I remember seeing the bottle as a kid thinking that that’s what men’s cologne looks like. I really want to re-experience the vintage version of this that all the boys in school wore the year it came out, but it’s so darn expensive, it’ll have to wait. I tried the new version of the original, which is needless to say, very very different. Definitely American Republicanism, conservatism and capitalism in a bottle – things I love and respect, definitely masculine, and most definitely green and leathery – at least in the drydown.
Life is too short not to smell this great. However, I’m youngish so my experience has been positive since most of my peers don’t remember or weren’t around for the 70s or 80s and haven’t smelled this. If anything this cologne polo dress shirts gets the most positive reaction from younger women out of all my colognes. Not exactly “sexy” positive, but “unique” positive, in a good way. Classic but in a working class way. My father used to wear this a lot to work.
Neiman Marcus offers a luxurious collection of Ralph Lauren men’s clothing and shoes. The Faxon Casual Shoe by Polo Ralph Lauren displays refined style constructed with casual comfort in mind. The Faxon sports a canvas upper, embroidered Polo logo, and soft cotton laces. The padded shock-absorbing insole and treaded rubber outsole allow support and durability that’s perfect for everyday wear.
Great longevity and sillage in the old version. I don’t care if it’s “old school”. I will being exploring the new version to see how it compares and if it holds up well in reformulation, it will be my next FB.
And now I had my hubby try it and it was glorious, still. All those green notes, tobacco , spices to add complexity. Nothing skanky, just very appealing to me.
I much prefer Encre Noire by Lalique for example, when it comes to forest-smelling colognes. I never knew anybody in my background who wore Polo. My only childhood association was a teacher who reminisced that men splashed it on at the gym. I became acquainted with it when I began selling fragrances at a department store and let me tell you, I sold a lot of Polo. We called it Polo green and when we broke a bottle the whole store knew.
Performance wise it is a beast for me. I find that applying some Vaseline on the area and then spraying helps longevity as well (good for your skin, too!). I will, however, note that this isn’t a safe blind buy. It is a scent that will fit the person and by that I mean it has an aura people are either extremely fond of, or shy away from. I say this because I wear this daily and a friend wanted it after smelling it on me. Once he purchased his own and started to use it, he just didn’t like it as much.