Colony (1938)
by Jean Patou

There are some fabulous scents in Jean Patou's, now defunct and rightly mourned, Ma Collection. However, I think that Colony may still be in production, but don't hold me to that. I saw on an American etailer that the parfum (new) is available, and the EdT is still easily found. Regardless, this is one sophisticated fragrance. The opening is pineapple and summery. But hang onto your hat. The next stage is Bandit meets Pineapple. If you're not a leather fan, this stage will be especially challenging. It's green and leathery, yet the pineapple is still there, keeping it all together. As this stage develops into the drydown, the spices emerge. Sillage is stunning, and as far as I'm concerned, the sillage could be bigger. The drydown reveals a spicy, chypre base. This is like an Agatha Christie novel set in French governed tropics. On the surface it seems to be all sunshine and light, but you quickly discover that there are some decidedly dark and dangerous undercurrents here, and they will not be ignored. Colony is not for the faint hearted. Some recommend it for autumn wear only, but I frankly think it's just fine all year long.