Clive Christian Town & Country: A New Way to Experience VintageBritish Luxury
Clive Christian has always been a house with a storied history that embodies British sophistication. They have announced the re-release of a scent from 1925 called Town & Country. The brand does say that this was a scent that British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who is historically famous during the WWII campaign, wore as his choice of scent.
“According to historical records, this fragrance was first introduced in 1925 and was worn by Winston Churchill. He was a scholar who was a popular choice among UK and international elites, celebrities and influencers of the time. The perfume pays homage to London’s rich heritage, blending the elegance of the city with the refreshing nature of the countryside. The Town & Country brand has taken the original herbal formula of clary sage and juniper into its modern blend. The scent contains mossy and musky woody notes reminiscent of the natural woods and spices that were used in the 20th century.” – Clive Christian
Notes
Top – Lemon, Juniper, Bergamot, and Clary Sage
Heart – Cardamom, White Tea, Sandalwood, and Olibanum
Base – Gray Amber, Cedarwood, Cashmere Fusion, and Patchouli
The fragrance opens with a British signature of lemon, bergamot, and aromatic clary sage. The woodiness of juniper jumps into the fray to create the arboraceous backbone that defines the fragrance.
The heart unveils notes of precious sandalwood, another favorite from Great Britain, that is accented by the warm embers of olibanum and spicy cardamom. The floral kiss of white tea provides depth to the woody-spicy composition that is unfolding.
The base notes feature hearty woods, akin to the ones used during that era, which exuded the epitome of class that the brand achieves with each release. Gray amber melds into peppery cedarwood, earthy patchouli, and the softness of cashmere.
As far as the historical comparison to the 1925 version, it has listed notes of lavender, clary sage, rosemary, thyme, and cedar. This version as released by The Crown Perfume Company, which was purchased by Clive Christian in 1999.
The newer release seems like a more modern take on the DNA with an herbal backbone that surprisingly doesn’t include lavender, which is a staple ingredient in fougeres and British perfumery at that time, and still is today. It almost seems like what Houbigant did with Fougere Royale, which was also re-released and is a beautiful fragrance, but it is a more modernized version.
The array of woody and herbal notes, that could have hidden oakmoss and lavender notes that aren’t listed, certainly looks like an homage, but not a re-release. I would simply call this a reimagining of the scent, but I have not smelled the original, and I am going solely off the listed notes.
I cannot imagine a composition from this age not including oakmoss and lavender. I am surprised by the lack of coumarin as well, which was a staple ingredient in Fougere Royale and Icky, which helped define the early fougeres.
Nevertheless, Town & Country looks to be a stunning release, donned in royal red with the signature sophisticated appeal of Clive Christian’s line. There has been no price and size announced yet, but it is a part of the Crown Collection, which typically come in a 50ml size and are priced around €450.00.
