Peony Koi Tee

鯉 (koi): "the carp."

At Hasedera, the hillside temple in Nara, thousands of tree peonies bloom beside the long covered stairway every spring, and people make the trip just to see them. The botan came to Japan from China, where it was crowned the king of flowers, and it found its way into an old Japanese saying about a graceful woman: tateba shakuyaku, suwareba botan, aruku sugata wa yuri no hana. Standing, a garden peony; seated, a tree peony; walking, a lily.

On the back a red koi swims upward between two big red peonies, through teal waves, with two pale lotus flowers resting on their pads below. The single character at the left is 鯉 (koi), "carp." A round badge on the chest repeats the koi, the peony and the lotus.

On white the reds stay clean, so it works with light denim or khaki from April on. The carp swim on through the rest of the koi collection, each with its own flower or season. A gardener would wear it all spring.

• Fabric: 100% combed cotton, 230gsm, pre-shrunk and soft-washed
• Print: direct-to-garment (DTG)
• Color: white
• Fit: unisex, regular; size up for a boxier, oversized look
• Sizes: S to 3XL
• Size reference: 6 ft 2 in wears L; 5 ft 7 in wears M

Measurements for every size are in the size guide.