Reviews of Givenchy Gentleman (1974)
by Givenchy

A winner....from A to Z.

Givenchy Gentelman is all in one bottle. Classic and modern times are sitted in the same table. Versatile, confortable and luxurious fragance.....About 50 usd a bottle. Feels like? 1 million dollars.
Chapeau Givenchy!

I am impressed. This is elegant and classy. Moreover, as a woman Chypre lover, I would wear it. What a lovely, well-balanced blend of spices and woods. Such finely tempered animalics. Gorgeous, subtle use of patchouli. Nice dry version of vetiver. Altogether, Givenchy Gentleman smells much greater than the sum of its parts. I can sympathize if some people think this stinks. Those same people probably think Yatagan stinks, too, so I forgive them. This is strange, yes, and alluring, and unique. It's not an everyday type of fragrance, but it definitely makes a statement--retro, bold, daring.

Very much an "Old School" men's fragrance, at least the stuff I have. It appears maybe the "new" Gentleman is toned down....the bottle I have is lusty stuff. If you've seen that Weatherman movie, set in the 70's, where the main character opens his "cologne cabinet" and talks about the cologne with the animalistic scent, you have a good idea what the Old Gentleman smells like.

this stuff starts strong, with heavy patchouly with a civet spike, huge sillage on the top notes, and its' certainly going to be scary for those who are used to fresh aquatics. But give this stuff an hour or so, and you'll find a great deal of complexity comes forward...leather, spice and some herbal notes as well as the background of woods.

I'm sure this is not everyone's cuppa, but there's nothing else like it, to me, and I enjoy wearing this in cooler weather, and maybe as more of an evening, more "formalish" scent...though I've been known to wear it around the house in the evening, hanging out in my robe and slippers and reading on the couch!

I find mrclmind's review spot on about Gentleman as to notes and overall composition and development. A word about the mysterious Paul Léger, a perfumer for Firmenich, to whose nose this scent is attributed. As far as I have ever been able to ascertain, he is only otherwise cited as a collaborator with Roger Pellegrino, Raymond Chaillan, and Robert Gonnon in the creation of Cacharel Anaïs Anaïs. Gentleman has a hint of chocolate and smoky woods in the beginning, both charming and elegant; the base is more old-school, not very fresh or modern, which some people consider a bit "old" or dated. But Gentleman remains a great classic chypre, not much worn any more, and so perhaps interesting for those who would seek a touch of class and originality for their urban dandy man-of-the world wardrobe of scents.

Gentleman is unquestionably the finest of Givenchy's male offerings, and the most traditionally and classically masculine as well, which I appreciate. Certainly, they have produced nothing else worthwhile for men; just look at the modern offerings: Xeryus Rouge, the abhorrently cloying Pi, Very Irresistible, the new Play, etc. I have not found an accurate listing of the notes in Gentleman, as they all vary on websites, but we can be sure that it contains some citrus up top with tarragon and cinnamon, heart notes of patchouli and vetiver, and a base with honey, moss, leather, civet and possibly some vanilla. It is not rugged because of the leather and civet, despite what some say. In fact, it is very refined and polished despite its potency and strength, and suited for mature gentlemen. The longevity is fairly decent; 1 to 2 sprays lasts around 8 hours on me. As I said before, a classic and truly beautiful men's fragrance, and the only one worth exploring from Givenchy.

A classic woody chypre. Bergamot top, patchouli heart and amber/moss base. It doesn't get more classic than this.
Along with the bergamot, the top notes have a honeyed rose hue to them with a hint of lemon; in the heart, there is an ever so slight jasmine/orris accord overlaying the patchouli with a reserved vetiver/cedar accord giving it it's woody brace. The drydown does show some leather components but there is a sweet mossiness to it that doesn't take it into a pure leather accord. The whole scent has a discreet musk backdrop that adds an extra bit of understated sensuality.

A fine eau de toilette indeed! I find it to be versatile, and not at all dated.

On my skin Gentleman begins with a blast of bergamot, which was almost enough to put me off. It is harsh, lasts for about twenty minutes, and completely overwhelms everything but the tarragon. Don’t leave the house until this calms down, or you will assault anyone you have to sit beside.

Once the bergamot dissipates, an accord of tarragon, cinnamon, and patchouli comes to the fore, and from this point onwards Gentleman behaves like a gentleman. This accord is warm and engaging, and there is nothing about this Gentleman to frighten the ladies or small children.

Within an hour Gentleman develops a calm and comfortable accord of sweet amber, honey, fine leather, and old timber, and this lasts for between eight and ten hours on me. In its latter stages Gentleman has an air of timelessness about it: when you smell this good you really don’t have to concern yourself with what happens next. If you feel as if you are in the wrong time and place, then Gentleman might be the right fragrance to show you that time and place are a cultural studies and marketing illusion.

I don’t understand why anyone says that this fragrance is dated. The Gentleman I remember my Dad’s generation wearing in the 70s was a beast that could cut through cigarette smoke and sweat on nylon shirts. Gentleman was one of the things that gave the 70s some style. Today, Gentleman is largely a mild mannered masculine fragrance that stands as one of the bastions against metrosexual marine creature scents.

Enjoy being a Gentleman who can wear Gentleman no matter what the time or place.

I use this as i would Paco Rabanne PH. I felt that scents of yesteryester generation, generally were very rigid in terms of suitable occasions for usage. Armani EPH is one good exampleof how stiff and powerful a scent can be, its not a bad thing, just feel it lacks dymension. Gentleman however gives the user some note break down, with leathery muskiness and floral spiciness doing the trick. The scent takes on some charater changes as it slowly simmers and fades, which i feel makes for a more enjoyable wear. The evolution of fragrances can be witness within the Givenchy range alone. I use this and the very irresistible cool attitude. Its the perfect picture to paint when trying to understand how more flexible fragrances are. The balance is such that, the more versatile it is, the more synthetic it will inevitably be.

Whoowhee this stuff stinks! It's that enchanting musk of old man. Not just any old man either. It's the scent of a millionaire that doesn't care. This is leather that's been used. This is actually most interesting and amazing. Again, this is stinky! Strong! Potent!

Yann Vasnier says of his creation L'Homme Sage that he called it L'Homme Sage because a wise man knows how to control his craziness. I like L'Homme Sage very much but it doesn't strike me as crazy. The idea seems apt of Gentleman, though.
It reminds me of a guy I knew in high school. Brilliant guy, not at all a sociopath to be clear, a kind and loyal friend. But almost entirely without physical fear, constantly seeking the ragged edge of destruction in whatever situation, in this cool, speculative, hmmm-bet-that-can-be-done sort of way: climbing out onto the luggage rack at highway speed, dangling from a cliff on an otherwise calm hike. He went on to become a Navy Seal for a time. So he was a great guy but there was always this good natured wildness behind the eyes that was not at all an affectation but just a bit of wiring that got assembled differently. The civet in Gentleman strikes me that way, and I like it.

This review is under revision.

There is no doubt that Givenchy Gentleman has been reformulated and that there is a significant difference between the old and the new formulae. To my nose, something has been lost in the new formulation and something has been gained.
What has been lost is the sparkling brilliancy of its opening notes (which were some of the most beautiful in perfumery). The opening notes of the new Gentleman formula are, in comparison, rather drab, toned down, and synthetic, not exactly a yawn, but hardly an invitation to poetry and magic. What has been gained is that that beautiful opening is no longer followed by the pungent aroma of civet which loomed large in the old formula and which I always found a trial rather than a pleasure. Instead, the new formula concentrates on a lingering fusion of woods and patchouli.
The old and the new formula really do seem to me to be two different scents - but there is a thread of identity between them. You would not, I think, mistake the new one for anything else.

This perfume scares the hell out of you for the first 5 minutes. It is too strong and beastly. But after a few minutes you get a good payoff, and a lovely combination of Patchouli and vetiver stands out, with a touch of leather. It is a sophisticated perfume, very manly, classic and conservative. Not for the young boys.

Hairy chested, grunting testosterone monster all dressed up in patchouli and a $500 cravat. A must have gem for any patchouli lover, yes, but try if you can to get the vintage juice (silver label, cheap looking bottle with silver lid). The new stuff has been tamed down and diluted for the hoi polloi, and (while nice enough) is a pale reflection of the hairy beast its predecessor was. Lots of civet in the old, so civet foes be forewarned.

Easily one of the best juices of the past centuries.

It took me about 4 weeks(!) to like Gentleman. I knew from beginning on that I have found something very,very special. The patchouli topnote is brutal at first and I got extreme headache at first(also due to an accidental first overdose´). After 1 hour the patchouli became more mellow and the vetivier and leathery notes slowly became more dominant in a perfect, perfect, very perfect mixture.
A very masculine, complexe scent which gets better and better and better. I prefer to use the after shave which is a little better for everyday wear and the patchouli start is not so intense.
Now after using it for 3 months I am in love with that scent, I get a lot of good feedback and it is now my favourite winter after shave.This smell separates the boys from the men- do not try it when you are under 35! And do not give up after the first try-you will get rewarded-Gentleman is a brilliant and unconventional scent!!!

A great discovery. When I ordered this fragrance I was a bit concerned that it would be too heavy, unwearable. However, I do not find that to be the case at all. I love the patchouli opening. This is the perfect scent for a night out on the town. Stylish, classy. Just don't tell the rest...

Wow...for the first 15 minutes of this perfume, I get a LOT of patchouli and vetiver.

Then, in it's drydown, it become significantly softer, warmer, smoother and spicier.

I have always liked the smell of patchouli, but most patchouli perfumes, single-note or otherwise, are too strong on the stuff.

Sure, thhis starts out a bit strong on the patchouli, but warms down to somethinh much nicer.

I like it. Ok, I really like it, but I don't absolutely love it.

Very nice stuff - be careful on the applications - can know people out!

Definitely modern but classic, absolutely anti commercial (it almost stinks within 15 minutes untill it warms on your skin), this eau de toilette is completely gorgeous : masculine, woody, spicy and soooooo chic(if you like patchouli) ! A real must have !

I rarely wear this anymore, but for a long, late night party, this is a great fragrance

The fragrance on this one is taking me a while to get used to. Was a blind buy based on all the great reviews it got. Personally I don't like the smell when you first spray it on, seems overly strong and smells weird. After I let it sit for a while it starts to smell good. Very masculine smell and lasts a long time.

Hubert de Givenchy one of the great , distuinguished and elegant couturiers of all times-have you ever seen what he did for his muse Audrey Hepburn?Okay and his edt reflects all this: classy, elegant, superbe, sublime and sophisticated.It will last forever-another outstanding and intelligent svent for the hall of fame!These were still the times when people were still able to think -launching interesting perfumes you would recognize among thousands because they had class and were unique!And Givenchy for men is a gebntlemen´s cologne-really a great work by Monsieur de Givenchy!!!Yo will never and ever forget this perfume-not like the trash of 2006......

An accidental find...after spending an hour at the counter and not being able to find anything decent, the bored sales man brought this out and it stood out and above the croud...wow! Now thats something different and interesting, I thought.
Unfortunately my wife and none of the people around me like it at all. And after a while, for some reason it has started giving me a headache, although I still like it and don't mind annoying the crowd around me.

Some fragrances I love from the moment I fist put them on, where as with others it takes me a bit of time to get my head wrapped around them. Gentleman is very definitely a fragrance which took me some time. Some others have commented that it smells of urine. Yes, I can see that, but only for about the first 15 minutes or so. Gentleman, in my experience anyway, does not make a good first impression, but once you get past the first 15 minutes or so it turns into one of the most pleasingly masculine fragrances I’ve ever used. For me it is more of a daytime fragrance, great for the office, but it would also be acceptable as an evening fragrance.

A reviewer here suggested wearing this one for three days straight. This I’ve done, and I must say I’m a real convert. Civet, leather and patchouli, done as a beautiful homage to a by-gone era (even in 1974), and masculine in a way that many modern scents could not conceive. But a small amount of this goes a long way, and whereas with many modern scents one can spray and spray to little discernible effect, with this more than one spray can have you smelling dandified in a way that modern women would not find attractive—and hey, they probably wouldn’t even have found attractive in 1974. But this fragrance is evocative of style and substance and in small doses is probably a better choice now than it would have been in, say, 1980. Because whereas 25 years ago it might have evoked images of bling-riddled Eurotrash cruising Monte Carlo, it now brilliantly offsets the modern tendency toward weak “office” fragrances that are so bland, inoffensive and forgettable.

I am a lover of patchouli so I may be biased but I am a fan of this gorgeous scent. I only wear it in winter though because I find it a little too strong for my taste in sumer months. It is very long lasting ; very noticeable without hammering people in the head. The leather note is particularly strong with my body chemistry. A very bold and masculine scent.

Why can't they bring this one back. It is a real crime that it has been discontinued. I remember wearing this one as a teenager a long time ago and it was definitely a favourit of mine. A real classic. Bring it back!!!
benb

I noticed this fragrance was a favourite of Ozwald Boateng. I thought I'd give it a try to see why. A very sophisticated smell that changes throughout the course of wearing it, perhaps not the typical scent a 20 year old would wear, but I'm enjoying it. Very masculine, I think this style of fragrance is enjoying a revival from younger wearers.

Why does Ozwald like this so much? Well he's actually creative director at Givenchy...

Very refined fragrance with leather notes.

I'm a huge fan of Givenchy, and I bought this one sight unseen ( and without having smelled it ) based upon reviews here, and upon my obsession with civet based scents. My initial impression was not that good - I was smelling it directly from the sprayer and not on my skin and it absolutely REEKED of patchouli. However, after a light spray on my skin, this magnificent fragrance opened up and fully revealed itself. Warm and rather like honey at times, with the hint of leather and civet coming and going. Thoroughly masculine and quite long lasting but not overbearing. Not too easy to find in my neck of the woods, but I got a great deal on a bottle through a mail order service. This is a new favorite.

I love this stuff, perfectly avant garde. An incredible blend of leather, cinnamon, civet and patchouli. Better than the Bond (HOT Always) copy...but not as powerful. A classic.

Because the scent is so heady and because the patchouli (and some would say the civet) is so recognizable, Givenchy Gentleman seems to be all about patchouli, but it isn’t. True, the patchouli dominates, but backing up that domination is a beautifully rounded and balanced support cast, which makes this a fine quality, multidimensional fragrance. The tarragon, cinnamon, rose, and leather give depth, character, and mellowness to the patchouli (which is rather thin by itself), while the citrus, honey, and cedar add the needed sparkle. It is a high quality scent but it should be approached with care because the healthy doses of patchouli and civet might be off putting to some.

Givenchy Gentleman is without doubt an absolute classic. I love this; unashamedly masculine and though a 70's fragrance: strangely nostalgic, rather like conjuring a Pullman carriage from the air around you. We shouldn't forget that this was also the era of various revivals: velvet Victoriana, flapper dresses, 30's gangster chic and fantasy world medievalism. Though like a viscose frock coat, purple “Edwardian” suit or Robert Plant in the Song Remains The Same it's not really like anything from the past, Gentleman was an conscious anachronism, it was meant to evoke the past at its creation – to criticise its lack of modernity seems to entirely miss the point. As far as its machismo goes, whereas Kouros is a Greek Warrior coming back from sea and doing something inexcusable with a slave, Gentleman is a vital well-groomed rake taking a fine filly for a spin in the Aston Martin International and telling tales of daring do in the Hindu Kush. Surely everyone must find it at least endearing as the slightly harsh but exhilarating roar of the herb and spice top notes settles down into a warm throb of patchouli before heading of into a calf smooth leather sunset, keeping that hint of civet to keep the ladies excited. First Class!

This is my Dad's signature scent and I love it. It is kinda stuffy and conservative/country club, but it works for him. Never smelt like urine to me, always a very clean scent

I am 23 and love this, I don't get it with all the Negative reviews, this stuff is really smells nice and manly, its a break from all the fresh sweet fragrances of today.

Wow, this is not boring stuff. On me it goes from soapy/honey notes to civet and leather. This is a very refined fragrance that I can only pull off in a theatre/opera type environment.

A CLASSIC.... if you wanna smell like a millionaire in wallstreet carryin an alligator skin briefcase...then this is for you...

I really like Gentleman. I also like patchouli with some restraint. Patchouli reminds me of that old He-Man figure "Moss Man." I think Gentleman is mainly appreciated by a particular generation or two right now. To my generation Y nose, it smells like what I imagined (pardon the repetition) a gentlemen smelled like when I was younger. When I do the math, that makes sense. I grew up in the 80's and all the distiguished men I met were probably still wearing this from their 70's party days.
Anyways, Gentleman smells pungent, herby, deep, and leatherey to me. I love it, though the first 10 minutes can be a bit too "Eau de Deep Woods Off." Givenchy Gentleman demands a wearer with experience, confidence, carriage, and a fine cashmere scarf to rub off on.

Regardless of my personal taste, this fragrance is one of the greatest ever created. This along with monsieur givenchy are the highlights of givenchy company. This is a classic formal cologne that is never heavy. Its name gentleman could not be more appropritate. I just simply can not understand how anyone could dislike this.

This is another one of those manly-man fragrances that always makes me look to see who is wearing it. A real attention getter (in a positive way), not meant for the timid or shy.

Patchouli is the dominant scent...Taos and Santa Fe, New Mexico and the hippies from the East come to mind here (hmmm they didn't take baths though).Anyhow, this is a great scent and I recommend wearing it three days straight with a shower each day and a change of clothes too!
A mans scent yet I know women who wear this.

A sophisticated blend of patchouli, leather and spice. Not very subtle, but very masculine and alluring. The patchouli comes of very strong at first but quickly recedes into the blend so don't be too alarmed. Reminds me a bit of Bond No. 9 HOT Always. A classic no lover of strong masculine fragrances should be without.

Wow! This scent is a truly heady and sophisticated classic that should be in any man's scent library. The patchouli and leather notes blend almost magically to create an aura of confidence and sensuality. A certain time-honored classic.