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8.2 / 10 228 Ratings
A popular perfume by Yves Saint Laurent for women and men, released in 2016. The scent is leathery-powdery. The longevity is above-average. It was last marketed by L'Oréal.
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Main accords

Leathery
Powdery
Spicy
Sweet
Woody

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
Black teaBlack tea
Heart Notes Heart Notes
Orris butterOrris butter SuedeSuede JasmineJasmine
Base Notes Base Notes
Bourbon vanillaBourbon vanilla FrankincenseFrankincense WoodsWoods

Perfumer

Ratings
Scent
8.2228 Ratings
Longevity
8.1206 Ratings
Sillage
7.4205 Ratings
Bottle
8.4195 Ratings
Value for money
6.961 Ratings
Submitted by OPomone, last update on 11/08/2025.
Interesting Facts
The fragrance was part of the collection Le Vestiaire des Parfums.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to
Vanille des Afriques Intensivo by Ormonde Jayne
Vanille des Afriques Intensivo
Black Tie (Eau de Parfum) by Celine
Black Tie Eau de Parfum
Dior Homme Parfum (2014) by Dior
Dior Homme Parfum (2014)
Muse by Yves Saint Laurent
Muse
Vanille d'Iris (Eau de Parfum) by Ormonde Jayne
Vanille d'Iris Eau de Parfum
Belle Captive / Privé N°9 by RP
Belle Captive

Reviews

8 in-depth fragrance descriptions
DaveGahan101

535 Reviews
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DaveGahan101
DaveGahan101
Top Review 53  
3x a year this happens to me!
Over a year ago, I walked past the then-new bottles of the Le Vestiaire series at Oberpollinger. Even then, I was enchanted by Velours, but I had already spent my budget on other bottles that day. The price of Velours (€246) made this dream fragrance feel somewhat distant, and I thought back then, "Who came up with this silly idea of launching 125ml bottles, and who needs that much?" Just before Christmas, I happened to come across it again at Breuninger in Stuttgart; the YSL counter then told me that they had just added the series to their lineup. I had to spray it on myself again immediately... and bam... a day before Christmas, it literally knocked the Christmas ornaments off the tree, along with the candles... Two days after Christmas, it was time to get it. The exact words at the counter: "No... unfortunately, it's no longer available... it's sold out!" Since then, the counter has a bite mark from me;-)! In that moment, I knew how Schalke must have felt in May 2001, 1.5 hands already on the championship trophy/bottle... and at the last moment, the mother snatches the lion cub away again!!! After an apathetic 5 minutes, I was able to speak again, and the nice lady at the counter managed to track down a bottle through the Düsseldorf branch, which was then sent directly to my home... Thanks for the great customer service at this point!
Velours is a dream fragrance for me, a jewel, a masterpiece. A scent of the kind that makes me flip out a maximum of only 3 times a year, just like with Oud Radieux or Fars. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen to me more often. This gem, as if it came from a manufactory, makes me revel down to the tips of my hair; I have rarely experienced such fineness, such velvetiness, except as mentioned above.
This dry-powdery opening immediately captivated me, a blend of muted Dior Homme (sweetness), the velvety-powdery Oriental Express, and the dry-woody and mildly incense-like Bois d'Argent makes my heart race. Especially since I unfortunately cannot perceive Dior Homme and BdA for long. Sensual... yes, also soft... slightly feminine-tinged, but still masculine enough... but it is precisely this velvetiness that is unparalleled.
As it develops further, a wonderfully dry teen note emerges, which I can best compare to the note from Neroli Outrenoir; the similarly high-quality vanilla could also be from Guerlain. For me, Velours maintains the optimal balance in every respect; nothing pushes itself vainly to the forefront, neither the spice nor the sweetness is intrusive, thus the fragrance does not wear off because it does not constantly occupy the nose yet is always present. Throughout the day, it becomes slightly more robust, resembling a buttery soft leather note, which evokes comfort and warmth in me. I was able to perceive the fragrance all day long; it never became too much, even today in relatively mild temperatures. The sillage is strong at first, then settles into the upper mid-range... perfect! For me, it acts as a membrane (only lets the beautiful through) and a shield at the same time! Anyone who lets themselves be misled and influenced by the YSL mainstream program, who is deterred by the seemingly "unmanly notes" from a test... and does not recognize or want to recognize the still existing superb quality of YSL... is simply to blame if they miss out on this fragrance!
18 Comments
Serenissima

1222 Reviews
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Serenissima
Serenissima
Top Review 28  
YSL surprises me after all!
"... Sometimes you think it can't go on, everything is already set and done, but then suddenly depths and perspectives appear that you thought were unattainable and now present themselves in all their fullness to the accumulated experience. I often feared that I was dried up and broken and would hopelessly stand before the black curtain of boredom - yet this curtain has often been torn, and I have been able to glimpse boundless horizons - which has brought me the greatest feeling of happiness, so I want to express it, moments of true pride." - YSL

This life motto of Yves Saint Laurent, which he proclaimed in 1983 at the opening of his exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, resonates in my ears as I make the acquaintance of "Le Vestiaire - Velours."
Although the fragrance was composed long after the master's death, I feel that a curtain of fragrance boredom has been drawn for me here as well.
For the scents of this brand have not particularly excited me for a long time - in fact, never really.
So I approached the testing a bit casually and was promptly punished for it!

A delicate infusion of black tea, not sparingly perfumed with black and pink pepper, greets me.
Oh dear! What does my sensitive nose with its pepper allergy say? Will it cope or will it be punished with long sneezes?
It's amazing: I tolerate this interesting mélange, despite the allergy, and enjoy this aroma!
The elegant iris takes a few steps back behind the beautiful, but also somewhat dominant, white large-flowered jasmine. What a display of floral abundance presents itself at this moment!
Frankincense, wonderfully harmonizing with the previous scent materials, completes a very appealing olfactory painting.
Creamy vanilla in full warm scent; woods, skillfully ambianced and placed in this wonderfully flowing progression, and a pleasant dose of musk refine this fragrance in a sophisticated way.
Thus, a fine hint of noble suede emerges, which stands in a well-balanced relationship with the bright flowers and does not necessarily seek the foreground.

For someone who is not a big leather fan, like I am, this is a very pleasant fragrance phenomenon!
Which, with a longevity of several hours, is truly a joy.
How often have I almost desperately tried to wash off a suddenly bothersome leather note after a certain time and failed due to the extraordinary durability!
This time, I perceive this elegant fragrance creation as a soft embrace that invites cuddling!

A YSL fragrance, even if from a time long after the tumultuous life of the great magician, that I really like: I am amazed and thrilled!
7 Comments
Cosmoproleta

15 Reviews
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Cosmoproleta
Cosmoproleta
Very helpful Review 23  
GothGirlfriend vs. Quirky Lady
This fragrance from YSL is very intriguing and has two faces for me - but first, the description; ultra-powdery like lightly floral, fine, rosy blush from a high-end cosmetics brand, simultaneously soft-leathery and then develops into a dreamy woody, slightly sweet vanilla.
Now, this fragrance could be, on one hand, that edgy, quick-witted, hot goth teenager who wears torn fishnets with chunky platform boots and pairs her short velvet dress with an oversized 80s black suede jacket lined with lamb's wool, as well as the quirky, somewhat aging neighbor who lives at the end of the street in an old-fashioned attic apartment. She has aged well, is very delicate and pretty, but wears a bit too much makeup (which is quite difficult with increasing nearsightedness) and has three fluffy, groomed dogs. I would love to be both, and both smell like YSL La Vestiaire Velours.

Now I have described two wonderful clichés from a US series or something similar, but this fragrance is really very special, and I like it precisely for that reason.
4 Comments
Nuriyel

2 Reviews
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Nuriyel
Nuriyel
Top Review 17  
Smoky Noble Leather with Blooms
I love leather perfumes. From strong to light, dark black SM dungeon leather whips to the bright leather interior of a new car. La Vestiaire Velours is a stylish middle ground here. Far from an animalistic beast, but more refined than new, clean leather seats and handbags, like those from Bottega Veneta.

The suede scent of a theater dressing room on a premiere night is how I imagine the setting of La Vestiaire Velours. Many well-kept suede jackets, slightly rough and velvety, a bit smoky in the nose, but cool because their wearers have been watching the reinterpretation of "Waiting for Godot" for half an hour. In addition, there are very present iris and jasmine from well-perfumed ladies' coats, which adds elegance to the whole. Apparently, one or two theater guests enjoy orthodox masses, as that must be where the hint of incense in the small room comes from. In the end, everything is warmly rounded off by a musk note, which almost reminds me of the scent of skin, skin that slips back into the expensive jackets after the premiere and warms itself in them, just like I do in this fragrance,

I received it as a sample because I had indicated leather as my favorite note in an online shop. I was all the more puzzled by the fragrance pyramid of this scent and had no great expectations of it. Now it has become one of my new favorite leather treasures, but of the cultivated kind. It is quite intense and captivating on me, and since that doesn't bother me, I also wear it during the day. The sillage and longevity impress me; after about 7 hours, it was still perceptible, which I don't usually experience with such floral scents. I am truly deeply in love with my theater dressing room and can only recommend it if leather is your open or secret passion, but you don't want to scare anyone with it.
0 Comments
Luwa

80 Reviews
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Luwa
Luwa
Top Review 18  
Elegance and Refinement
Velours, an almost elusive fragrance, despite having been released in 2016. A candidate that makes one wonder why it had to be discontinued.
In response to my predecessor's question, I would like to address it as well, as I hadn't considered it myself until now: Yes, I find it good to test and review discontinued fragrances. At that time, I tested Velours knowing it had already been discontinued. Back then, there were still a few more Souk offers, but it has been rather quiet around it for the past few months. Recently, however, I did manage to get another sample, which I will use sparingly.
I wanted to test it back then nonetheless. Fragrances with such good reviews and comments always intrigue me. I want to test this "treasure," this now rare find, and I want to be captivated. Long searches, sometimes paying high prices per ml, and sometimes you get lucky and come across such popular discontinued fragrances, pure joy. And so I want to rave about this fragrance here and perhaps inspire one or two people to test it. I don't know why, but testing such fragrances is becoming more and more enjoyable for me. After the initial excitement, there's often disappointment when the fragrance isn't as good as hoped, because then getting a bottle is significantly harder than getting a sample. But I'm willing to take that risk.

Now, let's talk about the fragrance itself.
The pyramid looks enticing. Black tea, iris butter, suede, I like all of these base notes.
In the top note, the black tea is initially skipped; for me, it starts immediately with iris butter. Soft, dense, but not as creamy as one might expect from Francesca Bianchi. It becomes a bit powdery, and gradually the suede comes through, which I can also recognize as suede. A bit rough, yet soft. The tea now emerges in the background, adding a gentle note.
In the base, a dark frankincense-vanilla joins in, only subtly sweet, rounded off by woods. The performance is just right, a slightly perceptible cloud when passing by, but to truly experience it, one must come closer. No attention-seeking performance.

Elegance and refinement describe Velours very well. I am a big fan of leathery-powdery DNAs, especially leather with iris butter. Rarely found, even more rarely well-executed. This combination of powerful leather and delicate iris butter works wonderfully.

Overall, Velours strikes me as a somewhat dark and alluring fragrance, with intriguing notes that are beautifully harmonized, and the quality is good, as is often the case with this line. The bottle looks absolutely elegant with this slight dark purple and black running color.

I must confess, neither leather-vanilla nor iris butter-vanilla combinations are new, but so far I don't know of a fragrance where it has been executed better, at least not when considering the entire fragrance progression.

So anyone who can still snag a sample somewhere should seize the opportunity!
23 Comments
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Statements

64 short views on the fragrance
29
28
A cuddly dream :)
Soft leather meets iris powder.
Smoky-woody notes & vanilla musk!
Almost Sable Or ;)
*Hearts-in-the-eyes*
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28 Comments
11 months ago
19
19
A flattering pepper-wood-powder-leather scent. Unfortunately a bit artificial and with too much sweet fluffy vanilla, too much for me. Tea? Jasmine? No!
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19 Comments
18
12
Buttery soft suede like warm, velvety skin. Lightly powdered. Plus smoky tea. In the dry down, vanilla wood. The Golden 20s - elegant + sexy.
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12 Comments
15
3
Powdery tea wisps swirl,
around luscious vanilla velvet.
Leather wildness surging in the
dim light,
almost candlelight.
Deeply enchanting.
Boom.
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3 Comments
14
7
Ah, how sad that you are no longer here! This iris-tea-leather alliance is so beautiful... one of a kind. Looking for your twin.
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7 Comments
14
4
The most beautiful, softest leather, powdery iris, gently incense-like, finest vanilla.
I'm in love ❤️ Watch out, men, when you wear this!
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4 Comments
14
9
On my arm, it annoys me with a hidden licorice note & everybody's darling attitude. But I keep thinking, "What smells so good?"
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9 Comments
14
2
Me and leather? Yes! Very soft, light leather complemented by a hint of vanilla, iris, and fine incense. Very elegant and classy. Great!
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2 Comments
13
4
Sweet, soft leather creature.
Powder-puff iris delicate.
Come to me and stay
for a while.
Tickle me with your beard.
Leather creature.
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4 Comments
13
4
Incredibly soft leather, iris-powdered incense, and vanilla-fluffy wood gain a cool, elegant flair from black tea.
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4 Comments
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