Grey Flannel (1976)
by Geoffrey Beene

One of the very, very best deals available. This one is to be strictly used on skin, lest you wish to smell like the "Mountain Rain" laundry detergents that are likely based on this classic!

The opening is a roll through a flower garden. "Green" starts and ends with this beautiful, bitter, juicy violet leaf opening. Galbanum and Citrus enhance and focus this bitter greenness, making it smell quite literally of crushed fleshy leaves, chlorophyll and peppery qualities abundant. Just beneath this realistic greenness is a beautiful floral bouquet. The entire effect is both realistic and nostalgic; this is truly the goal of perfumery. These florals play around with each other, some dominating over others, as the quiet, woody cyphre base adds a distinct edge to the scent, keeping it from just being a bubbly floral. It is shy, never really revealing its character through anything but subtle hints.

18th January, 2012.

I love the smell of this. I find it to smell comfortable, warm and fresh. The thing is... I think wearing it as a cologne is ridiculous. I can't think of anyone that I would enjoy smelling like this.

I treat it as a top shelf Febreeze.

That I can get behind.

Blankets and sheets smelling like this? Awesome.

A little spritz on the couch before guests come over? Wonderful.

Spraying it on myself? Why??

28th November, 2011.

I lament here the unskillful reformulation-loss of one of my favorite and first perfumes of my youth. The present product is different enough from the exquisite original to create a sad experience of living in the fake world. The perfume has lost its tricky green note (of wormwood and tarragon), and the loss of the entire intriguing and lasting "forest" impression makes this current version a castrated perfume. Its flower tone became one-dimensional, insipid and overpowering of obtrusive Gardenia substitute (the "violet" note has also became utterly synthetic). Eventually the fragrance became flat, effeminate and boring. I've bought the present bottle of "Grey Flannel" being surprised to find it on the shelf (as for years it was not sold in my country), totally out of the memory about it being a thrill. And what I've got? A miserable, chemical industry copy of the real. Terrible dissapointment

11th November, 2011.

Fresh, fruity, herbal. Moderate fragrance intensity and does not last long. It translates as cologne for perhaps 2 to 3 hours then breaks down to a vague soapy deodorant scent.

20th October, 2011.

Briefly, this fragrance smells like public bathroom, specifically gas station bathroom. Horrible! In the initial spray it almost kills me for being so strong. Over time it gets softer, giving more room for floral notes, but remains terrible. Anyway, I washed it after 30 minutes on my skin!

21st August, 2011.

It's great flavor. singles. Few fragrances are so characteristic.
History!

12nd August, 2011. (Last Edited: 14th August, 2011.)