Classic by Van Gils
Men 1988
Main accords
Description
Classic by Van Gils is an aromatic woody fragrance for men. Launched in 1988, the nose behind this composition is Pierre Wargnye. The top notes are lemon verbena, lemon and bergamot; the heart notes are thyme, cardamom and coriander; the base notes are patchouli, amber, orange, cedar and vetiver.
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When to wear it (votes)
Key notes
-
Top
Lemon Verbena
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Heart
Thyme
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Base
patchouli
Community
268 votes
- Positive 81%
- Negative 13%
- Neutral 6.0%
The olfactory pyramid
A guide to the opening, heart and lasting trail of the fragrance.
The community speaks
Compare the results and tap an answer to add your vote.
In the collection
Leading answer I want it
741 votes
What do you think?
Leading answer Like it
268 votes
Season
Choose severalLeading answer Autumn
273 votes
Time of day
Choose severalLeading answer Night
148 votes
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Fragrance profile
About Classic
Classic by Van Gils is an aromatic woody fragrance for men. Launched in 1988, the nose behind this composition is Pierre Wargnye. The top notes are lemon verbena, lemon and bergamot; the heart notes are thyme, cardamom and coriander; the base notes are patchouli, amber, orange, cedar and vetiver.
Green, herbal and fougère Spices Woods and mosses Musk, amber and animalic
It may remind you of
Ranked by what the community voted.
More from Van Gils
More from Pierre Wargnye
How it wears
Compare the results and tap an answer to add your vote.
Longevity
Leading answer Long-lasting
123 votes
Sillage
Leading answer Strong
132 votes
Character
Leading answer Traditionally masculine
67 votes
Value perception
Tied for the lead Fair price / Good value
54 votes
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Community reviews
2 reviews
Share what you noticed: opening, drydown, sillage and the moments when it works for you.
I know many people don’t favour old-school fragrances and probably don’t understand why so many adore them. The opening of Van Gils Pour Homme is brutal; it’s nothing as citrusy as the bergamot and lemon grass suggest. Instead, it’s quite bitter with a vegetal touch and a slight tar note that, if you’re not familiar with it, is hard to take on board. The start isn’t new, but remember it’s an 80s classic. After about 40 minutes it settles, becoming spicier and softer as it dries down on the skin, though it’s still not entirely friendly. Occasionally, a hint of musk and amber drifts from the base, but thyme and rosemary clearly dominate on my skin. It needs time to become rounder and ‘beautiful’, with that soapy, dark touch that reminds me of Lapidus Extreme. It’s still wearable today if you dare to dress in a totally old-school masculine style, whose herbaceous and spicy edges no longer seem so harsh. It’s a bottle of bottled testosterone.
VAN GILS CLASSIC POUR HOMME: Back to the 80s. This fragrance from Dutch brand Van Gils, launched in 1988, is no longer in production. I’ve had the fortune of finding a vintage miniature in perfect condition, and a few drops on my arm revealed a trail and potency I didn’t know existed. It’s one of those classics that blends chypre, fougère and leather families with an aldehydic wrapper of overwhelming solidity. The depth of the 80s erupts from this miniature, flooding my body with an uncontrolled force of dry, bitter, rough herbs of thyme, verbena and coriander. Growing over them is an omnipresent oakmoss; indeed, it’s the very essence of oakmoss, in its purest form. Wet, earthy, mouldy, like lichen on degrading cedar and cypress bark. The aromatic arms rise, invading the neurons with a resinous and lustful presence, while aldehydic drums beat in the air. It’s the man in the leather jacket, studs, spiked hair and epaulettes; immensely masculine and ambiguous, behind mirrored glasses that command. The vampire’s embrace, the punk shiver, the suspense in a Hispanic Philology lecture, Saturday in a mechanic’s workshop, the leather that stings the skin and the black trench coat. The full moon over Paris has transformed Van Gils into a man.