Chaldée (1927)
by Jean Patou

Jean Patou Chaldee

You have to love the internet because without it I don't know if colognoisseurs would be able to try some of the vintage classics. Now that the whole world is one big Estate Sale we can find ways to expereience these classics. Jean Patou is a House of many discontinued gems and it is mainly through the mechanisms described above that I am able to wear these creations. Chaldee was created in 1927 by the in-house nose Henri Almeras. In the mid 20's sun tanning and looking brown had been made chic and Patou wanted to create one of the first sun-tanning oils and did that in Huile de Chaldee. M. Almeras took that beginning and turned it into Chaldee the perfume. With that inspiration you might be thinking Bain de Soleil ( for that go to Bond No. 9 Fire Island) or Coppertone (for that go to CB I Hate Perfume At The Beach 1966) or cocoa butter (for that go to Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess) and you couldn't be further from what Chaldee smells like. The top of Chaldee blows in with a light bouquet of orange blossom to start. Then like a florist adding to his bouquet M. Almeras begins to add lilac followed by jasmine and then finishes with narcissus all deep and thick. At this point Chaldee is a deep floral melange that floats airily above my skin. You would think the combination would be heavy but instead it is light and beautiful.The base of this is perhaps one of my favorite amber accords ever as it is combined with oppopanax to create a warmth that seems only appropriate for a scent which was inspired by the sun. I grew up in South Florida and cherish the smell of the beach, from the surf to the tanning products, but Chaldee definitely doesn't smell like any beach I've ever been on in my lifetime. The one thing I do know is if the beaches of France smelled like this in the 20's I want to find myself a tricked-out DeLorean to take me there.

According the the Limited 'Ma Collection' by Jean Patou's accompanying booklet, Jean Patou invented sun tanning lotion in 1927 and this was the fragrance used for it.

And that's exactly what Chaldee smells like - suntan lotion.

Chaldee is simultaneously retro and modern, if that makes sense. Its modernity lies in its simplicity - there are only a handful of notes involved (orange blossom, hyacinth, narcissus, jasmine, opoponax, amber, spices) and they combine to create a clean, spicy and warm blend. The retro aspect has more to do with the imagery Chaldee brings to mind for me; specifically, Cairo in the 30s a la "The English Patient." This IS the scent Katharine Clifton wore, I'm convinced of it. It's a fine-boned variety of exotic, delicately defiant, a fragile bloom fighting to live in the middle of the desert.