Continuing with my Classic 1970s Week, I’m in that magnificent work of olfactory art, 1000 Parfum, from Jean Patou, (1972.) I have such vivid associations with this one: my lovely ex-wife, a fabulous singer, used to wear this during performances, decked out in black velvet and jewels. It’s really HER fragrance, so getting perspective on it is a little tricky; it’s embedded in my psyche as a nighttime perfume – elegant, dense, unfathomable.
What am I smelling? It sure seems floral, but darned if I can identify any particular flower. Angela, here on NST, says, “It smells more like something unearthed from an attic trunk, hinting at old wool, desiccated violet sachets, moth balls, and aged wood.” Yeah, that sounds about right.
I read that Luca Turin thinks it could be a great masculine fragrance. I suppose so. It doesn’t feel quite right on me at 7:30am; maybe I need to try a few drops after dark.