Crêpe de Chine (1925)
by Long Lost Perfume

(Original review, not Long Lost's version)

I"m at a loss why this went out of production, but it did, so there you are. With today's restrictions it wouldn't have fared well anyway, so it's probably best that it went in peace.

But I would put this on the short list of 'top 25 best perfumes of all time'. In 1925 Guerlain released 'shalimar', and we can only wonder how the these two compared in their original glory.

Chene is basically a pitch perfect green chypre. It is so vibrant and rich. The aldehydes are kept at bay, thankfully, and the florals are very discreet.

This scent smells like life to me, as if a bolt of electricity was buzzing about your person. They just don't make 'em like this anymore. Please, please let this oakmoss crap be a replay of the Coca-Cola disaster; and soon we'll get a big apology from the industry when the old formulas are restored and the term 'classic' is slapped across all bottles.

Try Chene if you can.

8th December, 2010.

This review is for VINTAGE Crepe de Chine extrait. I had heard about this scent for years, but had never had the opportunity to smell it until I acquired a 1/2 oz bottle of it several weeks ago. Categorized as a "green chypre", it has no fruity notes listed, yet it has a strange but wonderful opening that smells something like a vintage take on a fruity floral with a green edge...must be the aldehydes and what seems to be a note of galbanum.Very hard to describe, in a good way. After about five minutes it starts to turn a little more creamy and floral as a nice leather note starts lurking underneath. As it dries down, the leathery-ness becomes more prnounced with the florals wafting in and out. As a lover of leather scents, I was pleasantly surprised since I wasn't expecting to encounter that note in this scent. Whoo-hoo!...I'm one happy girl.

The Irma Shorell website lists the notes in the remake as follows:

Crepe de Chine perfume has top notes of nerolie, Italian bergamot, Egyptian basil, oil of Peru and fresh aldehydes. Middle notes of gardenia, ylang ylang, carnation, lilac, otto of rose, Romanian chamimille and Egyptian jasmine. Dry down notes of sandalwood, East Indian musk, oakmoss, vanilla, vetiver, benzoin and Indonesian patchouli.

I haven't experienced the remake, and judging from Mehitable's review, I don't think I'll need to.

7th August, 2009.

I purchased this for my wife in 1973. Too bad it became unavailable because it is really a nice frag. "China Crepe" and it smelled so very clean and sexy, too. Why do they discontinue the old classics and replace them with the new "disasters" ???

21st April, 2009.

An elusive green floral fragrance that I've used for many years. I covetously guard the remainder of the original juice as the remake is disappointing, a mere shadow.

21st February, 2009.

My second fragrance, age 19, year 1969. I picked this one out after an exhaustive, months long search through parfumeries in Paris. When I returned to NYC the next year, I found ads for Crepe de Chine on the city buses. One read, "If you are wearing Crepe de Chine, this is your bus." Another showed a half-empty bottle and read "By this time, you should have quite a past." Made me feel very worldy and sophisticated.

4th August, 2008.