Often I hear the statement regarding Floris fragrances: It's for old gentlemen. Grandpa scent. I feel too young for that. And so on and so forth.
So I marched into the Floris headquarters in London, at 89 Jermyn Street, to verify these statements. And had various fragrances sprayed on me. Among them was No 89, which I have had at home for a while and which would indeed suit an "elderly statesman" well, simply because it is classic, period.
Now back to Jermyn Street. Let's spray and go. And how does it start? Initially fruity, surprisingly fruity even for me. At the same time, a hint of vetiver comes around the corner, and that is exactly what distinguishes this fragrance from so many others, because with many perfumers on this planet, vetiver is usually only used as a rounding off or addition in the base note (and it usually fits quite well there). So here we have something new, something different, something extravagant right from the start, but without taking possession in any way or becoming too conspicuous.
It also doesn't fit the refined environment of Jermyn Street, where the sales clerks of the various shirt manufacturers look sternly from their tailored suits and the shop windows, keeping an eye out for customers.
Interestingly, this vetiver note continues through the heart note and then comes through a bit more dominantly in the base note. While I struggle to perceive and accurately describe the other ingredients in the heart note, cedar and amber notes are perfectly blended in the base note, playing excellently together.
When, where, and how does one wear this fragrance? Tending towards spring/summer, certainly more on the masculine side. A fine office scent, with which one is noticeably but simultaneously discreetly perfumed. It fits just as well with jeans, sneakers, and a parka while shopping on the weekend. A fragrance that brings Jermyn Street home, not in the dusty form of 25 years ago, when the average person was too intimidated by the stern salespeople (see above) to even push the door to Turnbull & Asser (back then, only Prince Charles, the James Bond actors, and various wannabe Gordon Gekkos from the financial district were part of the clientele), but in a current, contemporary blend. A fragrance that always fits, because it never provokes, never polarizes, but still maintains its own character and stylishly accompanies its wearer for several hours. Sillage is moderate (given the quality of the fragrance, I would have wished for more here), and there is definitely upside in terms of longevity.
For me, the fragrance represents the modern version of No 89, which in direct comparison seems somewhat old-fashioned, without wanting to step on its toes too much. Floris has managed to keep up with the times without denying itself and the company's heritage, creating a fragrance suitable for the third millennium.
Seta 5 years ago
