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Chicago: City of Le Male

post #1 of 9
9/26/08 at 9:38am
Thread Starter 
Right now, I'm taking a break in Chicago. And I had to do this as a follow-up to Renato's "Joop City" thread.

As soon as I walked out onto Michigan Avenue this morning, I noticed something: You can smell Le Male everywhere. You can smell it on the sidewalks, in the coffee shops, in the hotel lobbies, and even in the Apple Store (where I'm typing this post out). Since Le Male is available pretty much everywhere in Chicago, the availability factor, plus the TV ad campaign and magazine smelling strips, must play a role. (I'm also quite sure that the Beaute Prestige International reps in the Chicago area get quite a bit in the forms of spiffs and commission from Le Male's massive popularity in the area.)

The good news is that I like Le Male... but what about those who don't like it? Is it olfactory torture to those who don't like the torso-shaped bottle packaged in a tin can? Would they even rather sniff the jet blast from the planes at O'Hare Field than "the essence of modern masculinity"?
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post #2 of 9
9/26/08 at 10:24am
I liked Le Male when I first smelled it years ago. Since then, a combination of how synthetically cloying and smothering it is plus its association with the type of people around where I live that wear it make me cringe at the thought.
I've only been to Chicago once for business and didn't really notice that (I was downtown at the Hotel Allegro)... could have been because I pretty much went from airport to hotel to meeting to airport to home.
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post #3 of 9
9/26/08 at 6:37pm
It would be interesting to know if they ever went through an equivalent Joop phase there.

But it's certainly interesting how nowadays so many people in some cities are using the same strong sweet scents, while the same can't be said for other non sweet, strong scents with as powerful a sillage.

Maybe it has something to do with people being happier, rather than surly?
Renato
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post #4 of 9
9/26/08 at 8:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Renato View Post

Maybe it has something to do with people being happier, rather than surly?

People happier? I doubt it. With the economy the way it is right now in America, I don't think people are happier.
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post #5 of 9
9/27/08 at 10:48am
I was back in Chicago this weekend and was floored - you are right. Another couple I smelled alot of was (as usual) Armani Code and Attitude.
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post #6 of 9
9/27/08 at 11:05am
i lived in Chicago for 3 years...if there's one thing that city is lacking, it is individuality. Everyone THINKS they are all stylish and in the loop about trends....but i noticed that most people just follow the trends there and try to be different in a clan-type format.

It doesn't surprised me you smelled it there. But also remember that Michigan Ave. is a bit of a touristy place...if you go Wicker Park, Boys Town, or Lincoln Park....you'll probably find a bit more variety in what you pick up.
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post #7 of 9
9/28/08 at 6:52am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Renato View Post

It would be interesting to know if they ever went through an equivalent Joop phase there.

But it's certainly interesting how nowadays so many people in some cities are using the same strong sweet scents, while the same can't be said for other non sweet, strong scents with as powerful a sillage.

I also noticed a lot of Angel on the ladies, enough to knock your nose out... so you could say that both sexes in Chicago are using strong, sweet scents.

As for a Joop phase? I wouldn't be surprised if the Windy City had a brief one back in the 1989-90 timeframe, with thousands grabbing bottles off of the shelves of the likes of Neiman's, Saks, I. Magnin (remember them?), and of course what was then Marshall Field's, right before giving way to the Eternity phase that lasted an eternity (pun intended) before giving way to the Acqua di Gio phase that's now giving way to the Le Male phase... I guess what goes around comes around.

Speaking of the Acqua di Gio phase, I noticed that there were armies of Armani reps in the Water Tower Place Macy's yesterday trying to push the juice (and Emporio Diamonds) before I left back for home. Damage control for L'Oreal in the face of massive competition from P&G, BPI, Clarins, and Arden, or a way to simply boost sales? You decide.
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post #8 of 9
9/28/08 at 6:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by everso View Post

i lived in Chicago for 3 years...if there's one thing that city is lacking, it is individuality. Everyone THINKS they are all stylish and in the loop about trends....but i noticed that most people just follow the trends there and try to be different in a clan-type format.

It doesn't surprised me you smelled it there. But also remember that Michigan Ave. is a bit of a touristy place...if you go Wicker Park, Boys Town, or Lincoln Park....you'll probably find a bit more variety in what you pick up.


Wow! Generalize and stereotype much?
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post #9 of 9
9/28/08 at 8:50am
There's a whole lot of it around here, too. In my experience, it's the scent that has gone from interesting to nauseating the quickest. I can't stand the stuff anymore.
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