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What is the classic American scent?

post #1 of 45
11/1/06 at 9:56am
Thread Starter 
I'm curious to know what the classic American scent is. If you were to ask me what was typically English, then fragrances from Floris, the defunct Crown Perfumery, Geo F Trumper, Penhaligon's, Yardley, DR Harris etc. would spring to mind.

I'm under the impression that fragrances from Caswell Massey (such as Tricorn, No.6, Jockey & the vintage Greenbriar) represent the true classic American smell, tell me it isn't so?

Also, what notes are predominant in the classic American scent?
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post #2 of 45
11/1/06 at 10:25am
ARAMIS
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post #3 of 45
11/1/06 at 12:11pm
McDonald's french fries
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post #4 of 45
11/1/06 at 12:37pm
Strong powerhouse scents I always considered a bit American. Not exactly sophisticated, but not bad either. Polo, Red for Men and Chaps come to mind. Old fashion scents like Old Spice and Brut are the classics.

They're not really amazing to wear. Most of the buying American public tend to wear European fragrances for the most part. Oh well...
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post #5 of 45
11/1/06 at 12:47pm
Jockey Club by Caswell Massey -- been around since the 1830's, if I remember correctly. Great juice, too!
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post #6 of 45
11/1/06 at 1:45pm
I'm going with the original Polo.
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post #7 of 45
11/1/06 at 2:07pm
sorry, but jockey-club is as british as it can be! in the 19th century really EVERY english perfumer or hair-dresser made his own!
ok, it's rather a female scent, but i always found giorgio very american, don't know exactly why...
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post #8 of 45
11/1/06 at 2:10pm
Acqua di Gio

ZING!
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post #9 of 45
11/1/06 at 2:57pm
I think there is too much cultural diversity to associate any scent with any country in its entirety in today's world.
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post #10 of 45
11/1/06 at 3:13pm
five names came to my mind:

Old Spice (1937)
Brut (1964)
Aramis (1965)
Grey Flannel (1976)
Polo (1978)

I think it's difficult to decide which one of these was most influential to male perfumery. They all were.
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post #11 of 45
11/1/06 at 3:22pm
Aside from the cheap ones like Old Spice which everyone recognizes, I'd probably say Polo Green.

It's probably the most recognizeable bottle. Even people who have never worn cologne in their life will most likely be able to picture what a bottle of Ralph Lauren's Polo looks like.
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post #12 of 45
11/1/06 at 4:00pm
Hoyt's Cologne

Get your MOJO workin'!

My Dad carried it in his small grocery store/fish market back in the 50s. Yes, I cleaned fish as a high school job...UGH!!!


Dan
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post #13 of 45
11/1/06 at 5:38pm
Florida Water (1810?)
Kananga Water

....both of these are kinda nasty to me.


Hoyt's Cologne (1868).

All of these were or still are being for mojomagic, voodoo, etc....to bring luck.
Hoyt's was especially used for gambling and the gambler would douse themselves with it to bring good luck.

I wore Hoyt's for a long time in the late '90s, but not for luck or that other stuff. I wore it because I loved the way it smelled. Anyway, it was available at a local variety store. They sold individual bottles, and by the case. I loved it! It was cheaper than 4711 and lasted longer. It seemed to have alot of patchouli in it, or some resin. In any case, it had a resinous, woody, warm drydown to it.

I can't find Hoyt's locally anymore. The var. store closed, but Walmart carried it briefly.
I would love to find some. I had not a whiff of it in along time.

S
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post #14 of 45
11/1/06 at 5:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by acehimself

Aside from the cheap ones like Old Spice which everyone recognizes, I'd probably say Polo Green.

It's probably the most recognizeable bottle. Even people who have never worn cologne in their life will most likely be able to picture what a bottle of Ralph Lauren's Polo looks like.

I agree. I think I'm the only guy in my family that has never owned or worn it at some time.
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post #15 of 45
11/1/06 at 5:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by baald

McDonald's french fries

My God, that's exactly what I was going to say.
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post #16 of 45
11/1/06 at 6:02pm
Classic: Old Spice

Modern: Gendarme V. I find it optimistic which I associate with the USA.
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post #17 of 45
11/1/06 at 7:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by baald

McDonald's french fries

I had a pretty damn good laugh out of that one!

I'd have to say Old Spice.
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post #18 of 45
11/1/06 at 7:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by baald

McDonald's french fries

Using the decades-old artery infusion technique ...
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post #19 of 45
11/1/06 at 7:48pm
Tommy no doubt. CK One is close contender
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post #20 of 45
11/2/06 at 12:16am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for your replies so far, so it seems that "Old Spice" is the definitive classic American scent?
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post #21 of 45
11/2/06 at 12:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by zztopp

Using the decades-old artery infusion technique ...

Rolling on the floor here. I can just see Ronald McDonald and Olivier Creed hitting it off.
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post #22 of 45
11/2/06 at 12:40am
Considering the age of the classic Caswell Masseys these, like the literature of the time, would have been attempts at perfectly imitating European fragrances, just as most of the writing, art, etc. being produced in the Early Republic. Those scents mentioned in the context of magic, charms would represent the birth of a genuine American culture from various European, African and Native American wellsprings. Old Spice is the prime representative of Middletown, the emergence of modern (white) middle class, mass-production & mass consumption America. Lauren is the cultural gauntlet thrown at Europe's feet, just like California wine challenged Bordeaux in the 1970s. Gendarme is the essence of Baudrillard's America - a simulacrum of perfume, to the European nose.
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post #23 of 45
11/2/06 at 1:17am
@ good life

what a sweet avatar... where can i get it?

@ zz

*LOL*
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post #24 of 45
11/2/06 at 1:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dirk

@ good life

what a sweet avatar... where can i get it?

@ zz

*LOL*

here, e.g.:
http://www.bossweb.de/img/smilies/ma.gif

But you find it all over googling +smilies +schnuller

Actually it's a very realistic depiction of what's going on at our house right now all the time
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post #25 of 45
11/2/06 at 6:05am
Yeah,

Old Spice, the Norman Rockwell of the perfume world.

Tommy also struck me as quite Americana, although -post 2000's America..

Then again what do I know?..I am a Foreigner
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post #26 of 45
11/2/06 at 11:55am
Old spice, for sure.
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post #27 of 45
11/2/06 at 7:59pm
I agree with the original green Polo.
My choice as the quintessential american fragrance would be Ralph Lauren Safari, to me it just represents the essence of the outdoorsy rugged dynamic yet laidback (if I am making sense) american character.
For some reason in my life I have encountered more brits wearing Old Spice than americans...
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post #28 of 45
11/2/06 at 9:12pm
You know, I think Tommy is a pretty good contender. Its notes were "inspired" by different scents from across America.
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post #29 of 45
9/25/12 at 7:52am
If you are talking about scents for men, in my lifetime I'd say Old Spice. As far as what's most common now, various body sprays by Axe. Body sprays are one of the most unfortunate trends of the past 15 years. They do not smell pleasant when sprayed all over as most guys who use them do.
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post #30 of 45
9/25/12 at 8:00am
For me, it would be a close competition between: Old Spice, Grey Flannel, Halston Z14 and RL Polo Green.
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post #31 of 45
9/25/12 at 8:04am
Old Spice is the one.
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post #32 of 45
9/25/12 at 9:13am
Halston Z 14
Grey Flannel
Giorgio by Giorgio BH
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post #33 of 45
9/25/12 at 9:18am
Old Spice
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post #34 of 45
9/25/12 at 9:32am
Old Spice has a great projection not only in fragrances but deodorant, shave foam ... The complete line for men.
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post #35 of 45
9/25/12 at 10:08am
Original polo is it!!
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post #36 of 45
9/25/12 at 6:26pm
Polo green it is
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post #37 of 45
9/25/12 at 6:45pm
Without a doubt, the top 5 classic American Scents:

Chanel No. 5
Guerlain Habit Rouge
Creed Green Irish Tweed
Yves Saint Laurent Kouros
Dior Fahrenheit
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post #38 of 45
9/25/12 at 6:58pm
I don't know what the brand would be but I can describe it.

Top notes: The smell of 30 million rotting corpses of the humans America has slaughtered since WWII.

Mid notes: Green notes of envy and money as the core of the American Dream is pursued by millions of greedy capalists and poor deluded fools who think they to will soon be rich.

Base notes: The anchor of this fragrance is a heavy pervasive smell of bullshit that wafts off the massive amounts of propaganda and BS the American media pumps into the world to obscure its evil.
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post #39 of 45
9/25/12 at 7:04pm
It's good to see Americans bashing America and turning this innocent thread into a political one...
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post #40 of 45
9/25/12 at 7:19pm
Polo Red White and Blue, of course.
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post #41 of 45
9/25/12 at 11:05pm
Grey Flannel.
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post #42 of 45
9/26/12 at 1:49am
Another vote for original Polo
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post #43 of 45
9/26/12 at 3:56am
Giorgio Beverly Hills Red and Aramis, Polo Green, etc.

Vintage Bijan too, perhaps.
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post #44 of 45
9/26/12 at 4:31am
Polo green - the original - and as second Aramis.
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post #45 of 45
9/26/12 at 8:01am
We Americans mostly originate from immigrant ancestors, so we are perfectly happy accepting a European brand and call it our own:

Acqua di Gio by Giorgio Armani - is the classic American scent.
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