Grey Flannel

Although it's been thru it's reformulation pilgrimage, disappearance act included, it still lasts for days on clothes, and it retains the very same clearly identifiable scent I used to smell on my uncle back in the early 80s. I confess I never dared use it until now that I'm the age he was back then. I would like to quote a blogspot entry of "frompyrgos" I found while searching the association this frag had with the Teflon Don (all rights go to the original writer) : Quote : "In the past ten years or so, niche perfumery really launched itself onto the world stage. This worried me, as most niche fragrances are only affordable if you refinance your home and send your kids to a trade school instead of college. In my experience, niche scents smell better, mainly because they're more complex than mainstream frags and made with high quality ingredients. Ideally, I would never shop at Marshalls again, and stock my wardrobe with Creed and Czech & Speake until the day I die. That could still happen, but I have to win the lotto first. Fortunately, there's a mainstream masculine out there that smells like a niche scent, and only costs $15 for a 4 ounce bottle. Grey Flannel is a modern marvel because when André Fromentin formulated it in the early '70s, he had successfully tackled one of the most difficult concepts in perfumery - the dreaded violet reconstruction. Back when it was released in 1976, Grey Flannel boasted a great big violet/violet leaf wallop that was both ethereal and against the grain. It stepped from a pantheon of leathers and bombastic orientals, and stood apart. The original formula survived for the better part of the '80s, before it was discontinued in the early '90s. One could argue that Grey Flannel's last production date was a sad one indeed. Except it wasn't. In 1996, Beene's flagship scent was reformulated and re-released. Usually reformulations strip something vital out of an old-school perfume (oak moss has been under the knife for a while now, particularly in newer versions of feminine '70s chypres), but with Grey Flannel, things were different. There were new technologies and a broader range of aroma chemicals with which to compose violet notes, and so the central accord in Grey Flannel wasn't butchered, but in fact improved. Instead of smelling harsh and "perfumey" the violet note was smoothed out, flanked by complimentary accords of citrus and moss, and allowed to breathe. Grey Flannel's current manufacturer, Elizabeth Arden Fragrances, boasts a note pyramid with multiple spices, flowers, and woods. Yet I really don't smell anything other than the basic structure of this chypre. The top is a dessicated lemon accord, bone dry to the point of almost smelling woody. Once that impeccable citrus lifts, moss-studded violet leaves arrive, ushering along with them the lovely powdery violet note. Although the sweetness of the flower peeks through the dank shade of the leaves, it never develops into the sugary floral caricature found in many feminine releases these days. It stays bitter, and very green. Everything is set against a coriander and oak moss background, until the notes fade in the drydown, leaving oak moss close to the skin. I'm fairly sure that Grey Flannel is as close as I'll ever get to the coveted Holy Grail perfume. It has simplicity, freshness, greenness - and all for pennies. I have yet to find anything that touches the beauty of Grey Flannel, although there's little doubt in my mind that Pierre Bourdon paid homage to it when he developed Green Irish Tweed some ten years after the Beene's initial release. I suppose one could complain of a perceptible "soapiness" to the Flannel, but once you get past the '70s zeitgeist aspect of virtually any late 20th Century chypre, you're left with the freedom to smell like flowers without fearing social repercussions. With this particular floral chypre, you can dress in a suit, spritz some violets on, and conquer the day as 100% pure and unadulterated Man."

The heady, nostalgic and urbane poetry of this fragrance is subtly muted and dimly lit by the waning gibbous moon in late November. This lovely creation needs patience and time to develop to its exquisite zenith. I fully realize and appreciate how polarizing this tends to be; however, I love and cherish its hidden beauty. Many years ago I bought a bottle purely by accident, thinking it was the lighter counterpart, Eau de Grey Flannel. It was most certainly not, and I could not appreciate the original for what it truly was. Recently, I was reading reviews of the fragrance here, and I noted how some people truly adored it, and my curiosity was piqued again. Then I came across a beautifully written review in this thread by LANIER that changed my understanding of this unusual and charming offering. The review gave comparisons to vintage New York couture and hinted at the melancholy nostalgia that the fragrance proffers. Indeed this fragrance is nostalgic, and fits perfectly into this time of year (late November to early December) when I am wont to gather in and recall beautiful girls that I once knew and loved and take in the magic of the moon late at night when it hangs low in the western sky and the Christmas lights are beginning to emerge in twinkling emanations. It is not for everyone, and as stated, must be given patience and decorum to reveal itself. The rewards are refined and delicate. I would personally not wear this during the Spring and Summer months, as it would be enormous and would not gain the benefit of the crisp late Autumn air. I went and found a bottle for a modest price of all of about $12.00 and decided to sit with the fragrance after reading LANIER’s review. I began to understand the subtle nuance and reverie of this unique offering, and started to fall madly in love with it. For me, it had that vintage cologne smell (as would be expected from a fragrance that was created in 1975), but it opens up into a cool, refined piece of artistry once it starts the drydown journey. The opening is bitter and longing, like the dry and tawny leaves on the trees in the cold evenings, making a definite statement with Galbanum and Petitgrain, framed with Neroli, Bergamot and Lemon, lending a certain genteel crispness to the Head notes. The magic of this fragrance is the absolutely beguiling variegated floral heart, showcasing Violet, Iris and Narcissus alongside demure Rose and earthy Geranium. This Heart gives a softness and roundness to the clearly pronounced Head. It also defines the fragrance as very much unisex for me, as I would enjoy smelling this distinguished creation on a female companion. The Drydown consists of Vetiver, Tonka Bean and Almond, lending the fragrance its aforementioned nostalgic beauty. I wore this out to procure some orange spice tea from a local shop today, and loved how it artfully blended with the chilly November day. It is an unusual stand-alone in the current world of easily accessible and sometimes uninteresting fragrances, one to take rightful place in a haute couture perfume counter. I would suggest a glance through LANIER’s review of this magnificent offering, go find a bottle (the price alone is a peppercorn asking that makes the risk of adventure nearly non-existent), slow down and allow it a platform to speak, and perhaps the magic of the November night will reveal itself and its occulted mystery as it did for me. I would most definitely wear this if I were taking a girlfriend to an expensive dinner and an evening at the symphony or an art show opening, followed by a romantic walk in the chilly late night along the softly lit uptown shops. This has a hidden place in the twilight corridors of my heart.

Very unique yet classic, timeless, masculine DNA! I just purchased a 3.4 oz bottle for freakin' $10 at Ross!? wWOWw! And look, YES, This fragrance's dna has most certainly been negatively affected by reformulations, ABSOLUTELY, but it still retains the essence of what makes Grey Flannel, well,...GREY FLANNEL! The performance is still pretty decent (especially on clothes). I just got my bottle yesterday, held off on leaving a review here on Fragrantica so I could spritz some on my shirt last night to test the performance, and its still quite present on my shirt (as a skin scent). So Kudos to whomever now owns the Geoffrey Beene brand for NOT destroying this classic GEM'S dna, thus obliterating the performance (like what happened to our BELOVED (Drakkar Noire or Polo) for example😡. I love how the Violet Leaf offers that bitter/sharp, dry/ozonic vibe, and idk if it's just my nose, but I can REALLY pick up on the Rose 🌹 note with this lastest reform, which just plays perfectly with the rest of this "Kitchen Sink dna". I also love the "slight funk" of the powdery accord used here which totally adds to Grey Flannel's classic vibe. Ive been pondering getting Grey Flannel bc Ive recently been so very dissapointed by TOO MANY classic fragrances with newly aquired PISS-POOR longevity/performance that I wasn't even willing to spend the $10 just to be dissapointed AGAIN, and honestly, I thought that the $10 pricetag was a reflection of the poor performance, but thankfully, I was quite WRONG😉. It's pretty awesome when companies respect and actually TRY to retain the integrity of of the DNS many peoples Beloved classic fragrances!! its become more and more rare these days sadly, and sorta feels, well (disrespectful) imo. Im so, so glad that I went for it and added Grey Flannel to my collection, and I definately recommend it to whomever used to love this dna, and also to whomever wants to add some classic frags to their collection so they can achieve some diversity. I highly recommend this and for $10!!! A "NO BRAINER"!! Hands down! Im just so excited that this smells (almost the same) and still performs well🤩 7 outta 10 frag, and thats outta my 60+ frag collection which contains everything from Tom Fords Black Orchid, Niche, Clones and "Cheapies". Thanks to whomever took the time to read my thoughts on Grey Flannel.. Such a Pleasant Surprise considering today's reformulations!! 😉👌

Thank you, amjad77! I just ordered a bottle for myself because of your review! I know I will love it. Partly because I love galbanum & the other notes in this fragrance Partly because of your sweet tears. Will update this with my own review when it arrives. UPDATE: Just got my bottle! WOW! Mon Dieu, quelle beauté! The 240 ml bottle did not have an atomiser, which I was prepared for, after reading some of the comments. Just put a few drops on my lower arm and got hit with the most beautiful combination of powdery violet, geranium & mimosa! As someone earlier have mentioned it does smell like an old, Louisiana dandy who undoubtedly comes from WEALTH! After about an hour the powdery flowers give way to sparkling, green narcissus, vetiver & cedar. After 4 hours it turns into almonds & woody skinscent. There is indeed a LOUD & extremely potent galbanum note throughout the whole process. If you're not fond of galbanum, you will not like this creation. I can't believe I got the LAST bottle of this in the shop. Now they're out of stock! I lucked out!! Projection is moderate! At an arms lenght! I don't understand how anyone can hate it. I don't detect any polarizing notes in it at all. At least not on my skin. It's very green, aromatic & powdery. I understand that powdery notes is an unusual choice for a masculine fragrance. The only explanation would be if a person has a really awful olfactory memory connected to any of the notes. If you're an inexperienced teenager, a generalist or someone who's not into perfumes and just wants to smell "nice" - Grey Flannel is probably not for you. Grey Flannel is for men with refined taste & for hedonistic libertines like myself. Also in the modern verison the oakmoss seems to have gone out after a pack of smokes, never to be found again... I'd like to try the vintage version in the future!

+ International long standing appreciated men's frag with subdued reputation. Have it, enjoy wearing it. Sometimes I nix my reach for the sake of others I may encounter during the day who could be mystified or put off. + With some other frags that have capacity to offend I don't care what it does to people because they need it and are fair game for such exposures. With Grey Flannel by Beene it is a different matter altogether. It has a scope of open field herbal, woody and floral qualities that for some sniffers takes a long while to absorb, digest and acclimate. It is not like Kouros or Aramis by which it is good for people's character development to be steamrolled. + Grey Flannel has a murky element. It has moments of herbal bog perfusion that one learns to especially enjoy. It can smell like a home made medicine pack geared toward deepening lung power or maybe for soothing modern world blues. To my nose it is pleasantly medicinal rather than unwashed grunge hippy. + Works well year round on my skin and is a fun spray to pull on occasions where I notice freedom is present to let those I encounter deal with it in happiness or in some unknown internal challenge they generally keep to themselves. Some teens and twenty-somethings struggle to identify its category. They sniff and sniff and keep coming up with question marks. I think this is a healthy life discovery process for them. + What I most like about GF is how it is similar to a favorite wool sweater that has surpassed objective fashion evaluation due to kindness in service rendered.