Is FRACAS wearable by a man?

[Beau Garçon]

Hi guys!!

I've always read that Piguet's Fracas is the "summum" of feminity and a "fatal weapon" but, in my male skin, Fracas is a soft, beautiful and soapy flowery fragance (pure velvet) with a sinister, woody and incensey base that remind me of the darkness of... the great "Avignon" by Comme des garçons!!

In my skin Fracas is a androgynous experience, no feminine at all! And the question is: can a man wear Fracas??

[Kevin Guyer]

I really tried to wear Fracas, as well as Cabochard. They must have been unbelievable in their original formulations. So many of today's fragrances share strands of their DNA. But, for me, I can't get over the "madame" heaviness of these 1950's relics. Miller Harris' Cuir d'Oranger is the first scent that updates this classic genre successfully.

[Francois Blais]

Are you speaking of Bandit?
I'm asking this because there's a men's Fracas.

[Kevin Guyer]

Are you speaking of Bandit?
I'm asking this because there's a men's Fracas.

I was mistakenly thinking of Bandit, sorry. Fracas Femme, on the other, is way too femme for me.

[tvlampboy]

Let us all sing a Te Deum be to the great Perfume Gods and Goddesses that may or may not be that you are not talking about Fracas for Men, as that Piguet stinker ranks way up there as one of the worst olfactory experiences of my 40 yr. long life.

I would rather (and I mean this) wear A*men and/or Stetson than suffer through Fracas for Men again. Yes, better to put up with the splitting migraines that A*men gives me and the sheer nausea that Stetson can induce in Yours Truly than to endure the cloyingly soapy, never-ending, licorice-covered, cadaver-y sweetness of Fracas for Men ever again.

I don't know about Fracas (or Bandit) for women, although I've heard good things. Just thought I'd rant to warn and warn to rant about Fracas for Men, that's all.

[narcus]

Hi guys!!

I've always read that Piguet's Fracas is the "summum" of feminity and a "fatal weapon" but, in my male skin, Fracas is a soft, beautiful and soapy flowery fragance (pure velvet) with a sinister, woody and incensey base that remind me of the darkness of... the great "Avignon" by Comme des garçons!!
In my skin Fracas is a androgynous experience, no feminine at all! And the question is: can a man wear Fracas??

Avignon, true? You really got me interested now, Beau Garcon! And by everything you are saying the answer is easy: maybe not at work, but otherwise I cannot see why you shouldn't be able get away with it! I couldn't, because tuberose is beyond my fences, but I imagine a few men could wear Fracas quite well! This fragrance was created in a different era for a very different society and maybe deserves to be re-assessed. Why not look at it as the predecessor of Ropion's Carnal Flower which carries the unisex label and has been warmly welcomed by male BNs from the start. In case you haven't, I recommend reading reviews of both, particularly those from foetidus as they are admirably impartial. He praises although he cannot wear them.

... Fracas for Men, as that Piguet stinker ranks way up there as one of the worst olfactory experiences of my 40 yr. long life.
I would rather (and I mean this) wear A*men and/or Stetson than suffer through Fracas for Men again. Yes, better to put up with the splitting migraines that A*men gives me and the sheer nausea that Stetson can induce in Yours Truly than to endure the cloyingly soapy, never-ending, licorice-covered, cadaver-y sweetness on Fracas for Men ever again.
I don't know about Fracas (or Bandit) for women, although I've heard good things. Just thought I'd rant to warn and warn to rant about Fracas for Men, that's all.

(scratches the top of his head): Thanks for the altruistic alert. It's a bit late, or was it your alter ego, who wrote the thumbs up review of Fracas for Men on Oct 31, 2006?
Maybe fougères are out, but I happen to love them. And this version is beautifully damp and mossy with a few floral notes thrown in. It originates from a time when first tier companies
felt obliged to equip their perfumes with decent longevity as well!

[Beau Garçon]

Thanks for your replies. In my opinion, compared to the tuberose of Fracas, the openly genderless Carnal Flower is more lush, feminine and pretty. The Malle's one is very similar to Etro's Royal Pavillion and Carolina Herrera for women.

[tvlampboy]

It's true that I initially liked it and wrote my review of it too hastily. Once it had been on me for a while, I began to realize how very much I hated it. Does that answer your question?

[MarkDavid]

I am a man who wears and loves Carnal Flower and Fracas and just about any tuberose fragrance known to exist. I love them and I wear them with pleasure.

Stupid gender labels ruin so much of the fragrance industry - I wish we could look past them indefinitely!

[zztopp]

Fracas the tuberose bomb? Its just too loud and feminine for most men. Go with Carnal Flower.

[JaimeB]

Thanks for your replies. In my opinion, compared to the tuberose of Fracas, the openly genderless Carnal Flower is more lush, feminine and pretty. The Malle's one is very similar to Etro's Royal Pavillion and Carolina Herrera for women.

I love Etro's Royal Pavilion, and don't think it feminine on me. I wear it to work sometimes, and it doesn't raise an eyebrow there. Quite a few men's fragrances, or perhaps I should say shared fragrances, routinely include white florals, such as tuberose and jasmine. Think of all those Serge Lutens scents that are so admired on Basenotes! Many times, even in women's scents, these are nowadays "balanced" or toned down.

I have Bandit and love to wear it, even though it is a bit shocking; yet I think this is more because of the leather than the tuberose. The nice thing about wearing these Robert Piguet scents is the feeling that one follows the cry "Épatez le bourgeois!" ("Shock the middle-class!"); the whole business of wearing scents is pretty subversive to a lot of people.

Well this thread has now got me thinking that if I could pull off Bandit, I ought to try Fracas.... Hmmmm....