Calèche Hermès 1961 Eau de Toilette

7.8 / 10 295 Ratings

A popular perfume by Hermès for women, released in 1961. The scent is floral-chypreartig. It is still in production.
Pronunciation

Main accords

Floral

Chypre

Woody

Spicy

Powdery

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Aldehydes

Bergamot

Cypress

Mandarin orange Neroli

Neroli

Orange blossom Lemon

Lemon

Heart Notes

Gardenia

Iris

Jasmine

Lily of the valley Rose

Rose

Ylang-ylang

Base Notes

Oakmoss

Amber

Cedar

Musk

Sandalwood

Tonka bean Vetiver

Vetiver

Perfumer

Guy Robert

Ratings

Scent

7.8295 Ratings

Longevity

7.9213 Ratings

Sillage

7.1216 Ratings

Bottle

8.0218 Ratings

Value for money

7.242 Ratings

Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 03/09/2025.

Interesting Facts

According to our information Calèche was reformulated in 1992.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Calèche Soie de Parfum

Gold Woman Eau de Parfum

Pikovaya Dama

Calèche Extrait de Parfum

Gold Man

Royal de Rauch Parfum

Reviews

6 in-depth fragrance descriptions

04/29/2012

10
Bottle 7.5
Sillage 10
Longevity 9
Scent

Sherapop
1239 Reviews

Sherapop

Helpful Review 8

Epitome of Luxury

What marks the distinction between CALECHE and her (illegitimate) granddaughter, KELLY? It's not just that the notes are very different (which they are), or the structure (which it is). Nor is it the fact that CALECHE has a true development trajectory which KELLY altogether lacks. No, the most significant distinction between these two Hermès creations can be summed up in a single word: depth. This depth characterizes every layer of CALECHE, so even if CALECHE stopped after the opening or the middle stage or presented its drydown linearly, CALECHE would still be a worthy creation.

But CALECHE also has an untold complexity, inducing in the wearer a journey through the unfurling layers of a beautiful perfume. Although I like floral aldehydes in general, I am discovering that my favorites are those that push the limits of their genre, passing also through chypre-like phases.

CALECHE opens with a bright burst of citrus aldehyde which proceeds to illuminate a garden of flowers. The wearer is next led through a forest where the flowers have been interspersed among woody and moss elements but retain their distinct presence. At this stage, the sun continues to shine down through the large trees casting shadows to the side and leaving the flowers to shimmer in the light. As the sun begins to set, the flowers begin to recede into the darkness, and as the temperature drops, dew begins to coalesce on the leaves of the trees. This fresh pristine feeling persists as the perfume slowly, over the course of several hours, fades away.

Wearing CALECHE is to me the epitome of luxury. When this, my third bottle, is empty, I'll buy a fourth--at any price!

01/07/2013

NSku
5 Reviews

NSku

Very helpful Review 6

powerful athletic elegance

This is a review of the pre- 1990 formulation:
Overall impression: To me this is an austere, "severe Parisienne” perfume. (Yesterday's Perfume blog really captures this aspect of the perfume.) Not girlish or feminine but powerful, athletic elegance. Definitely a masculine-for-women scent.
Initial impression:
very sharp, astringent, sticks to the nose, like intense witch hazel, physical effect like rubbing alcohol or VOCs (benzene), acetic but I can’t smell any citrus like orange or lemon or lime just intense witch hazel. Makes my nostrils tickle and slight headache over the brow.

1 hr later
still the sharpness but starting to see some of the floral, still its dominated by the sharp astringent undercurrent.

I disagree with those saying it has a powdery soap quality, but agree with those mentioning a smooth and creamy aroma that comes in and out around the sharp astringent undercurrent.
Not getting anything woodsy or flowery. just astringency and creaminess.

2 Hrs later
getting the leather, but its a cold and sweet leather rather than a warm dry leather along with the astringency and creaminess. Okay, easter lillies and leather.

4 Hrs later
Definitely leather, but the astringency keeps it in a somewhat different room, like not so discernibly leather. I compared it to my caramel colored Italian leather boots Some described it as woodsy, floral and sexy. I don’t get any of that. I get Italian leather boots and soft leather gloves, with a beautiful richly colored silk scarf and gold jewelry. Makes me think of a wood panelled library in the mansion of an equestrienne. If there’s any sense of soap, it’s definitely not “old school soap” but saddle soap -- or bees wax leather polish.

6 Hrs later: down to a gentle easter lilly plus touch astringent smell.

I’ve never really liked it for all that I’ve had multiple bottles of it and wore it quite a lot through the 80s, and up to now. It had this strange persistent intensity and austerity that was somehow discordant or jarring for me. But now that I understand the history of the scent and am better educated about it, it makes sense and its no longer a jarring experience. Weird. And I don’t think its just the power of suggestion, because I rejected many people’s characterizations of this fragrance while finding agreement with others.

03/22/2017

10
Bottle 7.5
Sillage 7.5
Longevity 10
Scent

Cumulnimbus
117 Reviews

Cumulnimbus

Helpful Review 5

The old style timeless elegance

It was my first real scent. I'm afraid can't be objective with Calèche, it is as trying to judge myself with objectivity, just impossible. Many of my memories are strongly attached to it.

As someone who started using the scent in the 80's as a young teenager still with its original formulation, I must say that I've (of course) noticed the reformulation and how it affected both the quality and the original Guy Robert's design making it simpler, sweeter and flatter. However I am completely unable to live without this one so though I will try to buy some vintage bottles to cover the rest of my lifetime, I'm happy Hermes decided to reformulated it instead of opting for discontinuing the scent. The reformulation isn't the original but isn't totally awful, I mean is better than nothing for me. I guess Hermes wouldn't have reformulated Calèche if it wasn't due to actual restrictions over materials. Calèche is probably still the house best seller (at least it is in my country), so I wonder if reformulation comes as an unavoidable consequences of progress? I would gladly take some risks in order to continue smelling some original formulas (not only this one but many others Madame Rochas or Samsara, to give a couple of different examples) but they decide for us. If reformulation is just for cheapening the production then shame on Hermes, they'd rather reduce promotion costs and keep vintage formula.

Coming back to my perfume, I will try to use plain words to describe why I love Calèche so much, why was it able to stand in its central position as my interest on perfumes developed and my collection grew.

As many Hermes scents Calèche has this recognizable dry and woody edge that I find so unisex and which after the bright complex citrus-aldehyde notes opening (remarkable blend of green, yellow, orange citrus with white mediterranean flower notes here) keeps the sweetness of the middle flower bouquet notes under what I consider a perfect control (high quality materials are important here too for the subtle development of the flower notes dance). So as most of the house's scents, Calèche is less sweet while brighter than other perfumes of the same kind though it includes gardenia which is probably quite responsable for its specific soap-powder effect.

I learnt over the years that I like cedar quite a lot and usually prefer tonka bean over vanilla. I guess that together with the absence of civet makes the big difference between Calèche's drydown and Chanel n5's one and what makes Calèche a much luminous versatile scent and therefore likeable and wearable. In general, I find Calèche far more complex, elegant, refined and brighter than Chanel n5 which stands more clearly as a night scent in my opinion.

If Calèche works properly with your skin chemistry and if you are patient enough to let it fully develop all the way, you'd probably become another of its fans.

I use edt for spring- summer seasons daytime, soie for autumn and winter daytime and parfum for night and very special occasions. They all have a good longevity according their concentration, sillage is bigger in the soie version.

10/24/2023

7
Pricing 9
Bottle 4
Sillage 6
Longevity 9
Scent

MrsGuerlain
430 Reviews

MrsGuerlain

5

Great cypress

I have a big bottle of this in my collection, almost 200ml left. But whenever I wear it the bottle does not seem big at all, because I do not want it to be empty - ever.
This is a really elegant, discreet and well composed fragrance. It has the right amount of everything and I can easily fit it with any activity. It is even good in the gym - and that is an ability only a few of my scents have. I personally wear it when I go to a formal event. But I also wear it when I am in the mood for it. And I sniff my wrist often on these occasions.
I particularly like the cypress note in the beginning. It is not a common note in my collection so I enjoy it. It smells of a garden in late autumn, when the sun warms up the soil.
The bottle is lovely. Simple and heavy. Lovely writing. Just the way I like it. I enjoy pouring the perfume on a cotton pad and dap it on my skin. It feels luxurious.
105/365

02/04/2012

5
Bottle 8
Scent

Lola82
361 Reviews

Lola82

4

Chanel no 5 for Daytime

MMMMMMMMMMMMM? i wonder if Hermes Caleche stole the ingrediants from Chanel no 5. because they smell the same
so there's not alot to describe.
it has the same Aldehydiac note and it's elegant and chic this perfume is perfect for wearing a cream shelf dress
going to a fashionable daytime garden
soiree. if chanel is a nighttime aldehyde Hermes Caleche is for day.

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