Oxford

Oxford is maybe the most classic, elegant, and most formal of men's shoe models, and this shoe maker's Oxford fragrance, from their Firenze line, obviously aimed to recreate that classic formal elegance. And they did a pretty good job. I wanted to try this because it was selected as the fragrance to represent the "Old Money aesthetic" on a Gentleman's Gazette video. My "Old Money" scent has been Ralph Lauren Polo (Green) for a long time. It still is, but Oxford plays the role well. It's full bottle worthy for me. But I don't think it's that close to Terre d'Hermes. Its constituent accords have different emphasis. Oxford is nowhere near as spicy as Terre. Its spiciness is actually quite reserved. It is woody - and pleasantly so, drying down to a fairly creamy benzoin/patchouli sandalwoodiness. It has more in common with any number of woody scents, from Tam Dao to others, than it does to Terre d'Hermes, including the Eau Intense Vetiver flanker. Oxford does have a certain mustiness, giving it a somewhat antique vibe. An Old Money dark wood paneled library with Chesterfield tufted leather furniture, green rugs, etc. etc. And as that Gentleman's Gazette video emphasized, the Old Money aesthetic is characteristically rather understated, reserved and has nothing to prove. And that's reflected in the reserved spiciness of Oxford and its understated quality overall. The performance was rather understated as well, but given my heavy spraying did offer some surprising longevity with occasional natural wafting to my nose. I like this. Great formal/semi-formal scent accessory. And to my nose, it's just about as good as the highly touted YSL Tuxedo in that genre.

Oxford is just ok ... not great and not horrible. The dominant notes in the opening are the peppers and a massive dose of geranium. It needs a much stronger citrus component. That would draw in some interest. I can't imagine spraying this on in a department store from a tester and impulsively buying it. It begins herbal and aromatic. it ends woody, leathery and spicy. It gets a little better as it dries down, but it is boring. 5/10

This is a very bold, leathery, woody and spicy perfume. Maybe it's because of the grapefruit and pepper, but I somehow feel this is a more serious version of Bleu de Chanel. They seem to share several notes. Bleu has more citruses whereas Oxford is much heavier on woods and spices. Very strong and long lasting.