Pleats Please by Issey Miyake

Taste in perfume is super subjective, just like pain or humour, so why not here? It caught me off guard and brought out a side of myself I didn’t know I had. I’ve seen people apologising before offering an opinion, which seems ridiculous; scent goes straight to the brain and hurts, but it should unite us, not divide us. Sometimes we make strange associations and it’s delicate. I’ve deleted toxic comments so I don’t seem like a Taliban, though I know I have my part to play. Some people review clones or without knowing anything, and that’s not an opinion, it’s nonsense. As for the bottle… the name is the ugliest in history and the logo has poor typography; I know because I’m a designer, but it’s Issey Miyake and it was for his pleated collection, so I’ll overlook it. I discovered it in 2024 and was blown away: the geek who becomes sociable. The spray was magical. It’s not a note breakdown, it’s emotion. Suddenly, a cheerful, confident, and nice Ada emerged, my grunge, assertive side but at peace. It reminds me of surfing, laughing with friends, hugging my boyfriend on the motorbike, going out with minimal makeup and comfort because I hate being tight. It’s freedom, sweetness, and security. I can’t take it off even though it’s discontinued. A floral? This one is. Hate it, because it’s my perfume.

To me, it smells aggressively sweet and brash, like an overripe pear dessert, vanilla, served in bowls of patchouli. The invasiveness drops after an hour when the pea, peony, and musk rise, softening the vanilla. It’s feminine and youthful, with powerful projection and lasts over 12 hours, ideal for spring. Although it’s not bad, I don’t go out wearing it because I’d feel like impersonating someone else. Pleasant: 4/10 Interesting: 3/10 Versatile: 5/10 Original: 6/10

Pleats Please is one of those perfumes you either love or find frightening; at first it smells strong, like opening the fabric softener bottle for the first time, and the indole makes us react instantly. I tested it because it made me feel good and the acceptance was incredible, even my husband adored it. It’s fresh, floral, and sweet at the same time, making me feel freshly bathed. I love it in summer; it reminds me of when my mother would hang freshly washed sheets smelling of flowers on a spring day with a breeze. Don’t buy it blindly, it’s not for everyone, and the mood when wearing it makes a difference in how it’s perceived. SILLAGE 9/10, LONGEVITY 9/10, SCENT 8/10.

I was gifted a sample of Pleats Please at Barcelona airport in 2012, just before launch, but I gave it to my sister because it seemed too intense for me. Later, with Kenzo Amour Kiss ‘n’ Fly, I started tolerating that type of fragrance. Today, seeing it on discount has tempted me again. It’s not for everyday wear, but ideal for parties, like an accessory that completes the look, unlike Kiss ‘n’ Fly which is more daily. Although I’ve heard it’s the same as Elie Saab’s, to me it reminds me much more of Amarige, just less brash and with a more natural vanilla base than the woods of that other one.

I don’t like writing negative reviews, so apologies in advance to those who love it; in the end, I’m just recording my perception. Pleats Please left me completely indifferent, it conveyed nothing to me, didn’t seem interesting or lovely, nor innovative whatsoever. A roundabout disappointment. Upon application, the pear is very noticeable, but very synthetic for my taste to the point of overwhelming me. In the heart notes, the peony is the queen followed by the sweet pea, and in the base I only smell a very light touch of wood; the other notes, no matter how much I searched, I didn’t feel them. I don’t like how it sits on my skin, it smells like cheap, low-quality perfume. I can’t even speak well of its longevity and trail because on me they are very short. It is a floral fragrance with a sweet touch, suitable for day and spring, but for me it leaves only sorrows.

Very strong! However, when I smelled it in samples, magazine testers, etc., it seemed much more pleasant to me, that typical light female scent one wants to buy and indeed I was going to do so. But I went into the perfumery, applied it to the bottle, and the result was something else; that didn’t seem like cologne but alcohol with pepper, a fraud for me.

I had heard about this perfume but recently had the opportunity to smell it and I have nothing bad to say about the aroma, it is feminine, light and daytime. I perceive the floral notes and perhaps the orange blossom is very noticeable, perhaps also the honey, perhaps it’s a shameless copy of Elie Saab Le Parfum… perhaps I don’t like reviewing products that practically imitate another by 99% and perhaps gaining fame from someone else’s ingenuity is unpleasant. Similar perfumes will always exist, but there are levels… if you understand my message you can see my review of Elie Saab for a more detailed perception. If a perfume is to be hated, let it be for its original formulation; if it is to be loved, let it be for its original formulation. There are places that make cheap perfumes trying to equalise the originals… they have all the raw materials to invent something new, risky and horrible (still, there is an achievement for being an honest creation)… but they don’t; in fact they ‘live’ by imitating the fashionable perfume because consumers ask for copies. A matter of approach, but no one would sympathise if someone copied and commercialised the copy of their work, would they?… Anyway, that’s what some houses do without serious commitment under the argument of ‘support for the economy’. Why did this have to be done by a recognised design brand that is on the way to improvement?

One of the most beautiful bottles I’ve seen in a long time contains one of the most unbearable perfumes for my nose. It’s a pity, because if Issey Miyake has been consistent since he started in fashion. I would love to like it; the bottle reminds me of Miyake’s pleats and is gorgeous, with that combination of pale pink and white so youthful and coquettish (I think I hate that word). It could be a Cacharel bottle, so creative and youthful. I must have a blunted sense of smell for what I dislike, but I remember it as something in the style of Si by Giorgio Armani with a bit of Viva la Juicy. Something fresh, floral, fruity, and sugary… A freshness nauseating for me, nothing elegant or woody. I understand that others like it and I marvel that it is so. But where others see something delicious, I only find a messy freshness that repels me. By the way, it seems it will be discontinued soon, I haven’t seen it in two years and the perfume isn’t even four years old and it’s already very cheap. If I were a user of ‘Please, Pleats’ (what a cloth the name), I would gradually start buying a few bottles.

I absolutely love how the pear and peony blend to give this fragrance such a magical touch. It’s super luminous, cheerful, and fun, yet it also has a sexy edge. The longevity is just right.

This perfume is very long-lasting, but I have problems with its scent. Those sweet notes seem penetrating and somewhat cloying or peppery to me. I bought it because when they showed it to me I liked the top notes, but I didn’t analyse the base notes; I think I rushed a bit and I can barely stand it. I must clarify that it’s not bad, just that I opt for fresh and soft aromas and this is not the right one for me.

Pleats Please is a lovely, charming perfume, perfect for spring. It’s not overpowering or suffocating, a good all-rounder for the next season. Since I first smelled it, I’ve found myself wanting to wear it, which is unusual for a simple, fresh floral-fruity fragrance. It has a synthetic air that, however, is pleasing without giving a bad taste in the mouth; it smells like Suavitel or a non-grating detergent, as if you’ve just put on something freshly washed. The indole contributes to this. I don’t love it, but I like it; it’s comfortable for days when you don’t know what to wear, without that feeling of lethargy, but rather it lifts your spirits. 7/10.

Sweet and intensely floral, it has an air of Elie Saab’s perfume, equally powerful with floral touches, perhaps this one has more vanilla-like sweetness.

They sent me a sample and I tested it. At first, by magic, it smells of roses despite not having them listed; as I’m not much of a floral person, I thought it wouldn’t suit me. But within minutes everything changes: that note fades and leaves a deep, sweet, and sensual fragrance. I loved it so much that I’ve already bought the bottle and use it daily. It’s elegant, feminine, intense, and lasts a long time on my skin.