Reviews of Équipage by Hermès
Walking through the pine trees on your way to the horse stables on a cool afternoon in October. A bouquet of Carnations & Jasmine in your hand.
The stables smell of fresh hay and oiled leather saddles.
The beautiful brown Mare you’ll be riding is named Cinnamon.
One of the greatest Men’s fragrances ever made.
10/10
The stables smell of fresh hay and oiled leather saddles.
The beautiful brown Mare you’ll be riding is named Cinnamon.
One of the greatest Men’s fragrances ever made.
10/10
What can you say of a classic like this? Equipage is so good—and such a completely balanced and complex fragrance—that it’s impossible for me to praise it highly enough. That said, it’s a men’s fragrance from an era where understatement was key. A true gentleman doesn’t peacock or boast. He makes guests comfortable. He holds the door. He is the master of the knowing nod and conviviality. Equipage is dandified without ever being dandy-ish. The carnation and cinnamon are simply exceptional. I own both the vintage and recent Ellena versions and am hard-pressed to tell them apart. Other than Chanel Pour Monsieur, this is my sartorial armor for the most important events in life.
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How important is it and how much can a man be influenced by his father's olfactory imprinting? Very, very much. Equipage, used by my father, was and still is his most representative perfume, closely followed by Monsieur by Givenchy, Gentleman, etc. Today I use it too (for quite some time now). Hermes' first male and let me tell you he couldn't start better. The main smell that emanates, for me, is that of carnation and nutmeg with a woody but never dirty base. Equipage (the original at least), for me it's also a rather unusual perfume for its time... we are in fact talking about a creation put on the market in 1970, in which much greener, fresher and more aromatic perfumes with citrus traits were very popular. .. much more fougere. Equipage, on the other hand, is rather warm as a perfume, for me it falls into the category of chypres with a spicy and woody character. Held on the skin for around 6 hours without too many problems, it spreads very discreetly and is not at all an intrusive or loud perfume, in full Hermes style... I compared it with Ellena's flanker, Geranium... this The last one didn't hold a candle to the comparison... he looks like his simpleton cousin from the countryside. Where Equipage (original) is deep, enveloping and warm, Geranium is transparent, light, without body and inconsistent. Personally, I consider it a timeless, refined and tasteful masterpiece. I've saved up a small supply that I think will last me forever.
My love for vintage Equipage runs deep. A men's carnation, it is an olfactory boutonniere for the debonair. I would wear this with a tux, but just as well would wear this with tweed or jeans and a sport coat. However, today I wear it with relish whilst donned in a t-shirt and pajama bottoms, much like most other other scents these days. Somehow, it also evokes walking in Harvard Sq in Cambridge on a cool day, dressed impeccably, meeting a good friend for lunch, wandering through the epicurean treasures of Cardullo's, getting lost in Harvard Book Store. Perhaps because the first time I smelled it was in Colonial Drug when it was at its first location in the square, many years ago.
Equipage opens with a stunning rosewood, clary sage and nutmeg that soon yields to the centerpiece of carnation supported with pine and cinnamon, all warm and inviting. Being familiar with both the scent of hyssop and liatris through their respective essential oil and solvent-extracted absolute, I'd vote these notes up (I feel like they are much lower simply because few folks know exactly what these two smell like). Hyssop is herbaceous and camphoraceous while having a warm, spicy undertone (crushing the leaves is a delight). Liatris (or liatrix) is dry, warm, powdery, hay-like, and reminiscent of tobacco (hence the tobacco note detected by many). They are evident here and synergize wonderfully with the floral notes in the heart.
The base is musky, mossy, and mildly vanillic, seemingly wrapped in a wispy cellophane of carnation and the other florals, just gorgeous. On my page, there are six favorites (including my signature); if there was room for a seventh, it would be Equipage.
A masterpiece!
Equipage opens with a stunning rosewood, clary sage and nutmeg that soon yields to the centerpiece of carnation supported with pine and cinnamon, all warm and inviting. Being familiar with both the scent of hyssop and liatris through their respective essential oil and solvent-extracted absolute, I'd vote these notes up (I feel like they are much lower simply because few folks know exactly what these two smell like). Hyssop is herbaceous and camphoraceous while having a warm, spicy undertone (crushing the leaves is a delight). Liatris (or liatrix) is dry, warm, powdery, hay-like, and reminiscent of tobacco (hence the tobacco note detected by many). They are evident here and synergize wonderfully with the floral notes in the heart.
The base is musky, mossy, and mildly vanillic, seemingly wrapped in a wispy cellophane of carnation and the other florals, just gorgeous. On my page, there are six favorites (including my signature); if there was room for a seventh, it would be Equipage.
A masterpiece!
Equipage gives the impression of fine marquetry; rich woods inlaid with sweet amber, spices and herbs.
It's ornate, old fashioned, even a bit rococo, and could be a rival to Aramis for best Grandad scent.
[Vintage sample]
It's ornate, old fashioned, even a bit rococo, and could be a rival to Aramis for best Grandad scent.
[Vintage sample]
The debut masculine fragrance from Hermès is no small matter. Hermès was a big player in designer fragrances at the time, right behind Chanel and Dior. In fact, they still are mostly right behind Chanel and Dior to this very day, perhaps because Hermès is just a bit more expensive and less universally-appealing thanks to their dedicated theme (whereas the other two are somewhat more amorphous stylistically), so you have to be the type to go looking for them rather than stumbling across their wares. In similar fashion, Hermès Équipage (1970) was a little less accessible and pricier than it's peers Chanel Pour Monsieur (1955) and Dior Eau Sauvage (1966), tying in a horseback riding leather theme into both the initial packaging and smell. Chanel had Henri Robert on retainer as house perfumer whilst Dior had almost exclusive use of Edmond Roudnitska (who had once also worked with Hermès previously), so without a preeminent perfumer to call their very own, Hermès did the next best thing and tapped Henri's son Guy Robert to create Équipage. Guy would develop a penchant for heavy indolic fragrances with varnish-like leather notes or animalic musks in their bases (sometimes both), and much of that style shows up here in Équipage, which outside that trait goes on to become a kitchen sink of things in the typical complex baroque style of late 60's through late 70's perfume. A lot of men still swear by this, and it's earned a latecoming flanker to boot, so Hermès must have gotten something right. Modern bottles have been streamlined into a collection of classics using the same homogeneous bottles as the eau de cologne range, so be on the lookout at Hermès counters.
The opening has sour bergamot and aldehydes mixed with orange and a little isobutyl quinoline, conjuring that varnish-like quality I mentioned, but unlike something such as Piguet Bandit (1944) or Grès Cabochard (1959), that tannery leather doesn't stick around much and is soon buried under clary sage which acts in the capacity of lavender to add a familiar barbershop aroma. Since sage is nowhere near the sweetness of lavender, Équipage dodges the bullet of being a dandy scent but things do get more like a fougère once rosewood, nutmeg, geranium, and carnation enter the heart. A hint of very dry cinnamon comes towards the dry down into the base, with muguet and jasmine indoles adding some floral funk alongside the emerging foundation of oakmoss. Flanked with patchouli and the more-earthen aspects of vetiver, this oakmoss is touched by a kiss of vanilla before becoming skin scent left behind late in the wear. Some note breakdowns list pine, and it may be here, but it doesn't leap out at me. With both oriental touches and leather touches to add nuance to what is otherwise a burly near-fougère structure, it's easy to see how men of the time might have gravitated towards Équipage as a versatile signature (by the standards of the day), with the only real component missing being anything sharp or uplifting to give it some hot weather pop. As is, Équipage smells good in almost all weather types but sweltering hot, and feels too overtly-masculine for 21st century standards but otherwise very even-keeled, giving good performance and longevity too. Équipage will go for over 10 hours and eventually dies to moderate projection with intense personal sillage. People will smell you and think you're going for a sneering Clint Eastwood a la Dirty Harry vibe, but you might be okay with that.
Hermès never really seemed to care as much about mass appeal as its main competitors, as evidenced by their slightly more-exclusive marketing and limited availability overall. They're by no means niche in the context of what we consider such in the perfume world (unless their Hermèssence line counts), but Hermès shows here as they would again with Bel Ami (1986), Rocabar (1998) and Terre d'Hermès (2006), that they only care to reflect their own dedicated aesthetic through the prism of the period, rather than capitulate to the styles of the day 100%. For that reason, Équipage fans, like fans of any Hermès masculine, are fierce and loyal, since being a man of the times but also a man apart from trend speaks to certain aspects of conventional masculinity that instill a kind of stubbornness that implies integrity, without being too individualistic. Some compare Balenciaga Ho Hang (1971) to this and I can see where they are coming from, but that scent swaps lavender back into its proper role (in place of sage), has absolutely no leather, aldehydes, or carnation, and mixes labdanum-based chypre with fougère instead, plus was initially marketed unisex. This review was based on deep 1970's vintage but I've also smelled the current edition and remembered liking it, I just don't fully remember the differences so test and compare to my notes if you go that route. If you're a fan of that "rich brown" aromatic smell so many 70's masculines carry, one that implies well-worn leather jackets, a bit of perspiration, and cigarette smoke, you've got a real winner on your hands with Équipage. If your tastes veer a bit more socially-conscious and genteel, this one may not fit your bill. Thumbs up.
The opening has sour bergamot and aldehydes mixed with orange and a little isobutyl quinoline, conjuring that varnish-like quality I mentioned, but unlike something such as Piguet Bandit (1944) or Grès Cabochard (1959), that tannery leather doesn't stick around much and is soon buried under clary sage which acts in the capacity of lavender to add a familiar barbershop aroma. Since sage is nowhere near the sweetness of lavender, Équipage dodges the bullet of being a dandy scent but things do get more like a fougère once rosewood, nutmeg, geranium, and carnation enter the heart. A hint of very dry cinnamon comes towards the dry down into the base, with muguet and jasmine indoles adding some floral funk alongside the emerging foundation of oakmoss. Flanked with patchouli and the more-earthen aspects of vetiver, this oakmoss is touched by a kiss of vanilla before becoming skin scent left behind late in the wear. Some note breakdowns list pine, and it may be here, but it doesn't leap out at me. With both oriental touches and leather touches to add nuance to what is otherwise a burly near-fougère structure, it's easy to see how men of the time might have gravitated towards Équipage as a versatile signature (by the standards of the day), with the only real component missing being anything sharp or uplifting to give it some hot weather pop. As is, Équipage smells good in almost all weather types but sweltering hot, and feels too overtly-masculine for 21st century standards but otherwise very even-keeled, giving good performance and longevity too. Équipage will go for over 10 hours and eventually dies to moderate projection with intense personal sillage. People will smell you and think you're going for a sneering Clint Eastwood a la Dirty Harry vibe, but you might be okay with that.
Hermès never really seemed to care as much about mass appeal as its main competitors, as evidenced by their slightly more-exclusive marketing and limited availability overall. They're by no means niche in the context of what we consider such in the perfume world (unless their Hermèssence line counts), but Hermès shows here as they would again with Bel Ami (1986), Rocabar (1998) and Terre d'Hermès (2006), that they only care to reflect their own dedicated aesthetic through the prism of the period, rather than capitulate to the styles of the day 100%. For that reason, Équipage fans, like fans of any Hermès masculine, are fierce and loyal, since being a man of the times but also a man apart from trend speaks to certain aspects of conventional masculinity that instill a kind of stubbornness that implies integrity, without being too individualistic. Some compare Balenciaga Ho Hang (1971) to this and I can see where they are coming from, but that scent swaps lavender back into its proper role (in place of sage), has absolutely no leather, aldehydes, or carnation, and mixes labdanum-based chypre with fougère instead, plus was initially marketed unisex. This review was based on deep 1970's vintage but I've also smelled the current edition and remembered liking it, I just don't fully remember the differences so test and compare to my notes if you go that route. If you're a fan of that "rich brown" aromatic smell so many 70's masculines carry, one that implies well-worn leather jackets, a bit of perspiration, and cigarette smoke, you've got a real winner on your hands with Équipage. If your tastes veer a bit more socially-conscious and genteel, this one may not fit your bill. Thumbs up.
Euipage - Hermes (vintage)
Best use of cinnamon in a perfume ever? A quiet, dry and almost cool one that interlinks the anisic note of clary sage, the warm spices, herbs and soft-balsamic smoky wood together. Equipage maintains an evenly and perfectly balanced reserved warm-soft yet dry-bitter tonality throughout its duration that has a kind of meditative tonality, like the monotone singing of boedhist monks. And while it radiates a natural 'in nature' warmth and softness it somehow 'feels' like the coldness of steel. I wonder how Guy Robert managed to evoke this effect but for me this is just pure magical olfactory poetry.
Best use of cinnamon in a perfume ever? A quiet, dry and almost cool one that interlinks the anisic note of clary sage, the warm spices, herbs and soft-balsamic smoky wood together. Equipage maintains an evenly and perfectly balanced reserved warm-soft yet dry-bitter tonality throughout its duration that has a kind of meditative tonality, like the monotone singing of boedhist monks. And while it radiates a natural 'in nature' warmth and softness it somehow 'feels' like the coldness of steel. I wonder how Guy Robert managed to evoke this effect but for me this is just pure magical olfactory poetry.
I have 90's bottle and i feel nutmeg ,good nutmeg with pine,vetiver ,tonka and patchouli . It' s a good parfum but not my prefer.
What a majestic cologne. Completely refined! Although this puppy came out in the 1970's, it has no loud, brash, arrogant or "MeMeMe" aspects. I found Equipage quite by accident, thus showing my true ignorance of historic colognes. I was looking into testing Van Cleef and Arpels pour Homme, and saw folks mentioning this cologne as it's considered by some to be an 80's powerhouse-type. So, I thought why not, I'll test this too.
I disliked VC&A; I loved this! Equipage is a subtle mans cologne filled with distinction, white collars, restraint and the highest of class. I found this scent to have a perfected balance of rose, vetiver, barbershop powders and musk. Nothing overtly manly either, in that this is not what you'd wear if you're trying to pick up a random stranger at a club. Quite the opposite: this is meant for a loved one, a special date or most definitely the office/formal event. Sillage is moderate, projection closer to the chest.
What I really like about Equipage is that it's so nice to smell. That sounds weird, but I literally get a kick out of smelling my wrist and arm when I wear it. Quality ingredients are apparent, and the pricepoint is manageable without being pretentious. One cologne I have to relate this to is Tom Ford's Grey Vetiver, especially in the basenotes and after 2 hours of wear.
Would I recommend this - absolutely! This is a masterpiece of a cologne.
I disliked VC&A; I loved this! Equipage is a subtle mans cologne filled with distinction, white collars, restraint and the highest of class. I found this scent to have a perfected balance of rose, vetiver, barbershop powders and musk. Nothing overtly manly either, in that this is not what you'd wear if you're trying to pick up a random stranger at a club. Quite the opposite: this is meant for a loved one, a special date or most definitely the office/formal event. Sillage is moderate, projection closer to the chest.
What I really like about Equipage is that it's so nice to smell. That sounds weird, but I literally get a kick out of smelling my wrist and arm when I wear it. Quality ingredients are apparent, and the pricepoint is manageable without being pretentious. One cologne I have to relate this to is Tom Ford's Grey Vetiver, especially in the basenotes and after 2 hours of wear.
Would I recommend this - absolutely! This is a masterpiece of a cologne.
Stardate 20170124:
I have tried vintage and as recent as late 2016 version. I like them all and find them fairly similar.
I find it similar to aromatic fougeres though a lot more delicate. The anisic note,spices and soapiness reminds me of Azzaro PH.
I would buy it and no need to pay premium for vintage
I have tried vintage and as recent as late 2016 version. I like them all and find them fairly similar.
I find it similar to aromatic fougeres though a lot more delicate. The anisic note,spices and soapiness reminds me of Azzaro PH.
I would buy it and no need to pay premium for vintage
Being number 3 in a series of 16 reviews on critically acclaimed and noteworthy scents.
I find this to be comparable to the Spanish leather conceits of GF Trumper and Truefitt & Hill, especially the former, but a step or two up in quality. Given that I really like the Spanish leathers, Equipage is an instant hit for me. It provides the same warm, hazy, sensual waves of scent, highlighting patchouli, leather, and spices. I get very good longevity, and now, at the end of the day, the florals come through a bit more. A superbly accessible take on leather - or at least the materials used on leather - and an instant addition to the wish list. This one well and truly lives up to its reputation. Little more to say.
It is worth noting that my sample was designated as a vintage decant. This means I will have to try the more recent formulation - the hardship.
I find this to be comparable to the Spanish leather conceits of GF Trumper and Truefitt & Hill, especially the former, but a step or two up in quality. Given that I really like the Spanish leathers, Equipage is an instant hit for me. It provides the same warm, hazy, sensual waves of scent, highlighting patchouli, leather, and spices. I get very good longevity, and now, at the end of the day, the florals come through a bit more. A superbly accessible take on leather - or at least the materials used on leather - and an instant addition to the wish list. This one well and truly lives up to its reputation. Little more to say.
It is worth noting that my sample was designated as a vintage decant. This means I will have to try the more recent formulation - the hardship.
I own a splash bottle of the first edition EDT (as per ads from the 1970s, and prior to batch numbers) as well as a sample which I am guessing is from the early 1990s reformulation. Thanks to a meetup group, I got a chance to smell the second formulation (with Eau de Toilette appearing above Equipage, and the spray that keeps spraying for a few seconds after you press it).
Equipage is my go-to scent for professional days, meeting clients or any kind of formal occasion, because it's very hard not to like it.
The notes are described in the pyramid, but I could rarely identify them on their own as they were so well blended. It's a very soapy feel in dry winter weather (a refined version of Imperial Leather soap perhaps) which blooms into a more peppery, more approachable floral leather in tropical Singapore. There's a hint of tobacco. It has a clear personality.
The most modern sample is louder, with the soapy feel reduced and a bit more pepper and more persistent floral side; side-by-side it makes the first vintage smell a little more watery, but just a tad. The second vintage is closer to the first, identical as far as my memory remembers. I happily wear them all.
Equipage is my go-to scent for professional days, meeting clients or any kind of formal occasion, because it's very hard not to like it.
The notes are described in the pyramid, but I could rarely identify them on their own as they were so well blended. It's a very soapy feel in dry winter weather (a refined version of Imperial Leather soap perhaps) which blooms into a more peppery, more approachable floral leather in tropical Singapore. There's a hint of tobacco. It has a clear personality.
The most modern sample is louder, with the soapy feel reduced and a bit more pepper and more persistent floral side; side-by-side it makes the first vintage smell a little more watery, but just a tad. The second vintage is closer to the first, identical as far as my memory remembers. I happily wear them all.
A very old school, aromatic, herbal, floral, leather, mossy fragrance with very well made ingredients that is suited towards the grown ups.
This type of fragrance will not appeal to many younger men IMO.. Something in this does not set well with me.. I am thinking it is the carnation & pine mix? I am not a fan of carnation, It literally flops on my skin.
It is classy & sophisticated but I don't have a need for this fragrance in my wardrobe. Lasting power is 5-6 hours with arms reach projection. If you like retro, masculine dated fragrances, check out Equipage!
This type of fragrance will not appeal to many younger men IMO.. Something in this does not set well with me.. I am thinking it is the carnation & pine mix? I am not a fan of carnation, It literally flops on my skin.
It is classy & sophisticated but I don't have a need for this fragrance in my wardrobe. Lasting power is 5-6 hours with arms reach projection. If you like retro, masculine dated fragrances, check out Equipage!
Complex and very well blended. It's spicy, mossy, woody, floral. Mature and elegant, it does make me think a few decades back. If I wore to describe it in one word, it would be "aromatic".
Spicy carnation. Go vintage. Go big. Top-shelf. Old-school. 4 hours. No idea about the newer stuff. 5/5
Edit 1: to be fair, I often get more like 6-8 hours in the harder cold winter, with the cocoon effect that flannels/sweaters provide. Projection is just right for this grey-hair with nothing to prove and little to hide.
Edit 1: to be fair, I often get more like 6-8 hours in the harder cold winter, with the cocoon effect that flannels/sweaters provide. Projection is just right for this grey-hair with nothing to prove and little to hide.
2014 vintage.
Opens reminiscent of Acqua di Parma. Was ready to write it off until a waft of Vintage Eau d'Hermes like skank breezed in. Now we're cooking. It, like the Eau needs to settle on the skin. Enters into the soft, yummy, Hermes elegant Leather World. A little more approachable than the Eau also.Need to sample the Vintage. Apparently it is the "Wowser!"
March 2016
Yes!
An early 80's Vintage confirms. None of the Aqua Di Parma associations.Complexity and finesse are upped.A smooth smokey drydown proves succulent.
This, is a Mature Gentlemen's Perfume.It moves from a Bright 10K Yellow Gold, to a Caramel 22k Rose Gold.
I wonder how close my sample is to the 70's creation? My search continues.
Opens reminiscent of Acqua di Parma. Was ready to write it off until a waft of Vintage Eau d'Hermes like skank breezed in. Now we're cooking. It, like the Eau needs to settle on the skin. Enters into the soft, yummy, Hermes elegant Leather World. A little more approachable than the Eau also.Need to sample the Vintage. Apparently it is the "Wowser!"
March 2016
Yes!
An early 80's Vintage confirms. None of the Aqua Di Parma associations.Complexity and finesse are upped.A smooth smokey drydown proves succulent.
This, is a Mature Gentlemen's Perfume.It moves from a Bright 10K Yellow Gold, to a Caramel 22k Rose Gold.
I wonder how close my sample is to the 70's creation? My search continues.
I've tested vintage Equipage a couple times now. It's a lovely leathery patchouli. If it had more longevity, it would test the resolve of my buying freeze. For vintage classics, this is in line with the best I've tried.
It opens with citrus on par with the openings of Chanel Pour Monsieur and Bugatti (1992), but the citrus phase is especially short with Equipage. The mid is light, but very nice, and it does actually conjure a feeling of leather and possibly even horses - they delivered on the concept (equipage is defined as a horse-drawn carriage). I can also smell the kinship with Eau d'Hermes and Bel Ami, faintly. The base is soapy and reminds me of Paco Rabanne Pour Homme and Old Spice.
This joins Uomo by Lorenzo Villoresi as a top recommendation for circumventing a fragrance ban - it's light, but very nice.
It opens with citrus on par with the openings of Chanel Pour Monsieur and Bugatti (1992), but the citrus phase is especially short with Equipage. The mid is light, but very nice, and it does actually conjure a feeling of leather and possibly even horses - they delivered on the concept (equipage is defined as a horse-drawn carriage). I can also smell the kinship with Eau d'Hermes and Bel Ami, faintly. The base is soapy and reminds me of Paco Rabanne Pour Homme and Old Spice.
This joins Uomo by Lorenzo Villoresi as a top recommendation for circumventing a fragrance ban - it's light, but very nice.
My best friend's father used it in the 70's, last week I tried the new formulation and it is simply very good.
Elegant, classy with a strong vetiver base note, two days later the paper where I sprayed it was still smelling good.
Elegant, classy with a strong vetiver base note, two days later the paper where I sprayed it was still smelling good.
After sampling for some weeks from an ever-dwindling 2ml supply procured from the Perfumed Court, I found a vintage bottle at a price too good to pass up. The vintage arrived today, and I was so taken by it that I thought it worth posting a review.
The notes for this fragrance are well-known and well exposited elsewhere so I will not duplicate these efforts. Rather, let me make some comparisons. There are some great leathers out there. Among semi-modern, D&G Pour Homme (made in Italy or Germany but not elsewhere) is one. There are many others. Of those I've sampled or bought, this is simply the best. The richness and depth of the fragrance combined with its "dirty" elements are out of this world beautiful. Viewing fragrance as art, this is a Monet--relatively few brushstrokes producing a transforming effect.
The vintage juice is different from new in all the right ways. It is darker in the opening with a dirty, rustic theme right from the outset. Happily this is dirty in the sense of oakmoss and not in the sense of cumin. As it dries down, the leather is pure, rich and lovely, like a visit to a freshly cleaned stable. The horses are there, sweating and steaming in the afternoon heat. You pick up a saddle, nose right to it as you lift it into place onto your chestnut brown quarterhorse. You pull on your hand tooled boots and prepare to ride. Heading out, it is just you, saddle, riding crop, and the country air in the low, late afternoon light.
Just perfect.
The notes for this fragrance are well-known and well exposited elsewhere so I will not duplicate these efforts. Rather, let me make some comparisons. There are some great leathers out there. Among semi-modern, D&G Pour Homme (made in Italy or Germany but not elsewhere) is one. There are many others. Of those I've sampled or bought, this is simply the best. The richness and depth of the fragrance combined with its "dirty" elements are out of this world beautiful. Viewing fragrance as art, this is a Monet--relatively few brushstrokes producing a transforming effect.
The vintage juice is different from new in all the right ways. It is darker in the opening with a dirty, rustic theme right from the outset. Happily this is dirty in the sense of oakmoss and not in the sense of cumin. As it dries down, the leather is pure, rich and lovely, like a visit to a freshly cleaned stable. The horses are there, sweating and steaming in the afternoon heat. You pick up a saddle, nose right to it as you lift it into place onto your chestnut brown quarterhorse. You pull on your hand tooled boots and prepare to ride. Heading out, it is just you, saddle, riding crop, and the country air in the low, late afternoon light.
Just perfect.
After reading the great reviews, I had to try this and was left feeling...perplexed. EQUIPAGE is very floral, almost feminine and overwhelming. There is a pine note, though mild. I also get a tannic resins/leather note that is fleeting and so light it doesn't seem to hold it's own...a leather note I would associate with women. I don't really get spice notes at all. Rather bland fragrance overall that lasts approximately 5 hours on skin and breaks down to even more purely floral design long before that.
One of the truly great scent creations for men, Equipage defies description. It tries to be everything all at once - spicy, fougere, floral, leather, chypre, tobacco, woods - and miraculously succeeds on all fronts. Whatever appeals to you, you will find it there.
Created at this writing 45 years ago, its note profile is much more complex than the few ingredients listed above:
Top notes: Rosewood, Bergamot, Orange, Clary Sage, Nutmeg, Cinnamon
Heart notes: Carnation, Jasmine, Muguet, Labdanum, Pine, Birch Tar
Base notes: Tonka, Vetiver, Patchouli, Oakmoss, Musk, Vanilla
The new formulation, which seemingly had to dispense with the oak moss due to those pesky new regulations, has a much more warm leather support to its spiciness than the true vintage, which in an equally warm manner presents its complex carnation/pine bouquet. Both are lovely, just slightly different to my nose.
The original is much more pungent in the warmth of summer than the newer version. Sillage for both is low in winter, clarion in summer.
A must-experience for every man interested in scent.
Created at this writing 45 years ago, its note profile is much more complex than the few ingredients listed above:
Top notes: Rosewood, Bergamot, Orange, Clary Sage, Nutmeg, Cinnamon
Heart notes: Carnation, Jasmine, Muguet, Labdanum, Pine, Birch Tar
Base notes: Tonka, Vetiver, Patchouli, Oakmoss, Musk, Vanilla
The new formulation, which seemingly had to dispense with the oak moss due to those pesky new regulations, has a much more warm leather support to its spiciness than the true vintage, which in an equally warm manner presents its complex carnation/pine bouquet. Both are lovely, just slightly different to my nose.
The original is much more pungent in the warmth of summer than the newer version. Sillage for both is low in winter, clarion in summer.
A must-experience for every man interested in scent.
There is not much I can add to all of these glowing reviews. This fragrance is class in a bottle! An extremely warm and enveloping scent. This has to be how an old faculty lounge must smell like at Oxford or Cambridge! Leather, woods, tobacco, vetiver and carnation in perfect harmony. As much as I love it, I feel I might be a tad young to wear this yet. I can see this being my signature scent in 10 to 15 years. Superb! 10/10!
Genre: Fougère
After Eau d'Hermès, Équipage is my favorite of the Hermès scents for men. In style it is a rich and substantial fragrance that combines elements of a tobacco fougère and a leather chypre. With its aromatic content, labdanum, woods, and animalic leather, it smells of well-worn club chairs, fine whiskey, and expensive cigars. In its weight, warmth, and nuanced complexity, it also smells like the work of the nose behind Amouage Gold, the original Calèche, and Monsieur Rochas. And well it should, having been composed by the very same Guy Robert.
In the way it straddles the fougère and leather genres, Équipage prefigures Jean Luis Sieuzac's equally brilliant Or Black. Yet while the two share a reliance upon sage, labdanum, and birch tar, they are otherwise distinct in terms of content and character. Where Or Black can be grim even forbidding - in aspect, Équipage, with its conspicuous floral middle notes, is essentially comforting and comfortable. Not, mind you, that it's even remotely bland. The play of astringent aromatics and cool pine resin against the warmly animalic labdanum is proof enough against boredom.
Indeed, the depth and complexity on display in Équipage are worlds away from the elegant, but often flimsy structures that have since become the hallmark of the Hermès line. A scent like Équipage, traditional in style, original in content, enduring, and stimulating after forty years, demonstrates the creative potential inherent in classical French perfumery. I wonder if anybody will still be talking about Rose Ikebana, Vanille Galante, or Eau de Gentian Blanc forty years from now? Even if Équipage is extinct in forty years, it's liable to be a fond memory.
After Eau d'Hermès, Équipage is my favorite of the Hermès scents for men. In style it is a rich and substantial fragrance that combines elements of a tobacco fougère and a leather chypre. With its aromatic content, labdanum, woods, and animalic leather, it smells of well-worn club chairs, fine whiskey, and expensive cigars. In its weight, warmth, and nuanced complexity, it also smells like the work of the nose behind Amouage Gold, the original Calèche, and Monsieur Rochas. And well it should, having been composed by the very same Guy Robert.
In the way it straddles the fougère and leather genres, Équipage prefigures Jean Luis Sieuzac's equally brilliant Or Black. Yet while the two share a reliance upon sage, labdanum, and birch tar, they are otherwise distinct in terms of content and character. Where Or Black can be grim even forbidding - in aspect, Équipage, with its conspicuous floral middle notes, is essentially comforting and comfortable. Not, mind you, that it's even remotely bland. The play of astringent aromatics and cool pine resin against the warmly animalic labdanum is proof enough against boredom.
Indeed, the depth and complexity on display in Équipage are worlds away from the elegant, but often flimsy structures that have since become the hallmark of the Hermès line. A scent like Équipage, traditional in style, original in content, enduring, and stimulating after forty years, demonstrates the creative potential inherent in classical French perfumery. I wonder if anybody will still be talking about Rose Ikebana, Vanille Galante, or Eau de Gentian Blanc forty years from now? Even if Équipage is extinct in forty years, it's liable to be a fond memory.
Citrus, cloves, tobacco, vetiver, spices and leather. An austere, noble, terribly pleasant and versatile milestone in masculine perfumery - and more broadly, a pillar of masculine class. Hundreds of reviews about this one, nothing more to add about it. Superb!
10/10
(vintage version)
10/10
(vintage version)