Chaps

(Readers may note my reviews are generally favorable. That is because I wear only fragrances that appeal to me.) Chaps came into my life in the early 1990s via a gift set that I may have personally bought on after-Christmas clearance at the Navy Exchange. The outdoors and spending as much time outside as possible are important to me, so the rugged (but not TOO rugged) Chaps outdoors image resonated. My dream was to live in the West, and Chaps used Western imagery in their marketing, and that too had resonance. This was also the beginning of my Ralph Lauren period, and Chaps - fragrances and the clothing line - was an affordable entrée into the World of Ralph Lauren. So it all went together to consciously shape an image of who I was, and who I continue to be - ruggedly outdoors in a gentlemanly, Hemingway-esque, River Runs Through It kind of way. I continued to buy Chaps deodorant, cologne, and aftershave over the years, and because Chaps is strong and long-lasting with excellent sillage, the deodorant and a few dabs of aftershave often sufficed and were economical. It was as close to a signature fragrance as anything I ever had. Chaps was produced by L'Oreal USA who discontinued the line several years ago. There's about half of a treasured 1 oz. bottle of cologne remaining in my wardrobe. I use it sparingly and intentionally, usually on weekends, because as previously stated, it is strong and long-lasting with excellent sillage. Try it if you run across it at an affordable price.

It's really a masterpiece! Also it's my signature scent at least for now, it's so special, I remember I felt in love with it the first time I smell it on my grandpa, And since that day I started to wear it with him, he passed away 1 year ago, and this perfume reminds me of him with beautiful memories, when I grew up I forgot what was its name, I asked my grandpa and since he was a perfumes addict as well, he couldn't know about which perfume I'm talking about, yet what I still remember very well about it is the bottle with the bull face on it, so I started to search in Google but couldn't find it, I tried a lot then I found it eventually in the same year my grandpa was going to pass away, I told hime about it and it was hard for him to find it in the USA, so he sent me 200$ dollars and told me to buy it if I ever find it in the middle east, after 2 months of him passing away, I got lucky founding it in a very old store, and I found the original version of it the one of Warner Lauren, I bought it immediately, and I'm so happy with this one to be my signature scent, beside its wonderful smelling combining freshness with powderyness along side with cleanliness, depth and maturity, it is full of lovely vibes and memories back to the 90s when I used to smell it on my grandpa. I hope Ralph Lauren never stopped manufacturing this masterpiece :( for me it's an all seasons fragrance I can wear it anytime anywhere.

"MASTERPIECE" I know you've heard it a million times about any particular fragrance, but CHAPS is literally the epitome of a classical masterpiece in the history of perfumery. It is quite simply THE perfect male fragrance composition and a genius creation. This is the 1980's in a bottle. It captures the soul of that amazing decade. A time where anything was possible, living was FUN, everything was enjoyed with overflowing abundance, Western Civilization was at it's peak, the music, culture and the world of perfumery was in it's final renaissance. Living large, having fun, cruising around for hours aimlessly with RATT blasting through the speakers, growing your hair, wearing a leather jacket, enjoying your FREEDOM to the max, and doing it all with that amazing scent aura of CHAPS surrounding you giving you the confidence that anything is possible and the future looked so bright. This was the 1980's and CHAPS was it's scent. This is an UNFORGETTABLE cologne that they would be very wise to bring back. Old bottles are in very high demand and easily sell for over $300 on ebay. When you find an unopened spray bottle for sale it's like discovering a hidden treasure or striking gold. A newly relaunched CHAPS, original bottle, same formulation as the 1980's version, would sell like hot-cakes!!! Beyond a shadow of a doubt. It would spark a new revival in the currently dying world of perfumery.

This is a Men's Cologne that means a lot to me and is near and dear to my heart... this was the first cologne ever given to me by my grandfather. I always felt like an adult when I applied this on, despite being very young. smelling it just conjurers up images of my grandparents, hard working Italian migrants coming to America. I will try and put sentiments aside and give an honest opinion. Being this is near impossible to find I will try and give my thoughts on it, giving modern men a glimpse into the past... a time, when men acted and smelled like men; and felt no guilt or shame about it. First off this is a very old and dated fragrance by today's standards. Men in 2020 would probably be put off by the scent, thinking it is too "old man-ish". Only suitable for cold seasons. It would be overbearing in summers high heat. This is a scent to be worn outside, definitely not an indoors office scent. So versatility wise you are very limited. Being I had and still have the EDC vintage version, this projected 2-3 hours easy. After that it slowly died down to a skin scent that could be smelled on you all day. I know non of you will probably never smell this but believe me when I tell you, this was a testament to it's time.

I don't own any bottle or decant of this legendary classic anymore but I am reviewing based on my memory. it was one of my signature office scent in the early 80's. Back then, Polo Green was very popular and quite pricey and this one, also from RL was a good affordable alternative as far as I remember, just like Coty's Aspen to CK Eternity, but it wasn't a clone just to be clear. I already forgot about this fragrance until I saw in eBay by accident, that the price of this juice was already way up. I believe it is no longer manufactured or it's now discontinued. I don't think I'm gonna spend a couple of hundreds just to get a vintage bottle of this beauty since I wore it for a long time when I was younger. But don't get me wrong, this is a really good frag with 80's vibe but if you are a hobbyist or collector, it wouldn't hurt to sample this one. “Let's spread the scents of peace and kindness. The two most beautiful fragrance in the world that will cost you nothing and will get you a totally different kind of compliments” 🙏

The most iconic Power House fragrance par exellence! bold, complex, rich, aromatic, masculine,macho curly hair chest showing up from unbuttoned lumberjack shirt;Tom of Finland,Warmoesstraat in Amsterdam,gay glory holes sniffing poppers,a raw leather cake that will exhaust your senses,Dinosaur projection.You thought Aoud was the non plus ultra, well, Chaps is beyond all heavy fragrances but besides all the clichés and adjectives we could find to describe its masculinity and lonesome cowboy stories, I find it a very refined fragrance. Only a few drops left on my bootle. Please,bring it back.Why discontinuing such a great fragrance? I am sure if it was reissue again without being reformulated it could be a best seller. Masterpiece.

Bring it back. Please. In the 90s and early 2000s. This was my jam. I Had went through many bottles. And I had forgotten about it. When I went to look for it I learned it was no more. Last bottle I had was bought around 2002 or something. Fast forward to 2024 It was like last year I learned it was discontinued. 🤣 oh I mean 😪 I know I should be ashamed . I forgot all about it. But I got lost with all these newer releases. So I lost track of I kind of forgotten what it smelled like. But I liked it. Been so long I have to find something close at least. So let me know if something. Something that will perform would be nice. Sante Fe was another I kept around that no longer with us. Those shits smelled good man. I miss them.

I got this for my father once for Christmas years back. Had absolutely no idea what it smelled like. Then he put it on almost right away and boy did it smell great on him! I loved when he'd walk past me and i'd catch a good whiff of it. It's manly and spicy but also warm and vaguely sweet underneath, which really suited my dad. I should also add that i'm not a big fan of overly cool scents on men so this one appealed to my senses. I prefer this one much more over Stetson. Unsurprisingly, my dad used up the whole bottle and he still has that empty bottle sitting there. I haven't stumbled across Chaps again in the store. But one of these days, if i spot it again, i'll definitely pick up another bottle for him.

Man, how I miss this one. Sadly discontinued back in 2008. Still in my top ten of all time. Nothing else even resembles this. It was one of a kind and one the best spicy/leather fragrances ever! Someone needs to bring this back into production, but in a stronger EDT concentration!!! The cologne was amazing and long lasting, but could you imagine that amazing scent amplified? It would sell better than it ever did. And CHAPS was a HUGE seller back then. Maybe Estee Lauder would buy the rights and bring it back? Maybe E.A. Fragrances? Somebody has to have the business smarts to see that bringing this back would be very profitable.

I LOVE Chaps. It's my favorite cologne for men. It screams masculinity and strength, with no apologies. I bought a bottle for my hubby - he prefers brighter frags like Acqua di Gio - but he'll wear this for me every so often. I love it! It's like an aphrodisiac! I agree, it's a bit harsh straight out of the bottle, but the drydown is amazing. Very long-lasting with good sillage. The 2007 version, in my opinion, was just a joke (shame on you, RL!). I'm pretty sure the original version has been discontinued, but I've been able to buy a couple of bottles online.

Ah, for the days of this wonderful cologne and others like it. By far the best men's cologne I've ever found. My boyfriend wore it in the early 80s and I would wear his sometimes. We'd go out together, him smelling like Chaps and me radiating warmth with the original Opium, still my favorite perfume of all time. Chaps, Opium, and Evyan's Most Precious would be the scents that I would choose to resurrect if I were in charge of such things.

I bought this cologne several times in the 90s and I love it, I just love it. The base notes are the bomb, but the longevity is just not long enough. I just don't understand why they don't make this classic cologne anymore.. I miss this cologne so much, and if it's still around, I'd buy it right away..

I always loved the aftershave. I bought it for my husband when we dated, then married. I even had some in my secret stash so I could smell it whenever I wanted. mmmm! Sometimes I would wear it to work, just for me.

dirty smelling cologne like a man with extra rough hands breaking in horses all day on the ranch and rolling around in cow manure & doesn't care what a woman wants after a hard days work

Masterpiece by all means! Why discontinued & replaced by an unworthy scent called also chaps ? Bring back the Original chaps !

یک عطر کلاسیک، قدیمی و بسیار مردانه. هر موقع بوی آن به مشامم می خورد یاد فیلمهای وسترن و مرحوم جان وین می افتم

The best classic masterpiece !

This is a very manly, woody fragrance. I've had a 100ml bottle for about 35 years, now. Interestingly enough, it was given to me as a gift and my initial impression of it was not particularly favorable. It comes on very strong - too strong for my taste at the time. And, it was so strong that I never really gave it a chance. But, still, I hung onto it. I recently pulled this out of an old box of stuff that never got unpacked when I moved and decided to give it an honest try. Once I got past the initial harshness of this classic fragrance, it dried down to a much more manageable and livable scent that is nice and clean smelling with woody and leathery notes. My reaction today was, "everything old is new, again." This is a vintage fragrance that anyone in their 20's or 30's could wear and no one around them would recognize it - so, they would likely be asked what they were wearing. It would be suffocating in hot weather, so it's best suited for fall and winter and early spring. This would be a great scent to wear while camping in the woods. I went on ebay to see if I could find it - and, I did. It's very expensive these days, fetching upwards of $300US for a 100ml bottle. So, be on the lookout for it at garage and estate sales, unless you just WANT to pay that much for an old bottle of cologne. And, even if you don't care for it, if you can find an almost full bottle of it - like mine - sell it off to fund the purchase of some fragrances that you do love. For myself, I'll hang onto it and wear if from time to time - just to be able to tell people what I'm wearing and what it costs these days when they don't recognize it and ask me about it.

Chaps by Ralph Lauren epitomizes a singular, linear essence. As expounded by this source, its note composition warrants meticulous examination over time. Presently, my schnoz detects nuances of vanilla, sandalwood, leather, and patchouli. It must be my sample, as it is almost 30 years old. I remember my grandfather wearing this when he would visit the United States from England, he thought this was America encapsulated within a bottle. This definitely has a nod towards Grandad and while faithful , it seems a bit emasculated. As I mentioned before this being a very one-dimensional fragrance, that wasn't an idea or notion that I understood as a child. This smell to me as a young man, was adult man. Despite the absence of leather in its official scent profile, the amalgamation of certain notes unmistakably evokes a leather-like aura. This fragrance exudes a timeless allure reminiscent of the western 1830s through the amorphous, late '70s, exuding masculinity in its purest form. It resonates with the spirit of the rugged cowboy, evoking images of men actively engaged in the untamed wilderness. This scent cannot be unisex. Though it may seem antiquated to contemporary sensibilities, it remains a steadfast representation of traditional masculinity through the annals of history. I adjudge Chaps a commendable rating of 6.2 out of 10.

my 3 uncles would wear this stuff when I was probably like around 10-12 years old...used to douse myself in it since they had the after shave bottles and I had no clue what the hell I was doing back then so I would splash a ton of it on even though I wasn't shaving at that age...I remember it being very manly, leathery, animalic and almost a hint of sweet tobacco like scent with musk...I would probably like it more now and appreciate it more now that I am in my 40's...if they ever brought it back at a reasonable price I would definitely pick it up for nostalgic purposes to add to my now collection

I just bought this for cheap off a flea market app, two bottles almost full (with box and faux leather bottle case). The box says copyright 1979. It smells just like everyone is saying below: leather and spice. The dry down isn't terrible, it does soften up a bit. But these days, no man should go out in public smelling like this. There are so many better, modern alternatives for this type of scent. Dislike, for me. I'll go sell this now for an astronomical price on ebay.

با نظر آقای سامی هاردانیان کاملا موافقم کاری کلاسیک و مردانه و برای من که بسیار نوستالوژیک است هنوز که هنوز است گاهی برای رایحه آن دلم تنگ میشود اگرچه شاید امروزیها زیاد آنرا نپسندند اما در نوع خود و برای فصل پاییز و زمستان همچنان بی نظیر است و از دوام و پخش بالای بویی هم برخوردار است مقداری بوی بادام تلخ هم از رایحه اش به مشام میرسد در کل عطری است مردانه کلاسیک گرم و تلخ چرمی و ادویه ای به قول دوستمان وسترن و کابوی یاد مرحوم جان وین و گری گوری پک را تداعی میسازد

One of my first designer colognes ever. Very manly and very distinct. It was worn by all the cool guys in my high school. Very popular until Polo became the new rage. Then it fell out of favor, and gasp . . . was sold at Wal-Mart. Chaps seems to have been forgotten for the most part over the years, but I remember it well. Wish I would have kept my old half full bottle. Will definitely be keeping my eyes open for a vintage.

This kind of smells like Christmas cookies. Fizzy spices with a smooth, almost doughy base. Not a "love", but I really, really like it. Not at all sweet, but it kind of tricks you into thinking it is.

A more subtle and refined version of Stetson. Fantastic nostalgic scent from the 80's. The scent itself was not long-lasting, but the memories are.

I used to dislike Chaps. I just tried it again after a year, and now I love it. Amazing how your tastes change as you grow with experience.

This (the old version) is what I wished Stetson could have been. It's still a sweet brown brew, with honey and flowery spices yielding to a gentle musk, but while Stetson smelled like my mom's Norell and had no balls, Chaps probably has one. It's not very strong so sometimes I try to do a double dose. Even so, the base notes are pretty weak and I sometimes will re-splash myself to smell anything at all. If I breathe deeply over the splash spot, I get a slight pee residue smell. I wish there were something astringent or sour other than that pee in the mix, even if only for the first few minutes, to break up the monotonous, though not quite overpowering, sweetness.

First off, it's obvious some reviews here are from ebay sellers of Chaps telling you it's worth the pay the $100+ for vintage bottles of this crap. DO NOT FALL FOR IT!! Chaps is quite possibly the worst smelling cologne I ever had the unfortunate displeasure of putting my nose on. It's Kerosene rubbed on a leather saddle just taken off a sweaty horse after a long run. And I'm by no means a fragrance snob, I like a lot of cheapies (Stetson, Brut, English Leather, etc.) And the guy below me (ebay?) claiming woman "go nuts over this?" Well, I have to agree, because if I came home wearing this my wife would go nuts all right! And it won't be pretty!

I still remember the scent and that I didn't like it. I was probably 18 at the time (1982) and a friend of mine had it in his backpack at the beach. All I know is that to my untrained nose (at that time) that it was waaaaay too heavy for the summer. He would wear it and I just didn't like it. I was more of a Polo Green guy.

Not particularly fond of this fragrence. But in all fairness, I haven't smelled in years since I was in high school. But to my recollection, this is an extremely strong musky smell. Maybe at that time in my life, it wasn't the best fragrence for my age group.

Reminds me of the Marlboro man. It is very strong scent that overpowers your senses and transports you to the old western era. I cant stand the leather on it and gives me a splitting headache plus it smells dated. Perfect for Tom Selleck!

I associate this scent with barf. I've done that for over 30 years. To this day I can't smell this stuff without wanting to gag.

Old school yes, but too strong, crude and rough for me. Gave it away for a raffle. It's a negative I'm afraid

Strong, rough, animalic. No refinement. Some will love, some will dislike, but nobody can be indifferent.

Now Chaps was one cologne that I just thought would always be around, easily obtainable in a drugstore and taken for granted. Funny how the scarcity mentality can lift what some might've considered a 'lowly' cheapie into legendary status. Joni Mitchell was right, "Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got till it's gone." I found this bottle of L'Oreal formulation Chaps from 2005, brand new, and the price was right, so now I have a generous quantity in my possession. I seldom quibble about formulations, and yes, for some who do quibble, I don't want to hear any malarkey about the Cosmair version being superior. What I have here is everything and more to my nose: tonquitone base overdose, which I love, along with all the woody, herbal, aromatic elements that blur the lines between fougere and chypre. Released at the tail end of the 70s, with Tom Selleck as the spokesman, we already paint a picture of its targeted demo (if the name of the cologne and its aesthetic itself wasn't already a give away). Let's not fool ourselves, though, this juggernaut of machismo was not just beloved by the straighties, the Dads and the like. This must've been thick in the air at Trocadero Transfer. Let's be real. Scents like Chaps are sublimely homoerotic. Chaps splashed onto the International Man of Pleasure would have them on their knees zipping dungarees. However, this is not to say that hetero men who are comfortable with themselves to be impervious to any association with the above should heed the call that Chaps may just be transcendent: everything to everyone. I never discuss whether a scent can potentially attract a (sexual) partner, but I would gather that if you are in the right place, at the right time, with the right company, Chaps would do just a little bit of work for you, too. Whoever your partner might be, they will be embraced by you and your rugged, dusty, powdery sandalwood skin scent come morning.

Just received my 1 ounce bottle of this, which appears to be from circa 1991. Pretty much as I remember it. The lavender is more animalic than I remembered, simply by virtue of being a bit more natural than the bottle I had in the late 1990s/early-2000s (like all things, this fragrance was cheapened), but otherwise the same. I will say that Chaps is a beautiful fragrance, a simple two-step of lavender and honeyed tonka that gets woodier and more powdery as it dries. This fragrance was featured in "Road House" with Patrick Swayze, so there's a clue to its manliness. Good luck picking out individual notes beyond the lavender and the woody faux-sandalwood. It's all very blended, and it's nigh impossible to pick it apart in detail. Is it worth paying $200 for a vintage bottle? Hold out and pay no more than $40 like I did. It's just about worth that much. An ambery fougère with only a few embellishments, similar to Brut, but darker, woodier, a bit more austere in character and perhaps a victim of "caloney-baloney" qualities, as a couple little dabs of this stuff is enough to fill a room. Classic nonetheless, and worth seeking out at the right price.

I received a bottle of this as a Christmas gift when I was about 10 or 11 years old (I'm 33 now, to give you an idea of how long ago this was), and yes, I did wear it. I want to say this was probably one of the first "real" colognes I ever wore growing up that wasn't a sample of Polo my mother got at the Sears cologne counter. Looking back on it, what I remember most about this smell was the almost overwhelming notes of leather and spice. If I was to compare it to some other products I've smelled over the years, I'd say Chaps sat somewhere between English Leather and Stetson by Coty in terms of smell; not quite as pungent as English Leather, but not quite as clean smelling as Stetson, either. The main image I have stuck in my brain after all this time would be that of a cowboy or farmhand getting cleaned up and ready for a night on the town, and this is what he'd reach for. Definitely not an everyday wear scent, much better suited for evening use. I'm not sure which one I have a harder time believing; that they quit making it, or that it's going for such astronomical prices on ebay. Definitely one I miss.

A few years ago I learned that the origninal formula was discontinued, and that the entire Chaps brand had been sold to Kohl's department stores. Kohl's carries Chaps 1978, and Chaps Weekend. Both are reformulated and smell nothing at all like the original. I searched online and found a bottle on Ebay, but it had already gone stale. Now I know where the expression "old lady perfume" comes from, because that's what I smelled like after I put it on. I dumped it down the drain and could see that all the ingredients had separated. I did some research on the Ralph Lauren website and found that Lauren had stopped making the original in 2007. That means if you are lucky enough to find a bottle somewhere online, it's going to be at least five years old.

Unlike Lana Lool, I don't perceive a lot of patchouli (which I only like in small amounts) though it's a bit urinous. Vintage Givenchy Gentleman, on the other hand, is a patchouli sledgehammer, at least at first. Anyway, think of Gomma. Now sweeten it up a touch. Now add a pinch of Kouros. That's more or less vintage Chaps. There's a very interesting powdery quality that has more of a dusty, dry outdoors aspect than the powderiness of a fragrance like Dior Homme. As you might expect, I have to be in the mood for this one. The drydown isn't as crude as the opening, thankfully. It's natural smelling and lasts a long time, with excellent projection ("sillage") and a great though subtle sandalwood note.

One word MASTERPIECE !! A perfume wearer man’s Dream stuff - The opening was to die for the only complaint i had was the magic of opening lasted less than an hour on my skin this was already very hard to find i dont knowwhy Ralph Lauren never placed it at it’s due spot in their promotion - Many scent lovers have not even heard this name has been my experience i carry a quarter bottle of cologne from 1992 as souvenir - i strongly recommend a clone house like Dua or Armaf get down to resurrect this Masterpiece and let the fragrance community taste the forgotten magic

Insert PHOENIX ACCOUTREMENTS DOPPELGANGER ORANGE. Another fine offering from a wet shaving brand. They have clones of lost or reformulated gems, most are really really good. They have a few that contain menthol for cooling effect, that does tend to muddle the initial fragrance in the aftershaves, but it settles in fine after some time. I would recommend avoiding the menthol takes, unless that was part of the original to begin with. Anyhow nice retro clone, at a fraction of the EBay market costs. Give it a try, they are a great brand.

Chaps by Ralph Lauren was, by far, my favorite cologne. Without fail, I would get a compliment every time I wore it - and I honestly mean "without fail"! Whether I was shopping at the grocery store or enjoying an evening out at a nightclub, it was an absolute given that someone would approach me to say how nice I smelled. I have yet to find another cologne that evoked the same response from people. The original Aramis was a distant second, but nothing compared to Chaps. I wish they would bring it back!

I've made a discovery. So..I apply Stetson. Both the Cologne and After Shave. The Stetson Cologne I have doesn't come equipped with an atomizer spray, but that's ok. So after that, I layer some Original Issey Miyake After Shave Lotion. BOOM!!! It smells like Chaps. I'm 43 years old and never got to experience Chaps as an adult. However, my dad used to rock Chaps back in the day. I used to sneak a splash here and there and loved it as a kid. My mix is the closest I could get to Chaps. Try it!

The Classic Masculine fragrance in my book The opening is extraordinarily beautiful reminiscent of a tough Marlboro man or cow boy - the only complaint I had was that after half an hour of heavenly opening the scent would go quiet I wish instead of discontinuing this masterpiece Ralph Lauren should have worked on longevity - I sincerely hope some reputed clone house like Dua or Alexandria take this up and strengthen the graph as per their usual policy

Easily my favorite fragrance from Ralph Lauren, Chaps is an invigorating burst of lavender and patchouli, with a swift drydown of powdery leather and sandalwood. Everything is represented in tandem, but it's very crudely executed. Still, the fragrance works, if only because it is simple, concise, and utterly masculine. Nothing to lose sleep over if it can't be found, but worth purchasing if it is.

Chaps does not fit my personality at all. The smell reminds me of a cowboy who just wrestled a sweaty bull. That is fine if you want to smell like you just got off the range, but for an urban IT professional it just doesn't work. There is a stong powder smell that almost feels like you are trying to cover up soiling yourself. This is far from sophisticated.

Man what a trip I'd completely forgotten chaps. My grandpa gave me a bottle of it and it remained in my collection for years because I had no idea what I had, I was stuck on aqua di gio at the time and totally took for Granted what a great scent it was. Anyway ran out years ago and am always looking for something similar.

My boyfriend is the best smelling man in the world to me. "Chaps" has the power to make even him smell repellent, which is saying a lot for the power of "Chaps". It has a sour, heachache-inducing smell that lingers on him and in my nose for hours. Too strong, too sour, with horrendously long staying power.

My dad had this. It was animalic in a good way. Very dirty also in a good way. It was so complex but yet simple. Such a classic. My dad also owned Avon Wild Country, Polo Classic Green, Classic Estee Lauder. Those were such historic gems that are unforgotten poems..So was my dad.

I remember stealing a bottle of this from my local Walmart on Long Island as a teenager. It wasn’t one of the bottles behind the glass case and was considered cheap. Now as a hard working adult and valuing fragrances but more importantly ethics; I would consider buying a bottle.