Since I’ve been pathologically exhibitionist lately in terms of my kit, I thought I’d go ahead and post this. It is, with the exception of a few barber-shop-type after shaves, my full collection. I thought I’d use this as an opportunity to share some thoughts I’ve formed along the way, not just about individual fragrances, but about developing a collection in a deliberate way.
As do many, I think of my collection in terms of niches, primarily defined by seasonal wearability, situational adaptability, and overall fragrance style. I currently have a fair amount of overlap in my collection, so here I’ve focused on roughly half. The numbers suggest a priority ranking. The items marked with green are what I, with my tastes and preferences, consider quintessential foundational items; one wanting to build a collection would do very well by starting here. The items marked with blue represent a next-level expansion of the set.
Two caveats: First, this posting reflects my personal preferences and opinions and may not predict your own experience of these fragrances. Second, my notes here will be neither comprehensive nor definitive; I hope that if something catches your eye you will use the forum search feature to learn more; these have been well discussed.
With that, let’s take roll.
1) Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood. At $30 a bottle, this unassuming workhorse delivers class, three-season wearability, versatility and value. It is equally at home in the office or out on the town. It is a gentlemen’s scent in a traditional style, neither overly sweet nor dry, and built around a heady herbal/floral expansiveness anchored by sandalwood. Those used to contemporary colognes may find this one a bit “fuddy duddy,” but if you’re wanting to recapture a bit of the old school, this is a great first step. Similar: Brooks Brothers 1818.
2) Penhaligon’s English Fern. Number 1 carries a humble price tag, but your financial luck just ran out; at a whopping $90 a bottle, Penhaligon’s fragrances brazenly shake you down for your milk money. But this one is so fresh, green, sweet and wearable that it makes an excellent investment. Meant to evoke the English countryside, this one is a classic fougere, or “fern” scent. The fern accord is a combination of lavender and oakmoss, which together form something extraordinary. Within the green sweetness, you might catch hints of clover and wintergreen. I always get compliments when I wear this one. It’s well suited to spring and summer, but why not enjoy it year round. Similar: Trumper Wild Fern.
3) Trumper Eucris or Woods of Windsor ($35 or $70). This is where niche thinking applies. With 1 and 2, we already have two distinctive scents, broad wearability, and year-round seasonal coverage. So now let’s push out one end of the spectrum by adding something heavier for cool weather. And make no mistake; these two are the tawny port and tweed jacket of the cologne realm. Either/or will fill the niche nicely. Eucris ($70) is a complex, spicy EDT with hints of cumin and the signature Trumper “dusty” note – in this case delivered by crushed mulberry leaves. Woods of Windsor ($35, dwindling availability) is a traditional leather fragrance, based on a formula used to perfume leather in days of yore. This one features neroli, lemongrass and verbena in a solidly constructed formula. I would be hard pressed to choose between the two, but if forced, would go with the Eucris.
4) Caswell Massey Number Six or Taylor of Old Bond Street No. 74 Victorian Limes (around $30 ea.). Widening the circle back toward the warmer months, now, let’s add a citrus. CM No. 6, said to have been a favorite of Geo. Washington, is an orange-based eau-de-cologne with hints of clove and spice. It is light, and some say it has very limited legs. I am fortunate in that I will catch hints of it throughout the day. Taylor Limes is a straightforward limes scent with good longevity. It’s tangy, but not quite as sharp as you might expect it to be; there is something in the formula that rounds it out just a bit, giving it body and presence, but without intruding on the limes scent.
At this point, I would consider the bases covered in fine style – except for, perhaps, a casual weekend knockabout fragrance. These top four would constitute my universal recommendations for starting a collection. From here on, there is more variability in terms of usability and rank order. My own particular preferences are much more evident now.
5) Trumper Marlborough: As with #1, I see this as a three-season scent appropriate for office or social events, and that’s why it leads off Round 2. At its core, it’s a cedar fragrance, but one that’s on a mind-expanding trip from all those geraniums it ate earlier. It’s dry, heady, floral, snappy, soapy and woody all at once – a bit of a perfume-like edge to it, but well enough anchored that the whole thing just ends up clean and classy. This is one that I actually like more as it wears throughout the day. (This is the wee bottle, but it comes in full 100 ml. as well.)
6) Trumper Spanish Leather: I almost feel guilty deferring this one until #6, but this is where my niche approach leaves it. Somewhat like #1, in that it is a medium-bodied, three-season, traditional style cologne that can bridge a wide range of situations. Rich and leathery with a bit of the Trumper dustiness, it has been described by some as “gramps-ish.” But it is so well done (and so widely heralded) that you owe it to yourself to check it out. (If you disagree, I’ll let you take it up with Gordon, Mike Sandoval and a few dozen others.)
7) Taylor Mr. Taylor or Roger & Gallet Vetiver: Not often cited, these are two excellent, affordable fragrances with a dry herbal/grassy edge to them. The Taylor is drier, but both are complex in a subtle, intriguing way. They conjure images of woven reed mats, burlap bags of grass seed, and the hint of incense on the breeze. The R&G is sweetened and deepened by a bit of citrus. (Side note: I first encountered R&G Vetiver at Colonial Drug in Boston, and for me it will always be linked by association with the sophistication and charm of that great city.) Still, I generally prefer drier things, so if I had to choose, I would give the Taylor a slight edge.
8) Truefitt & Hill Grafton or Tuscany by Aramis: I believe it is useful to have at least one contemporary style cologne, and these are two great candidates – distinctive without rocking the boat. Truefitt’s sales copy refers to Grafton’s “herbaceous” qualities, which for me are the heart of its appeal. There are some vague leathery/woody tones, as well. There is a certain warmth to the woodiness, but it is counterbalanced by the expansive (ozonic?) contemporary notes. In all, it’s a very balanced and classy formula. The Tuscany is an old standby of mine – spicy and exotic, yet still very controlled and sophisticated. Check it out at your local department store.
9) Trumper Sandalwood or Hoyt’s Cologne: With very different styles and price tags, these are two unlikely niche-mates, but it’s time for that weekend knockabout cologne – something that’s casual and comfortable. I don’t exactly get sandalwood from the Trumper; it’s sweet and has a toasty golden hay-like note along with a bit of a ginger note. The visual I get from it is drinking a ginger ale in a hayfield on a late autumn afternoon, with the low-angled sunlight casting long shadows. (If you like a sweet, toasty sandalwood, also check out Crabtree & Evelyn Sandalwood; you pay 20% less for twice the amount in Trumper’s 50 ml. bottle.) The Hoyt’s is an American classic dating from 1868; it has some lavender in it, but a lot of other things going on as well – floral, spices (anise, maybe?), a little citrus perhaps. This one is hard to describe, but it’s very distinctive yet casual. A real sleeper.
10) Musgo Real No. 2 Oak Moss: This one is just about a niche unto itself – a clean scent that is green and aromatic, yet fairly dry. It smells of green leaves and snapped fresh twigs – with a balsamic quality around the edges – very distinctive. Quite similar to the scent of Taylor’s Avocado cream, if you know that one. Excellent longevity and a true bargain at $30.
Well, there is my attempt to outline a niche-based approach to building your cologne collection. There are doubtless many other choices that could be made – both in how you define your niches and in how you populate them. But I hope that this exercise serves as an example of how you might go about planning your purchases. This is not an inexpensive hobby, so proceed deliberately. Search the forum, seek out advice, and get samples whenever you can.
Enjoy!
Doug
Resources:
Fragrance descriptions and reviews: www.basenotes.net
London’s Bathecary: http://www.shoplondons.com/
Classic Shaving: http://www.classicshaving.com/page/page/522960.htm
Em’s Place: http://www.emsplace.com/grooming/geo_f_ ... tries.aspx
Vintage Blades: http://www.vintagebladesllc.com/vshop/x ... hp?cat=135
C.O. Bigelow: http://www.bigelowchemists.com/index.php
Enchante Online: http://www.enchanteonline.com/pages/fra ... rances.htm
Gordon’s Personal Top 10: http://www.shavemyface.com/forum/viewto ... s+personal
Gordon’s All-Time Top 10: http://www.shavemyface.com/forum/viewto ... s+personal
------------------------------------------
EDITS
7/22: Added Bigelow link to Resources
! It just may be the next place I sink some of my disposable income! Thanks again Doug!
