester feel for some, and the need for careful maintenance and authentication.
Themes
Use Cases
- Airport and travel attire
- Daily wear staple
Watch Out For
Compared To
vs Zara Issey Miyake dupes
The authentic pants use a specialized pleating process that cheaper dupes fail to replicate in terms of durability and design intricacy.
Source Threads
Pleats Please never wrinkles and can be found affordably on eBay
Pleats Please is amazing and never wrinkles even if you literally ball it up. If you figure out your Pleats Please size, you can find reasonable prices on eBay (I have never paid and could never pay their retail prices).
u/SiddharthaVicious1r/HerOneBagView thread →
The unique pleating process justifies the cost, and sales are common
Sure, there are brands that copy those techniques that sell for cheaper, just like when everyone was wearing the Zara Issey Miyake dupes, but its not really the same thing. Try ironing pleats into your cotton pants, or stitching it so the pleats holds longer. But at the end of the day, only you can decide if you can justify the price. My SO collects issey pieces, and you can find pleats pieces fairly often on places like TreFacs online store and the like. And never pay full retail, you can always find some on sale.
u/Thatcrayfishr/japanesestreetwearView thread →
Pleats are permanently pressed with heavy machinery
Nope, the fabric is pressed a lot of times with this massive heavy duty machine so it’s permanent. It’s not your typical pleated fabric.
u/confusedquokkar/bitchesWETView thread →
Fake pairs have incorrect tags and typography
that tag is the biggest red flag here. not only does it look pretty recent, it looks nothing like other issey tags i’ve seen. also, the character for 京 (kyo) in 東京 (tokyo) is incorrectly printed.
u/nandeyanen_r/japanesestreetwearView thread →
Official care instructions: laundry net, cold water, dry flat
On the Japanese website, it says to wash it using a laundry net. Use cold water. After washing it, you take it off the bag and lay it on an iron board flat to dry it out.
u/javxviir/japanesestreetwearView thread →