My scent of the day was Guerlain's elusive and renowned Derby. My sample is vintage and I really cannot compare it to later versions, simply because I have never come across a more modern version of the fragrance.
Of course, I use the term vintage somewhat loosely, considering Derby was only released in the mid-Eighties, but I suppose in this age of reformulation and tinkering, any perfume more than a decade old could be considered vintage.
Derby is one of those mens' fragrances I wanted to try for ages. I liken it to Dior's Jules, in terms of how much I wanted it. In a way, Jules and Derby are not a million miles apart in smell and 'feel'. Both are Eighties era leather-chypres, but the Guerlain feels richer, more suave and just a touch classier, at least to my nose.
It is very difficult for me to explain how Derby smells. It is not an extreme scent, or particularly challenging. It just smells good, classy and very masculine. By masculine, I am not referring to the chest-beating monsters of the era, but rather, just understated, confident class. The word class or classy comes to mind a lot, as you can see, but I can't help it; that is just how Derby is, for me.
