Gentleman (1974) by Givenchy

Sent from a decant, the first impression was strong: honey and liquor notes upfront, but it caught me off guard how weak it smells on the skin. Less potent than the Gentleman Society I wear daily. I’m not sure if I was sold a clone or if I’d already worn perfume that day, but I expected more impact. Will update later.

Perhaps it is the best from the house alongside Insensé, but Gentleman is in a different league of masculine power. It’s for galas and meetings with important people where you expect to leave a mark. At first, the patchouli can be daunting and seem musty, but as it dries down, it becomes the love you didn’t dare try. Worth it, especially for the legacy of fans who adore it. What are perfumes supposed to smell like? Sprite and sweet marzipan? The 90s version I tried is spectacular.

Some speak highly of this Givenchy classic, but it doesn’t convince me at all. I’m a lover of classics and barbershop scents, like Paco Rabanne Pour Homme or Loewe Esencia, but this smells like dandy shaving soap to me and just doesn’t stick. It’s not a bad fragrance; every nose is different and for many it’s a jewel, but I’ve given it several chances and, to be honest, I can’t.

At first, a HEAVY fragrance, totally different from anything I’ve smelled since I started collecting perfumes. It makes me think of an older man accustomed to that powerful scent from the 70s, which has become part of his being. The rose and honey notes are loud and striking. I don’t know what other note gives that peculiar smell; I suppose anise or something animalistic. As it dries down, it’s more bearable and charming, but the opening smells strong. Don’t buy blindly; try first. If you collect, this should be in your collection: it’s a challenging scent, not for everyone.

We all have that forty-something unemployed drinker who lives with his parents. This perfume smells like that: that 50-year-old bloke spending his time playing cards. In 2024, it’s the definition of ‘old man smell’ and it’s quite unpleasant. I’m surprised it’s still on the market; I think no one goes to a perfumer’s to buy it unless they fit that profile.

I’m sorry, but watch out; I don’t want to offend anyone or diminish the fragrance’s merits; it’s simply subjective, but it is one of the most unpleasant smells I’ve ever experienced in my life.

Sometimes I want to escape this hurtful world and hide from the rush and competitiveness of our histrionic society. My refuge is books, music, or certain perfumes that make me feel better. Givenchy Gentleman is one of them; it transports me to a place where life is light and free of burdens. I have no words for its grandeur, and I don’t care if it has been reformulated; I’ve known it since I was old enough to reason, and it remains a true work of art, one of the finest fragrances the world has ever known.

The first one, the authentic Gentleman by Givenchy. An old-school jewel of men’s popular perfumery, with class, style, and presence. If you’re under 40, it will smell like an invasive, heavy, and outdated aroma, very ‘middle-to-upper-class dad’ from the 70s (which it truly was). The performance is classic: dozens of notes, citrus, honey, little flowers, heavy patchouli, oakmoss, civet, vetiver that doesn’t fade, musk, and sweet amber. Reformulated in 2024? The doubt is offensive, mate… if today it’s reformulated to the point of no return due to IFRA. A perfumery jewel. Pretending to understand and dismissing this is like acting cultured with only two years of plumbing training.

@Demiurgo, well, fantastic, another one! I’m not sure if because I’m used to other types of fragrances… I only detect a honey scent, which is a pity because I understand it contains lots of patchouli and I love that; but the truth is, I don’t like honey even to eat it, and if I only catch that note… hahaha but for those who like it, go ahead!

Wow!… The gentleman has been decimated. I’m writing this review half angry and half heartbroken, because for me it’s like losing a friend through betrayal. Since I tried it, Gentleman 1974 has made me feel accompanied and a better version of myself. Yes, honey and rose with spicy tarragon, a patchouli nuanced by a sweet breath over animal leather and amber. A play between clean and dirty, sexual elegance to contrast with a suit and tie. The man who doesn’t lose style even when changing wheels. I always thought these fragrances enhance the natural skin scent… for the better. I never encountered an old batch, but the one I got in the early 21st century, with no great projection, was still a good purchase. Now, with the bottle finished, I bought a new one and was disappointed: it’s quite weak in power. It still gives the same olfactory sensation, perhaps a bit thin on the animal note due to restrictions, but with extremely low projection and suspiciously short longevity. I’m left with a ridiculous taint on my shirt compared to before. I want to think I got a bad bottle, as although I believe I have broad sleeves regarding reformulations, this seems absurd to me. I’ll stick to testing it in stores. In any case, I will always recommend trying it to new generations.

Beautiful fragrance: starts powerful and animalic with bergamot and lime, then wraps you in patchouli and honey, finishing with a clean, delicate leather. Cheers!

I’ll be impartial: one of the best I have ever smelled. It’s my father’s signature, EPD. The memories are endless. I have both the vintage and the current. The vintage is incredible in every way. The current is wearable and domesticated, aromatically very similar but winning on versatility.

Frankly extraordinary perfume. The reformulation differs in performance: the old one projected monstrously and lasted hours with natural, rancid, and vegetal musk tones; the current has synthetic nuances like geraniol and civetone, more refined. Pyramid: liquorish opening with honey and civetone, talc-dusted heart with lily and cinnamon, chocolatey patchouli, dry Russian leather base, closing with vanilla and a subtle rancid tone. Extraordinary. Wear it in cold weather, well-dressed, with bostonians, classic suits, afros and beards. Semi-formal or casual with a hippie vibe, but better elegant. For dates, even with young women if you dress with pride. Risky but with 20 turns in longevity and projection compared to most EDPs currently. Hard to wear but grows on you if you feel secure. Cheers!

I found a bottle of this Gentleman EDT from 2007 at a good price, and ultimately, it bears no resemblance to the current version or today’s commercial perfumes. Although it is from this millennium, it smells very strong, and the two people I asked to smell it didn’t like it; they said it was too strong and had a very ‘old man’ aroma. On my inexperienced nose and personally, I do find it a very strong scent, opening with patchouli, leather, and woody notes that give it that Gentleman character; as it settles, it softens and more delicate citrus notes with a very subtle touch of honey and amber become perceptible. It is a fragrance of immense class for a man over 30 who knows how to navigate life. If it could be used all year without overusing sprays, and especially for occasions where you want to make an impression.

I have tried the vintage (an 80s version) and the current one. Although it has been reformulated, the opening is identical, although the longevity on skin decreases much in the current version due to the logical reformulation that has ruined so many greats in perfumery like Azzaro Pour Homme. The 80s vintage lasted 24 hours. With that I think I have said everything. To its credit, it remains long-lasting. It is an extremely vintage scent and nowadays I believe it is the hardest of all my vintage perfumes to wear, even though I have Bogart, Paco Rabanne Pour Homme, Ted Lapidus, Versace L’Homme, etc. It smells heavy and very dated, not to say ‘old man’ directly, but what a quality scent… With certainty, it is the scent of another era, which feels increasingly distant in time. My wife tells me that when I wear this, I smell like an old book. I think within the vintage branch I prefer Azzaro or Cartier Santos (both still reformulated and killed by IFRA) because they seem more wearable nowadays than this 1974 classic. Nevertheless, I bought it and have it in my collection because its scent makes me feel a reminiscence of another time, and the truth is that I like it because I am a fan of retro scents. In cold climates is where it lasts the most.