Chaps (original) (1979)
by Ralph Lauren

Chaps kicks ass! I think this an awesome fragrance that really does put you in mind of a dressed up country boy/cowboy or something. To me it smells like the pinkish orange Caress soap mixed with musk, and it gives off a soft leathery quality(like English Leather but more leather). I find Chaps to be an innofensive and safe fragrance that screams old school and 80's at the same time which is a win win in my book.

15th November, 2011.

This is animalic but not musky. There are a lot of notes but you probably will never be able to detect them all. It's a little sweet, a little powdery, etc., but it does have good "note separation" for this kind of fragrance. The base is a kind of dried out cream, which I think is due to sandalwood, patchouli, something sweeet and resinous (amber), and perhaps some other notes. I don't detect any strong spice note (for me, "spice" means cinnamon, clove, etc., and not what I think of as herbs, such as clary sage), and this is largely what separates Chaps from an Old Spice type of formula (one of the older, good ones), I think. If you only like fresh/aquatic fragrances, don't bother to even sample this one. Longevity and projection/"sillage" are very good if not excellent. It's reasonably natural smelling and you might think it has a leathery quality, though I think that is an impression of the dry, creamy base rather than an actual note.

15th March, 2011.

Vile liquid! This is to cologne as haggis is to meat.

I'll say this for it: It's got lasting power, which unfortunately has lasted beyond the shower I just took to get this crap off my skin. Horrid.

15th March, 2011.

Spicy! Very spicy, though balanced out with a natural sweetness from lavender, anise patchouli and amber. This is without doubt, one of the most blended and refined fragrances ever made. The overall result.. a rugged man's fragrance with some serious sex appeal.

I don't know how the newer formula plays out, before it was discontinued (in the square bottle) but the original with the country/outback look, is so amazing. This was actually one of my first fragrances when I was much much younger, and I never really appreciated it, of course, at age 12, what 12 year old is gonna wanna smell like this? Recently I got a whiff of this and was blown away; now that I appreciate fragrances more and see things from a more artistic point of view.

It's hard to believe this has been discontinued, it's really good stuff, a wonderful hidden gem, and a bit of a powerhouse. Not many know about Chaps. If you ever see this in the old school bottle, and you like stuff like Azzaro pH.. don't think, don't even blink, just buy it! Trust me, you will not regret it.

It's not something I would wear everyday, but it can surly suit somebody's signature scent. It's versatile, projects well, lasts long, and is timeless. It's old school, but never really comes off that way.. similar to the original Polo and Azzaro pH, which never feel dated, just mature. This is a manly man's fragrance. I will soon be searching for a small bottle of this to reminisce!

19th February, 2011.

back n da day my best friend use to wear chaps all the time. what stood out to me was like a honey and musk scent that was nice

17th August, 2009.

In all these years I never felt an impulse to test Chaps: My heroes have never been cowboys and I guess I thought this had nothing to offer for me… I finally took the plunge and I don’t mind saying that I was amazed at the first sniff. Granted, it’s old-fashioned, uber-masculine, cowboy iconic, and potent; but in my mind, there’s no doubt that it is a very good fragrance for its drugstore status – it's smooth, blended, and comfortingly endearing. It isn’t complex: It doesn’t seem to have movements among levels of the scent pyramid. Its intricately massed combination stays solidly what it is, and that is an invitingly smooth and enjoyable masculine scent. I can’t really separate out the individual notes in the fragrance: It’s not constructed for that and its ingredients are likely not expensive enough to stand close analysis – but that doesn’t stop Chaps from being a satisfying scent. I don’t get sweet, and yet I don’t get dry. I don’t get more than a modicum of powder, and I don’t get “leather,” but it does seem leather-like so I can understand why other reviewers claim leather, but what I get is a well integrated floral / patchouli / mossy / ambery combination with just a touch of sweet – probably a honey-like note. I don’t apply it on cloth or any exposed skin… it’s too strong with that kind of application. I apply it on my chest and that method also increases its rather poor longevity. Chaps is a good scent for the money. I know, I know... I don't wear it very often... but I can say that about several niche and expensive designer fragrances that I own...

6th August, 2009. (Last Edited: 28th May, 2011.)