SOTD: Geoffrey Beene Grey Flannel

No more experimenting with my skin! I'm back to vintage this morning and wearing Geoffrey Beene's Grey Flannel. Released in 1975, it's a wet/dry green violet with many subtle shades and tones thanks to a complex formula that marries woody, oriental and floral forms. Perfectly suited to cold and rainy spring days, this scent was made for men although I find it's one of the most wearable violet scents in my arsenal. Sillage and longevity are excellent! Some folks complain about the modern reformulations. My bottle is from a few years back- the label is stamped with maker 'Jacqueline Cochran, New York'.

The Vintage Perfume Vault, where the scent of yesterday's vogue lives.

Fur and Violets

fur and violets image: vetivresse

Some things smell really good and seem to go together naturally; so how could I've forgotten to include mention of the violets in Weil's Noir Parfum?! In keeping with the black theme and extending the analogy, violets are inexorably linked with mourning according to tradition as well. Accordingly Jacqueline Fraysse did not forget to weave a nosegay full of them into her Noir composition. Personal biases against examining death too much during this time of year aside, I wanted to rectify this omission for the reader trying to sort out the smell of Noir in their mind based on my earlier review. Violet and leather is a well known theme for the vintage perfume buff a la Madame Joile, Bandit and the Cuir de Russie leathers by Vonna, and Chanel. But I smell much more going on in Noir. The violets slip away early on for me and even the leather gives way to fur... but still, I apologize for leaving this aspect out of the original story!

image: shopcurious

The Vintage Perfume Vault, where the scent of yesterday's vogue lives.