As for me, I continue to search for Jules, and have even resorted to seeking out back-street chemists in the hope they might just have some old stock. So far I've had no luck, but I have befriended a few pharmacists along the way and I have enjoyed some limited success with the other scent I mourn, Samarkand, another 1980s classic, this one by the Body Shop.
— Gareth Wyn Davies on discontinued (or, as in the case of Jules by Christian Dior, poorly distributed) fragrances for men. Read more at To be (dis)continued: the story of the lost men's scents at the Telegraph.
I wish Helmut Lang Cuiron would be resurrected – that was a fantastic scent. The men’s scents (also the Helmut Lang musky self named one) were fantastic on me as a woman – never cared for the Helmut Lang women’s scent though.
Never smelled it, but you have my sympathies.
I have one Jules, and it’s true, it was very difficult to acquire it.
It was easier to find here a few years ago.
There is a fair amount of money to be made in bringing back old fragrances, and the internet could help in two ways. Someone could search out which “unavailable” fragrances command the highest premiums on the web. I have seen old bottles of Laura Ashley No. 1 selling for over $100. Some guy is trying to sell one bottle of Clinique Tailoring for Men for $200 or so on E-Bay.
Dept. stores have limited shelf/counter space, but with the internet increasingly a focus in retailing you don’t need to store the stock in a department store or any retailer. You can keep it in a climate-controlled warehouse. People who really love a fragrance will buy it via mail order. I do that with my two old favorites – Armani pour Homme (the very first men’s fragrance from Armani) and Eau Sauvage. Department stores typically have a few bottles of each in a corner somewhere, but the clerks know nothing about them.
Bottom line – the fragrance industry would do well to understand and harness the power of technology. Unfortunately, the same people who design mens fragrances that all smell pretty much the same are also using the same unimaginative way to distribute and sell fragrances.
I agree with you, but doubt Dior would see it that way…I mean, the number of bottles of Jules they’d sell that way, from their perspective, would probably not be worth the trouble. I’m sure they’d rather concentrate on the cash cows, like J’Adore & whatnot.
I recently came upon a 1/3 full bottle of Laura Ashley No 1 that I had forgotten I had. I tried it and and finally remembered how lovely it is. Then I astonished myself again at the prices LA No 1 fetches (apparently) on eBay. It is right up there with the rare Guerlains and stuff like that. Amazing.
Robin – the marginal cost of keeping the customer happy is very low, or to put it another way, it’s a niche market that could be highly profitable. You can’t hit a home run every time you get up to the plate.
Hey, I’m not disagreeing with you. I’m saying I think Dior disagrees with you.
I’m searching for it, too. Not long ago I was in a store, saw an eye catching striped box of perfume on a shelf and made a mental note of it. Later while doing my online perfume research, I saw a box of Dior Jules and figured that was the striped box. I went back to buy it only to discover it was Donna by Gheradini, not Jules! I feel like I missed my chance even though it wasn’t the right juice. Now I’m more curious than ever to get a whiff of Jules. I’d get it for my husband, although he doesn’t like many vintage perfumes. *Sigh*
And Dior would probably have some restricted ingredient excuse not to sell it as is was. Oh the oakmoss! Or the sandalwood. They’d reformulate it beyond recognition and who would want it then?