Calèche (1961)
by Hermès

I was so excited to receive a sample of this! On paper it sounded just the sort of fragrance I adore. I wanted to love it but I just can't. It opens with a hit of sparkling aldehydes and on me soon softened to the smell of soap, nice soap but soap all the same. The drydown was very powdery indeed. I usually like powdery scents but this I just had to wash off. It smells rather like the talcum powder my Mother in Law uses!

I can appreciate it, but it just doesn't work with my chemistry.

24th January, 2012.

As soon as the rounding olfactory Caleche's evolution is accomplished the smell you inhale is a sort of extremely sophisticated (rose-ylang ylang-iris), soapy-velvety-leathery  smell with a woodsy nature and a floral and nutty undetone. The smell is rosey, soapy and leathery with that kind of neutral volatility  produced by aldehydes and with an indolent, dreamy retro feel proper of the citrus-rose-aldehydes-musk chord. In the same vein of Madame Rochas and First V&A, this complex, masterfully balanced, evocative and restrained concoction  is a floral chypre with its jasmine-rose-iris sophistication, its musky base of sandalwood, cedarwood and oakmoss and the leathery nutty velvety that exude that sort of bath-foam vintage-rosey whiff. I consider this fragrance as a sort of Equipage's old sister because both the fragrances share the Hermes's kind of classic-retro' feel, the soapy-leathery-boise' trail and the restrained moderation in the masterly combination of elements. The fragrance has a moderate sillage and a great longevity.

2nd October, 2011. (Last Edited: 18th December, 2011.)

Starts off with a juicy citrus aldehydic burst, then softens to powdery floral with touches of rose, ylang ylang and iris. A musky, leathery, animalic note lingers in the background and grows more apparent as Caleche dries, keeping the florals from going too powdery or sharp. Warm mossy dry woods round out the scent, and I can't help thinking this is one of the truest chypres I've smelled thus far. Feminine and classy with a hint of masculinity to give pause. I can understand the references to Chanel No.5, but Caleche seems more like a second cousin rather than a direct relative.

27th August, 2011.

I remember experiencing 'Caleche' for the first time in my early twenties and how very closely she resembled the relatively new Chanel 19, I was unaware then they had both been created by the great Guy Robert. Sadly many of his earlier creations including Madame Rochas have been altered almost beyond recognition with each reformulation, becoming not only insipidly weaker but also very nearly unrecognizable from the original formulas. Caleche's greenish/fresh aldehydic opening is similar to many of this floral/chypre genre with that unmistakable heart of rose, hyacinth and ylang thus setting it apart from others like 'Madame Rochas' by the inclusion of cassis bud & scads of Florentine iris. I also believe the quality of the woody bases are much more synthetic these days considering the rarity of Mysorean sandal, amaranth & Brazilian rosewood. To have worn this in the pure parfum concentration decades ago was absolute luxury, a contentment also found in the original 'First' by Van Cleef & Arpels and of course as mentioned previously the 'au courant' and innovative Chanel 19. My reference to 'First' is to emphasize the perfect connection between the accords of blackcurrant bud (cassis) and the floral absolutes. I'm not surprised to see this scion of 'haute-parfumerie' still in great demand today, another jewel almost lost to the ether of obscurity.
The soie de parfum seems to be in short supply lately, a possibility of discontinuation herhaps ?
Woe, Woe & thrice WOE ! ! !

12nd June, 2011. (Last Edited: 11th July, 2011.)

floral aldehyd chypre composition by Guy Robert who composed the great equipage for hermes as well.perfectly balanced and refined feminine fragrance.timeless and outstanding.(vintage caleche!)these were still times when people were able to compose!scents that were magic and unique !!!

16th February, 2011.

Calèche, Calèche! What have they done to you?

The current version is a mildly aldehydic, inoffensive, soft, woody scent. A pale shade of what it used to be. It completely lacks character and smells like fabric softener.
A nice fabric softener, I must admit.

I might enjoy it if I had never tried the vintage version. Not only I have tried it but I have stocked up a bit on it.
The vintage version is seriously aldehydic, woody and powdery. The quintessence of chic and class.
It is a powerhouse in comparison to the diluted-skimmed-watered down current version.

Thumbs up for the vintage version.
Neutral for the new version (if I hadn't known her old self)
Thumbs down for butchering such a beautiful classic.

22nd January, 2011.