Reviews of Stetson (1981)
by Stetson

Cal it Norell or Tabu for men. Fine. This one does work when applied lightly and yes, as an after shave (man up with it). A third place in 2009 in the mass-market category which I agree with. as well as the FIFI.

This is a very feminine scent, at least if you apply today's standards (after all, floral scents used to be considered far more masculine), and in my mind much moreso because its uncanny resemblance to the perfume my grandmother used to wear around the house. The jasmine is extremely pronounced, and is one of the last things to remain hours after application, followed by the (almost) sickly sweet amber that seems to cling to your skin nearly 24 hours after you first put it on. Too bad the rest of its character isn't so tenacious (though it can last a good 6-8 hours).

That isn't to say it's bad, or immasculating to those wearing it. It's got enough of a woody, musky hint to it that it won't be mistaken for a woman's perfume, at least not very often. I almost smell whiskey in it too, but that's likely to just be due to its sepia hue and 'cowboy' theme.

Beware the splash-on bottles, though. It isn't loud or far-reaching, but can bring tears to innocents' eyes without proper ventelation. Bottom line: Another mass-market fragrance that's fantastic - for the money, that is. I've worn it, and will wear it again, and won't be embarassed if my girlfriend does too.

This stuff smells more like an old-school women's perfume to me than anything else I've owned. My mom had something that was remarkably similar that I always associate it with, and I think erv2 is correct: it's Norell. I felt embarrassed smelling like this in public because of how obvious the comparison was to me. I think I get the feminine impression because there's too much of some flower (jasmine?) and not the right spices like other similarly priced brands, unless I just got a bad bottle. I also smell urinal cakes, but only at the very end, and if I breathe it very close-up. I've never been so thoroughly disappointed from something so inexpensive. Chaps is closer to what I wanted Stetson to smell like.

I can't say if I like it or not - as it smells typically like the "attar" (concentrated perfume) that is available in India. Since it is commonplace, I don't feel very attracted to it.

As Tania Sanchez pointed out in The Guide, this is an old-school women's fragrance packaged and sold as a men's cologne-- an great joke, perhaps an excercise in postmodern gender-role subversion. Stetson starts off with a blast of spicy citrus, admirably brightened with aldehydes. Then it settles into a musky jasmine and an ambery dry-down. Strong and smooth with an old-fashioned charm all the way through, and an excellent value for the low price.

An aggressive, powdery, drugstore cheapie with way too much lavender and cheap amber and far too little patchouli. (If you're going to be an oily beast, at least come to the table slathered in patchouli.) Screaming sillage -- absolutely screaming. Very little, if any, complexity in the drydown.

Often sold very close to Fleet enemas in Walgreens across America. How appropriate.

I love Stetson. To be honest with you, a man or a woman can use Stetson. Stetson smells like Norell perfume for women.

A cheap feminine oriental for men? This could pass as a cheap Guerlain to unsuspecting noses. Good for starters.

This is way too animalic for me at the beginning, then it softens up, but there's still too much animalic jasmine for me to want to wear this regularly. If it wasn't for that, this might be quite nice, though too feminine for some men. My guess is that this might work well for a guy who sweats a lot, unlike myself. I don't mind the spices or powderyness to it, but due to the animalic qualities, I much prefer something like Carven Homme, and since they cost about the same, there's no reason for me to reach for Stetson.

Cleaning out the attic in the summer cabin, I found a small bottle of Stetson. I don’t remember ever owning Stetson (don’t even remember smelling it)—it was probably left by the previous owner, which would make it over thirteen years old. Of course I had to test it. After the harsh initial blast, it settled down to a lavender / citrus accord. The mid notes are a light wood and floral, and the dry down is a sweet amber accord. It really doesn’t have much longevity, but that could be the result of its age and its weathering. I actually found Stetson surprisingly ok—surprising because of its drugstore reputation, its age, and at least thirteen years of -30° winters and summer attic heat. Stetson is rather ordinary, but it is something I might wear for a casual occasion now and then. It really surprised me—I was thinking about giving it a thumbs up simply because it isn’t terrible.

Me and Stetson get along just fine. Smells good and gets complimented often, and the price is right. What more can i ask for?

Its nice enough to catch ones attention. This guy I worked with told me he wore this after inquiring. I personally wouldnt wear this. For some reason, it makes me think of cowboys.

Stetson is the only thing my dad wears. It's distinctive, but it lacks depth and complexity. The drydown is pretty nice but again, it's pretty simple and really doesn't present much depth. The patchouli seems to dominate the fragrance on my skin, and it's not particularly my favorite scent (but I don't exactly dislike it either). Basically, I'll put it this way: it's a cheap cologne and it smells like it.

This was the first cologne I ever purchased. Before that, I used my brother's Old Spice as a standby (I got Canoe, British Sterling and English Leather as gifts, but I guess they did not make enough of a impression). Anyway, I was about to graduate high school and Stetson was popular with teenagers in 1983 since it was not our father's cologne. Very strong smelling which is why I would not wear it now.

My first love used to wear this, smelled great on him. Tho, I have smelt this on other men and did not like it. A man has to have the right body chemistry to carry this one off.

First smelled this years ago. Sweet and cigar-ish. Something in the fragrance makes me sneeze though, so I rarely wear it. Deodorant is better, missing the note that makes me sneeze.