I guarantee you that no fragrance designers at Coty are sitting around, dreamily licking D cell batteries and saying: “Hey! Let’s make a perfume that smells like an asteroid hitting a manicure parlor.” You want white lace and peach blossoms, indulge in a bottle of Jessica Simpson’s Fancy Love. Odeur 53 is not for those who need to be universally liked.
— From Fashion Up There Where the Air Is Thin, an article about the Comme des Garçons fashion line, at the New York Times.
OMG! This had me giggling. I can just hear one of them complain, “hey, you’re all my headspace”….
It’s a great line!
I’m definitely not the target market for CdG fashions. Guess I’ll have to live out my life in beige Mom trousers and cotton sweaters… hey, you know, that doesn’t sound all bad. Think of the cash still in my bank account!
I ADORE white lace. (But not JS Fancy Love.)
I cant’ afford the fashions anyhow, but I did visit the store in Chelsea once, and it was fun to see.
Loved her review of the store (better than her review of JC Penney’s). I’ve enjoyed CdG’s offbeat scents much more than the clothes, which are so much more cutting-edge than I could ever hope to be. My one contact with Comme des garcons was at a used clothing store in Boston years ago. They had this “paper bag” clearance sale: they let people in the door a few at a time, and anything you could fit into a paper bag was $20. You don’t bother trying anything on at that sale, just grab your size. I found a CdG fine woollen dress, which I grabbed. Back at home, I realized how dumb that was–the dress had four or five openings for either your head or arms, several large openings for your legs (more than you needed), numerous layers, wool straps. . . I simply could not figure out where to put my body in it. Hilarious. You wonder why someone let this gem go; had some husband thrown it in the dryer by mistake, thus rendering it unwearable?
It’s probably worth a fortune on ebay now! What did you do with it?
That sounds amazing! I’m a sucker for the weird and unwearable! If you can get a fortune for it on ebay by all means do – but if you’re not looking to sell and would rather swap it for some fragrance goodies, email me up at collapse_into_cool at yahoo.com
That’s a great article, thanks for sharing. I’d try to talk my husband into the “business kilt” but I don’t see that working out.
Odeur 53 has been on my must-try list. I’ll have better luck w/that than the clothes!
Couldn’t get my own husband in a kilt either, never mind that he’s very proud of his Scottish heritage.
True conversation, between The CEO’s uncle on a visit to Culloden Field and a native Scot:
Scot: So you’re American then?
Uncle: Yes, since 1770 or so.
Scot: You know, all the (family name)s that went to America were sheep thieves, cattle rustlers, or wife stealers.
No one will tell me which category the family fits into…
My Scottish ancestor stole the family silver and ran away to England (the world was bigger in those days!). And on my Dad’s side we had a highway man (you know, “Stand and deliver”, as in Adam Ant). Maybe we are related!
Had to dab on some 53 for the article. I am always impressed by how wearable these oddball scents are. I like 71 better than 53 but 53 is still pretty good.
I am all for the business kilts!
They really are very wearable, agree!
I’m with you – I love the sound of 51’s notes but I prefer wearing 71. I also adore #3.
CDG 3 makes me happy, feels like giggling, in the daytime, but it seems jarring and rather annoying after dark.
Many, many years ago I bought one of the earliest CDG garments at a Boston Neiman’s close-out sale. The dress was greenish-gray fine cotton, and it wrapped beautifully around and across and over etc. my then excessively skinny body. I wore it constantly throughout a steamy Boston summer until it faded beyond even my standards. I loved it. Yesterday’s NYT has a review of CDG clothing: now, professional occupants of a circus clown car are best-suited to finding a way into CDG garments — you need resourcefulness, agility, determination and a sense of humor.
Cornlily
Sounds like a great dress!