Men's Solid Navy Kimono Jacket 'Kachi-iro'

Navy with cord ties, a dark cuff facing and a sash at the back

Minimal does not have to mean black. This jacket takes the stripped-back kimono cut and puts it in deep navy, the blue of a work coat rather than a blazer, with a dry, slubbed weave that shows its texture in daylight. The details are few and all of them are useful. Two cords at the chest to tie. Two small ring buttons above them. Two patch pockets at the hip. A darker facing inside the cuff that shows when the sleeve turns back. And, at the back, a sash that ties at the waist, a detail borrowed from working jackets that pulls the body in when you want it and hangs loose when you do not.

The name, Kachi-iro, is the old word for this exact blue: an indigo so deep it reads almost black, worn by samurai under their armour because the word kachi also means victory. That is a good story to have in your pocket, and a better colour to have on your back, since it goes with everything and shows nothing.

The cloth is a polyester weave with a dry hand and a visible slub, chosen because a solid colour this deep must stay even after washing and because a summer layer should weigh nothing. It takes the cords and the sash well, holding a knot without bunching.

The cut is a short open kimono jacket with a flat edge down both fronts, wide elbow-length sleeves and a hem at the hip. Open, it is a navy cardigan with cords swinging. Tied at the chest, it squares up. Tied at the back, it fits closer through the waist and the pockets sit flatter, which is how it looks in the photograph from behind.

Worn over a white tee, it is the calmest outfit in the range. Over black, it goes near-monochrome. It sits with dark denim, chinos, grey, white in summer, and it is the jacket to choose when you want the shape of the printed pieces and none of the noise.

The details are dark on dark, so they take a moment to find: the cuff facing a shade deeper than the body, the ring buttons small and matte, the sash cut from the same cloth as the jacket. It looks plain in a photograph and considered in a room, which is the right order for a navy jacket to be seen in.

Sizes run from M to 5XL. It is cut to Asian sizing and runs small, so take one size up from your usual. Between two sizes, take the larger.