WAS HABIT ROUGE A VOILETTE DE MONSIEUR? If we twist it a little, we could say that Jacques Guerlain in 1904 introduced two concepts in perfumery that wouldn’t become widely known until many decades later: the flanker and the Femme & Homme fragrance duo. Mouchoir de Monsieur (meaning gentlemans handkerchief”) smelled like a variation on Jicky, while Voilette de Madame (lady’s little veil) was made as its female counterpart. Presented in matching snail-shaped bottles, a design typical of the Art Nouveau period, together they formed a perfume set which Jacques Guerlain offered as a wedding gift to one of his friends. He was inspired by the obvious signs of upper-class elegance at the turn of the century: hats, gloves, veils and handkerchiefs. In perfume, the male of the species is always smaller than the female, Luca Turin said. However, discriminating between masculine and feminine scents is a relatively modern marketing strategy, and when we read Jacques Guerlains handwritten scent diagrams of Voilette de Madame and Mouchoir de Monsieur, were unable to tell which one is for her and which one is for him. Seen with today’s eyes, the description of Mouchoir de Monsieur — jasmine, rose, tuberose, civet, musk, vanilla and tonka bean — would definitely give the impression of a women’s perfume. While in the late 1980s, Mouchoir de Monsieur was brought back to the sales catalogue as an EdT (the original formula was a Parfum, just like any formula by Jacques Guerlain), Voilette de Madame remained an obscurity. In 2005, though, Guerlain reissued the snail bottle duo in a limited edition, for which an EdT version of Voilette de Madame was produced. (Due to the lower concentration, it’s relatively easier to make an EdT conform with ingredient restrictions.) Were not doubting that Voilette de Madame was made with a young woman in mind. By its combination of violet, rose, orris and musk, on top of a classic, creamy floral bouquet of jasmine, orange blossom and ylang-ylang, it recalled the cosmetic scent of lipstick and face powder that we immediately associate with a neat and perfectly groomed lady. However, there was a certain androgynous, cologne-like freshness to it which we also found in Jacques Guerlains earliest perfumes. The powdery violet note, so popular at the time, was there in Voilette de Madames top accord, but mainly with its green and leafy facet. This greenness was further highlighted by bergamot, verbena, and the fresh rosy scent of geranium. The common ground of Voilette de Madame and Mouchoir de Monsieur was the mix of cologne notes and fresh rose with orange blossom and a powdery tonka bean base. By far the most freshly rose-smelling of the couple, Voilette de Madame might very well have served as a strong inspiration to Jean-Paul Guerlain when he created Habit Rouge for men and gave them the chance to be a dandy. (As a historical footnote, Guerlain recounts that Habit Rouge caused a commotion in the family firm when Jean-Paul Guerlain presented it in 1965. The board of directors thought that a mens scent so sweet and powdery was unacceptable and should not be released. Were happy it was, though.) See more below.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 18:26:26 +0000
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