Japanese Jacket Mens 'Hisashi'

The white kimono jacket carried by a flight of cranes

White is the brightest thing you can wear and the easiest to leave looking blank. This Japanese jacket for men gives it a reason to be looked at: a band of white-and-red cranes in flight printed across the lower sleeves and the front hem, lifting the clean white body out of plain and into something with a story.

It's a relaxed open jacket with elbow-length sleeves and no fastening. The crane print is a generous panel — birds with wings outstretched, picked out in soft red against the white — wrapping the sleeve openings and the lower front. Because the cranes sit tonally against white, the effect is gentler and more elegant than the same print on a dark base.

White is the summer-leaning choice, and the crane band keeps it from reading like a blank shirt. Over a navy or charcoal tee the cranes stand out; over white it's soft and tonal; the elbow sleeve makes it a natural warm-weather layer. It's the lightest, most graceful version of the design — quiet, but far from empty.

It's made from a soft, breathable cotton blend with a light, airy drape built for warmer days, the crane print kept crisp so the whites and reds stay clean against the white ground through washing. The relaxed open fit gives an easy, unstructured fall, comfortable over a shirt or straight onto a tee.

This is for the man who wants something light and bright for the warm months, carried by one elegant motif. If you reach for pale layers in summer but want them to mean something, the cranes deliver. Wear it open over a navy or charcoal tee with light denim. It runs slim, so take one size up.

• Type: Open kimono cardigan, elbow-length sleeves
• Material: Soft breathable cotton blend
• Pattern: White with white-and-red crane print at sleeves and hem
• Fit: Relaxed, open front
• Sizing: Runs slim — take one size up
• Wear it with: Navy or charcoal tee, light denim