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Grey Flannel Cologne - Question Please?

post #1 of 31
2/9/09 at 12:04am
Thread Starter 
Lots of people rant about who nice and delightful this scent smells but I have reservations because it was released back in 1976 and scents back then are known to be somewhat heavy, obtrusive and overtly musky. Like that Hal14Z scent, or whatever it is called.

Can GF match up to the more refined and relaxed scents of today? What exactly does it smell like, care to give a good description? I'm 20s so is it good for the young crowd who want to wear it daily and smell nice and attract others?

If it is more old man in business suit type fragrance I guess I'm passing. The 1976 undertone is really getting to me.

Better yet, is this more of a wedding, funeral, business cologne that requires that heavy smell, or good for going clubbing and is refreshing? I hope that clears it up.

Thank you in advance.
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post #2 of 31
2/9/09 at 12:20am
To me it is an extremely harsh scent for the first hour and a half, and tones down to something somewhat bearable after that.

It complements a leather jacket - I can't think of any other use for it.
Renato
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post #3 of 31
2/9/09 at 4:41am
i just recently purchased Grey Flannel , it is a nice scent but i don't see my self wearing it unless i am going to church or a funeral. because it do smell like something a older person would wear granted i am 38 yrs of age.
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post #4 of 31
2/9/09 at 4:51am
Grey Flannel is a distinctive scent. That comes from the violet flowers and leaves, which give it a piercing, bright sort of note. I find that violet is an acquired taste.
There are better, more gentle and complex men's violet scents out there (Knize Two, Byredo Green) but they are niche, expensive, and hard to get. See if you can sample it first, and if you like it.
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post #5 of 31
2/9/09 at 5:53am
Agreeing with much that has been said...

Grey Flannel is very strong and very distinctive, especially for the first hour or so (though muskiness isn't the issue). I'm glad I picked up a bottle of this (especially 'cause it's dirt cheap). It's well made and there's nothing else quite like it. But there aren't many days that I want to put it on. And by all means avoid wearing it in hot weather!
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post #6 of 31
2/9/09 at 6:04am
I also agree with everything already said. I like Grey Flannel very much, as I've always loved frags with strong violet leaf notes.

It's not very expensive, so no great harm done if you buy it and don't like it. But I'll second Byredo Green as a softer, more modern alternative that still has the same basic smell as Grey Flannel. I own those as well as Knize Two. Although the Byredo is considerably more expensive than Grey Flannel, you may find it more likable and wearable, and it is certainly easier to find than Knize Two.

Personally, I'd go for GF first, given the low price. I think I paid about 7-8 times more for the Byredo Green. It's good, but it ain't that good!

It's definitely not like most of the currently popular fresh scents. It is rather sharp and lean and non-sweet. It doesn't smell the same, but it probably does have more in common with Halston Z14 in overall strength and feel than with most frags you are familiar with. Neither does it smell like Drakkar Noir, but it shares a similar sharpness and texture.

I find these scents refreshing in their own way, even GF. But GF is more of a formal or business type scent than a casual one. While it is an excellent frag, given what you've said about yourself, you'll most likely consider it too old fashioned and stuffy.

noggs
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post #7 of 31
2/9/09 at 6:07am
My husband got a bottle of this a few months ago but is disappointed with it and doesn't wear it.

For what it's worth, I've been seeing a lot of boxed sets of Grey Flannel at Marshall's lately.
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post #8 of 31
2/9/09 at 7:19am
It's one helluva frag for very little money. Crisp, green and tailored with a top drawer drydown of sandalwood.
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post #9 of 31
2/9/09 at 8:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dudester! View Post

... but I have reservations because it was released back in 1976 and scents back then are known to be somewhat heavy, obtrusive and overtly musky...

The key is how you wear them; you surely can't apply them the way you would apply Aqua Di Gio. Unless, of course, you want to make an impression on others.

So try it with this advice in mind.
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post #10 of 31
2/9/09 at 8:47am
I love Grey Flannel and occasionally wear it myself. But I'm wondering whether it's been reformulated. My husband has a very old bottle, and to me it seems pretty mellow, not all that sharp. It has a muted sort of woodsy/orris quality, and a cozy, fuzzy sort of texture, truly like flannel. I don't get any sharpness from it. Maybe it aged enough in the bottle so it's less rough, if that's possible. Or else, recent versions are not as smooth as the older ones. Oh yes - and just a teensy bit will do.
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post #11 of 31
2/9/09 at 8:53am
It's Halston Z-14 and it's little brother 1-12. The Z is very distinct, with high sillage,longevity and mostly linear to my nose. I agree with odysseusm on the heavy violet note. The 1-12 is quite different in it's accords and less S&L. I particulary don't care for Grey Flannel myself, but you must understand that one person's trash is another person's treasure. I'm sure you can find at least one basenoter that would being willing to share a sample with you


FYI I'm 56 now, but I wore Z-14 when I was 20 and loved it, so did the females. 20 today is still 20, no matter what year you were born
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post #12 of 31
2/9/09 at 8:55am
Buy Narciso for him
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post #13 of 31
2/9/09 at 11:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Basteri View Post

Buy Narciso for him

Personally I wouldn't buy Narciso for anyone unless I wanted to wake up with a horses head in my bed in the near future, it's horrible.

Grey Flannel can be a very elegant scent, but you need to apply it sparingly otherwise it is, as others have said, harsh.

You can mist the air and walk into it with Grey Flannel and it will mellow beautifully and last ages. The drydown is lovely and mellow and has great longevity.
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post #14 of 31
2/9/09 at 12:09pm
Thread Starter 
Arrghh....I want to try it. Its only online though, can't find it around. Maybe Marshalls? I doubt it as they have only like 2 scents all the time, stuff like Candy's and Liz Clairborne. Is it a romantic fragrance? One that envelopes the heart? If that sounds gay, lets put it this way, is it soft and sensual in its presentation? Like you just came out of the rainforest? Is it similar to BULGARI the orignial Bulgari, the 1995 scent? That's what I'm kind of hoping for, at best at its drydown.
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post #15 of 31
2/9/09 at 3:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dudester! View Post

Arrghh....I want to try it. Its only online though, can't find it around. Maybe Marshalls? I doubt it as they have only like 2 scents all the time, stuff like Candy's and Liz Clairborne. Is it a romantic fragrance? One that envelopes the heart? If that sounds gay, lets put it this way, is it soft and sensual in its presentation? Like you just came out of the rainforest? Is it similar to BULGARI the orignial Bulgari, the 1995 scent? That's what I'm kind of hoping for, at best at its drydown.

I'm not sure the members can be very helpful with all these judgment calls. No one can tell you what you'll think of the smell. No one's answer will necessarily be your answer. If you're hoping for something similar to the Bulgari you mention, give up and get the Bulgari since that's what you're hoping for.

Grey Flannel isn't like any Bulgari I've smelled. If you need an answer I'd say Grey Flannel isn't for you. Cheap yes, but because it's cheap won't mean it will smell good to you. It doesn't smell like Bulgari, since that's what you'd like it to smell like.
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post #16 of 31
2/9/09 at 3:26pm
I agree with DustB - nothing else really smells like Grey Flannel - and certainly no Bulgari. Grey Flannel is at its best an hour after application and then it's lovely. It's cheap enough for a blind buy though if you have a few quid/bucks spare.
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post #17 of 31
2/9/09 at 3:41pm
Sharp top notes that last more than a few minutes and a sandalwood drydown. It's a nightmare frag for me, though if it had some cheap lavender in it at high concentration that would be the ultimate nightmare frag. LOL.
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post #18 of 31
2/9/09 at 4:03pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you for those comments, i guess i'll do a blind buy sometime soon.
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post #19 of 31
2/9/09 at 4:13pm
I just checked eBay and there seem to be a lot of bottles for not much money....
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post #20 of 31
2/9/09 at 4:16pm
Thread Starter 
And the thing about Bulgari 1995 is that it doesn't last..I was hoping to find something similar that does. But thanks again.
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post #21 of 31
2/9/09 at 4:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dudester! View Post

Arrghh....I want to try it. Its only online though, can't find it around. Maybe Marshalls? I doubt it as they have only like 2 scents all the time, stuff like Candy's and Liz Clairborne. Is it a romantic fragrance?

Do try Marshall's. I've seen LOTS of Grey Flannel in all 3 Marshall's in the area. They're going for $12.99 for a 4+ oz.

Personally, I'd run from anyone who wears this. Too harsh and evokes violence in my mind.
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post #22 of 31
2/9/09 at 5:02pm
Thread Starter 
What about Bowling Green? Supposedly that has great reviews but it is discontinued. Its by GB too.
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post #23 of 31
2/9/09 at 6:11pm
Bowling Green is another kettle of fish. A green-mossy sort of scent, for me it has an unpleasant tang of poorly done moss. Some like it, however. I've tried it many times but never cottoned on to it.
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post #24 of 31
2/9/09 at 6:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by odysseusm View Post

Grey Flannel is a distinctive scent. That comes from the violet flowers and leaves, which give it a piercing, bright sort of note. I find that violet is an acquired taste.
There are better, more gentle and complex men's violet scents out there (Knize Two, Byredo Green) but they are niche, expensive, and hard to get. See if you can sample it first, and if you like it.

ahaha! That's the first time I've ever seen the word "gentle" used in describing Knize 10!

But you were talking about the violet note compared to GF, so I understand what you meant!
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post #25 of 31
2/9/09 at 8:43pm
I used to be a sports producer/shooter back in the day and I remember covering the late great Kirby Puckett from the Twins and he always had a big old botte of Grey Flannel up in his locker. Hall of Famer stuff. God bless the man.
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post #26 of 31
2/9/09 at 8:49pm
I suggest Green Jeans instead. I find it so much better than any other "green" frag I've tried, and even though it's discontinued, you can sometimes grab one at a decent price on ebay.
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post #27 of 31
2/9/09 at 10:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Butthead53 View Post

ahaha! That's the first time I've ever seen the word "gentle" used in describing Knize 10!

But you were talking about the violet note compared to GF, so I understand what you meant!

knize two and knize TEN are different fragrances....with completely different styles.
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post #28 of 31
2/9/09 at 11:33pm
Aah Grey Flannel. This is one of my favourites, possibly my all-time favourite. It may be cheap now, but I remember when it was released (yes I'm positively ancient) with great pomp and ceremony and EXPENSE. It was not a cheap frag back then! I couldn't afford it!

People accuse it of all sorts of things. Yes it's a powerhouse, so that means no more than three sprays EVER. I don't find it 'harsh' at all, rather it's a beautifully balanced scent when used properly. God I used to bathe in the stuff (and so did just about all my friends) clubbing in the early eighties. But these days, one must be more discrete

I bought Narcisso Rodriguez, blind, based solely on people's comparisons with GF. Boy, what a disappointment. Yes, there's a similarity with the violet notes but everything else is so wrong! NR is basically in-your-face musk... there ain't no discernible musk in GF. I'm always looking for frags with violets in them, because of my respect for GF, but they all pale into insignificance. There are undoubtedly some niche frags out there that would work for me, but I haven't discovered them yet!

There is absolutely no common ground between GF and Bulgari PH. Polar opposites!

Try it. If you don't like it, I'm sorry. But at least you'll have another 'classic' in your collection.
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post #29 of 31
2/10/09 at 8:28am
If you don't want to do a blind buy, you can get a sample over at Scented Monkey for $2.99, including shipping.

I love it, but I agree it's not for everyone and it's painful if overapplied.
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post #30 of 31
2/10/09 at 8:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dudester! View Post

And the thing about Bulgari 1995 is that it doesn't last..I was hoping to find something similar that does. But thanks again.

I used to think Bvlgari didn't last and posted that here, but later decided that it did last after all - just too subtly for my tastes - so that even though it was still there, it may as well not have been there.

Anyhow, as far as I'm concerned, effect-wise, Grey Flannel is the opposite of Bvlgari.

I like Eau de Grey Flannel a lot more than Grey Flannel - which makes me unique, as nearly everyone else here dislikes it.
Renato
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post #31 of 31
2/10/09 at 4:54pm
Grey Flannel and Bowling Green are completely different. I have both, and I am one of those who like Bowling Green. That one begins lemony and dries down into a spicy woody scent, a bit more spicy than woody to me. Grey Flannel is sweet violet. Some say it's not sweet, but I think it is. I don't get sandalwood out of it, at least not that I recognize. I like it in very small doses occasionally as an "in the mood for it" type of scent. You should be able to find it pretty easily. Try Sears; the ones here usually have it, and they may even have a tester out (Sears often has testers of things you won't find in a department store like Macy's).
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