Burberrys for Men (1981)

Was it Keat's "soft-dying day" or Yeat's "October twilight" that was preferred by this man in his walks in the Autumn sunset? Did he wear an Ivy cap to really warm his head or to appear well-read? Is he always cultural and clean or secretly damaged and sometimes mean? So many questions, so few answers at the "other end of the telescope" as Elvis Costello sang. He wore Burberrys for Men, redolent with marjoram, that one herb that is the question mark among exclamation points. Mild and sweet, much like his demeanor, like spearmint-scented oak wood, more intensified when the herb is dry, much like his sense of humor. Its smell reminds me of a walk in the Vermont woods, when you can almost smell the fauna among the flora, the smell of warm sheep's pelt, and then tang of juniper berries can be made out among the lash of mugwort bushes. It simmers down to a soft round patchouli awash in musk, firmly planted in the twilight comfort of a leather base. It is a welcome relief from the strain of dialectics, as this man takes off his cap and undoes a couple buttons of his Oxford shirt to just feel comfortable in his own human vulnerability for a while. This gem was only on the market for about ten years, subsequently replaced by an entirely different Burberrys for Men in 1991. Sadly, it's become quite scarce and is therefore a treasure in my collection. For those who may want to seek a similar sensibility, there is also the lovely original (not new) version of Perry Ellis for Men cologne, which lies in the same vicinity.

In 1981 there was a fragrance called Burberry's for men. In 1991 Burberry's launched Society for women and a companion fragrance also titled Burberry's for Men which was not the same composition as the original 1981 version, nor was it the product shown on the Society for men page, a fragrance which was launched by a different company using the same name once Society for women was no longer in production. And if all of this wasn't confusing enough, in 1995 after the apparent failure of Society for women and the 1981 & 1991 versions of Burberry's for men, the company launched another set of fragrances with the exact same name, "Burberry's", however this time the word London appeared underneath the company's moniker. Of the three versions from 1981, 1991 and 1995, the 1995 product is the only one still in production. This is now sometimes referred to as Burberry's London for men, which is even more crazily misleading because Burberry's did indeed launch a Burberry's London for men just a few years back. These two fragrances have totally different bottles and totally different compositions. When fragrance licenses expire and change hands we consumers witness all of this confusing naming business. Both Versace and Dior have suffered from the same problem with numerous fragrances launched at different times with slightly different compositions, or even wildly different compositions, but quite similar or exactly the same names.

I remember when I was about 11 years old, walking in the department store with my folks after church on a Sunday afternoon in the winter. A pretty lady asked me if I wanted a sample of this new cologne. It was the best smelling men's cologne I had ever experienced up to that point and to this day I remember how good it was. I held on to that little towelette sample as long as I could, careful to fold the pouch it came in to tuck in all the fragrance. That thing lasted about a year or more, stashed away in the upper drawer of my dresser. I never forgot it. I have owned and smelled lots of amazing fragrances since then (including a couple from Burberry), but very few made an impression on me like Burberrys did. I am sure nostalgia and the pretty lady made an impact, as well ... but this was just a great symphony of notes, period. My young nose knew it then and my old-ish nose knows it now.

For nostalgia's sake and a rare treat of this sort: I recently scored a full bottle of this, which appeared to be in good shape - even including the box and insert that describes the whole line of products. It smells almost like I remember, but not quite exactly. That's okay given how much time has passed. It DOES however, smell like a close cousin of my bottle of Gres Homme (1996). The Gres is greener and being an EDT, is stronger. But the two could be flankers smelling them side by side, with some slight divergence in the later drydown. About the strength. This is an EDC but it's an EDC like Aramis. It packs a wallop! Burberrys is absolutely worth searching for if you're a fan of this kind of scent. If no success, Gres Homme (1996) would be a great alternative.

Thankyou perfumecritic for making sense of this confusion. I knew the bottle in the main picture wasn't the one I was looking for. The Burberrys for Men that I wore and loved from the early 1980s was the vertical oblong bottle (as per the picture on the right). I haven't seen it for a long time. It was very popular and is yet another much lamented absentee (Ted Lapidus PH and Charles Jourdan un Homme). Update 9th May 2015. If like me you came to this site looking for information on the much loved 1981 original, then check out M Generation by Mauboussin. Some resemblance unless my memory is playing tricks on me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was fortunate to score a NIB mini bottle. This stuff is amazing. Old school 80s: rich, dark and mossy. Performance is excellent. Scent reminds me of V.S.O.P. and Brownstone by Paul Sebastian (both almost as hard to find as this original Burberrys). Honestly, if you already have one of those two PS fragrances, you should be all set. UPDATE: just found and purchased a 2 ounce EDC bottle!!

I had this fragrance way back in 90s and believe me i loved it. I was so fond of it that i sprayed 100 ml within few months due to tons of compliments each time i wore. It was a compliment getter, a genuine masculin aroma which use to entice every sniffer around you. Unfortunately dont find it anymore, think it is discontinued.

I concur with ismellfine -- this one's closest cousin is (the original) Perry Ellis For Men. Pine and artemisia -- two of my favorite notes! Bracingly masculine yet exceptionally elegant For the price the vintage stuff fetches nowadays, maybe I should just stick to (the original) Perry Ellis For Men.

This is a masterpiece. One of those that makes you take another deep sniff. Airy & deep at the same time, sweet without being too sweet. There is nothing like it. Ought to be relaunched.

Finally got a bottle and what do you know, it’s actually a chypre!!! Full review coming soon on the front page under the First Fragrances category ;-)

I had an opportunity to pick up an unopened mini bottle of this recently. I very much enjoy the 1995 Burberry for Men and thought I'd give this a shot. There's definitely some continuity between the two versions. I don't get the mint nearly as strongly in this 1981 version (hard to say whether it would have smelled differently 40-odd years ago), and the lavender, musk, and amber hit me much more heavily in this 1981 release than in the 1995, but the resemblance is there. To me, this smells like a man in the 80s who spends his time wearing a suit (sans jacket, much of the time) sitting in a well broken-in oxblood leather executive chair at a solidly constructed, dark-stained black walnut or mahogany desk in an office with vertical wood paneling. He might be an executive type. He might be a crime boss. The office, chair, and desk may or may not be his - I won't ask questions, he smells like he probably belongs there, one way or another. I find the 1995 release light, fresh, versatile, and well suited to daytime use in both casual and formal settings - very work appropriate, but just as easily worn with a t-shirt and nice jeans. This 1981 release is, by comparison, much darker, heavier, and, if you're not in the 1980s and the kind of person who sits in the office I describe above, probably best suited to nighttime use, or use in non-work contexts - perhaps a classy cigar lounge, or maybe a not-so-classy strip club (to give two extreme examples). I like this a lot, but I can't really think of how or where I'd wear it in my life / with my lifestyle. I'll hold onto it anyway, just in case I happen to find myself headed somewhere this would make sense to wear.

An Executive ́s scent of the early 80s. Sitting long office autumn days as a fairly succesful head of a top management organization in the construction business while dreaming of scenic golf rounds in Spain with fellow business collegues requires a scent that goes with a dynamic but mature international aspiring personality. Only a few perfumes can impersonate such an 80s character but this Burberrys for Men is one of a few. A top choice.

I had this back in the 80'. I like to use a masculine scent now and then and this was one of my favorites. I actually got a lot of compliments from men when I wore this scent!

This review is for the bottle pictured above. I can see the comparison to Tiffany for Men, though not as much to Chanel pour Homme Concentree. Here the myrrh/vanillic quality is obvious, as is the vanilla in the Tiffany, but the patchouli is much less obvious. Perhaps it is closest to Caron's Third Man, though (that one is a bit more cloying than the Burberry, which is more herbal than Third Man). What I think I like most about this one is how there is great contrast between the aromatic elements and the sweet, syrupy oriental one. Spice seems to connect the two and prevent an irritating clash from occurring. There is also a kind of woody background hum which supplies some "structure." This is the kind of scent that recent designer attempts seem to fail miserably at, and my guess is that lack of ingredient quality is the key problem (though in some cases there is another issue, such as being overly sweet). Of course some don't perceive the "synthetic" qualities of them, but that also means they probably can't appreciate the richness and depth of scents like this one. This is really well balanced and should be ranked very highly, IMO, even when compared against other vintage greats ! UPDATE: If you can't afford this one or just can't find it, I suggest trying Mesmerize for men by Avon. No, I don't think it's exactly the same or that the ingredient quality or blending is as good but it may be close enough for you, all things considered. Heritage is another in the same general range as this one. UPDATE #2: I have now tried the "original," from 1981. Apparently, the bottle (and formulation) pictured above is from around 1991/1992. In any case, the 1981 formulation smells a great deal like Vetiver de Puig, though perhaps just a bit smoother. I'll just copy and paste the notes for Vetiver de Puig below and that will give you an idea of what to expect (it's dry, with strong lavender, sandalwood, and vetiver): TOP: galbanum bergamot aldehydes lemon artemesia rosemary MIDDLE: lavender carnation cedar patchouli vetiver cumin BASE: labdanum moss musk tonka bean

So I'm writing this review because I find myself gravitating towards vintage men's fragrance. I find the 70s and 80s men's fragrances to be the most well-blended and having a depth that has been missing in men's colognes for a long time now. Burberry the original 1981 version I was able to acquire and I must say the first thing that caught my attention was the true seamless, masterful blending and superior ingredients. This cologne starts off as one might expect with that dated Macho old man smell. I don't mean in a grandpa sort of way but definitely vintage. However within 30 minutes it settles in to a warm rich smooth sent that indeed is all man. I find it very sexy yet calming. I would think this performs best in cooler climate and vintage or gated or whatever you want to call it there is no mistaking that it is a masterpiece. If you've ever had the pleasure of smelling Perry Ellis signature from 1985 you might think these two were cut from the same cloth. The similarity between the two is really interchangeable between the apapa max in Perry Ellis and the murderer in Burberry. Make no mistake although it might be an investment to acquire a bottle of Burberry the original it is so worth it. Is it something I will wear everyday know. Is it something I will wear frequently? Absolutely! It's very hard to come across these days but even if you can only score a miniature version I say go for it because these vintage fragrances like this are we coming harder and harder if not impossible to find these days and it is well worth having in a collection and certainly a true pleasure to wear as well.

I had been on a quest for this classic. Back in the 80s, someone gave me a gift pack that included stick deo; shower gel, and generous-sized bottle (probably after shave; I wasn't paying that much attention back then). But OMG, I never forgot the rustic, yet sophisticated/animal-magnetic sense from the original Burberrys. I just got my hands on 2 oz. of EDT from Ebay. It was in a plastic bottle, authentic to how this classic was packaged over 35 years ago. It is the fragrance that I remember, although there has probably been some "shifting in transit", given all the time that has past (not claiming an expert schnazzola). It did take my sense of scent back in time, nonetheless. I wonder if there is anything else really close to this fragrance, being that I'll tear through 2 oz. pretty fast, and I ponied up for what I have. Impression: conifer, but not pine, fir, or spruce; dry and just a little sweet, with a peppery hint, and good staying power.

All im getting right now is a very dry 80's leather vibe. I hope it does something soon or else its just like a lot of other masculines from the past. Good in a sense but not my style.

I had this fragrance long time back before its one of the best Burberry perfume. Whis to find 100ml .

very special, either you love it or hate it, had it in the 90 ́s.