Chanel Pour Monsieur (1955)
by Chanel

This is a review of the current edt.

Even in its current form, Chanel’s flagship masculine fragrance is a cut above other chypres. Some fragrances you need a bit of time to enjoy, but some are love at first sniff. Pour Monsieur is a case of the latter.

Others are assuredly better at describing notes, so I will just say that Pour Monsieur is classy and gentlemanly. It may come across as dated to someone whose only experience with fragrances are the designers offered at Macy’s or Sephora.

My 5 ml decant has grown some chest hair over time, obtaining a bit of animalic funk. Otherwise, it is the epitome of a dumb reach, easy-to-wear, feel-good fragrance.

My only complaint is performance. As others have noted, Pour Monsieur is a bit understated. I think that’s part of its charm, but if I were willing to pay Chanel prices, I’d want better performance.

It should also be noted that the edt is no longer available in the U.S. market, which is no skin off my back, as I prefer the fuller edp launched in 2014. It does, however, speak to the state of perfumery in the U.S. Just a few years ago I could sample Pour Monsieur edp and Chanel’s other “classics” Antaeus and Egoiste at my local Nordstrom. Nowadays, you mention any of these at the Chanel counter and you get a blank stare followed by “we DO have three different concentrations of Bleu de Chanel! Have you tried the Parfum?”

Overall, Pour Monsieur edt gets a thumbs up, but because of performance and cost/availability, does not get a “full bottle worthy” endorsement.

This is a very reluctant thumbs down. I used the EDT in the 70s and 80s and thought it was just about perfect. Then decided it was time for a change. Out of curiosity I ordered a sample of EDT to see how my old friend was getting on.

What a disappointment. It's barely a shadow of its former self. Reformulation has ruined it. A lemony blast disappears almost immediately leaving a very faint skin scent and that is gone after an hour. I can see why vintage bottles online fetch such high prices.

I had high hopes for this and though on initial spraying it smells nice the version I have doesn’t last too long on my skin unless I spray 4 or 5 times after which it lasts about 4 to 5 hours I was hoping for more from this from this Chanel classic. Maybe it is the reformulation or maybe it is that it is an EDT and thus I am expecting too much in terms of longevity.

I inherited a 4 oz. splash bottle of this, though my bottle says "Chanel for Men" which is one of the vintage versions produced for the North American market. My grandfather received it as a gift but apparently seldom wore it, as he had his other favorites.

When I first tried Pour Monsieur, it was already heavily reformulated. I found that it was a pleasant citrus fragrance with a light oakmoss and even lighter woodsy finish. I wouldn't bother with this version if you can find a vintage bottle.

The vintage Pour Monsieur, or the Chanel for Men that I have, is truly a delightful scent. It is very understated and inspired by the various traditional eau de cologne. It's an elegant scent and for its time I can imagine it was incredibly special.

When Polge created Pour Monsieur Concentree, it was probably because in 1989 the original Pour Monsieur would have been considered quite tame and lacking power. Nowadays less can be more, as they say, and I think Pour Monsieur has a spot in every gentleman's wardrobe. I actually enjoy Pour Monsieur Concentree because I find it has some depth that Pour Monsieur lacks, but also because the Concentree has quite a lot of differences - maybe more than similarities - to Pour Monsieur.

Some of the vintage Pour Monsieur/Chanel For Men are very heavy in oakmoss, which has been banned for use in perfumery. I always use Pour Monsieur as a reference when discussing oakmoss, as it is incredibly prominent in the vintage compositions - and almost entirely absent in the modern Pour Monsieur....and modern fragrances in general.

I really dislike this one and its “animalic notes” that makes you feel someone has been sneezing over you. My dad used to sneeze a lot and that smells exactly like this. I can’t stand it and hope I’ll never have to smell it again.