According to Chanel this was created by Henri Robert in 1955 and was launched as 'A Gentleman's Cologne' in the UK, 'Chanel for Men' in the USA and 'Chanel Pour Monsieur' in France. In 1989 it was relaunched with the name 'Chanel Pour Monsieur' worldwide. Chanel insist that the formula remains unchanged since its launch in 1955 -- though US beauty industry news reports in 1988 claim the scent is new and was created by 258s. Hmmmm.. curiouser and curiouser...
Chanel Pour Monsieur fragrance notes
Head
- neroli, lemon, petitgrain
Heart
- cardamom
Base
- cedarwood, oakmoss, vetiver
Where to buy
Latest Reviews of Chanel Pour Monsieur

These days, it seems that "mature" is the label for anything that isn't candied, but yes, Pour Monsieur is mature and noble, and I'm in my 40s, so, what of it? It would behoove us to consider the connotations of "mature": is it code for dated, old-smelling, passe? Do we find a sense of wonder and joy to be mutually exclusive to maturity, left dry and dusty and devoid of vitality? I was mistaken as a 35 year old yesterday by one of the coffee shop baristas. Of course, I was living for it and loving it all up, but what does that say about me? Does Pour Monsieur augment that or take away from that appearance of youthfulness? Many questions, so little time for answers.
Oh, I know now, it's the OAKMOSS. Hot-diggity-damn, this bottle came from an age where oakmoss wasn't scaled back (insert social theories and conspiracy theories here). The 90s still allowed for it, but I was probably perceived as an old-time classic even then. We should be more concerned when people seem to be "a shadow of their former selves" than fragrances. I am more full-bodied today, just like this version of Pour Monsieur. No shell or shadow here.
On Fragrantica, someone left a "review" that asked "Does this perfume fit a 19 year old person? Or is it for true gentlemen (30+) only?" My advice: smell it. Once you smell it, be present with it, quietly. Note the spaces between your thoughts and how you feel. If you feel good, wear it, wear it with abandon, and pay no mind to what others say. Your experience will be authentic, young man.

Delicious, classy, and uplifting. Vintage only.
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A masculine aromatic scent with a huge dose of neroli and petitgrain in the opening which is bitter.a garden full of herbs and green floral smoothness and a kitchen cabinet full of spices basil, coriander,caraway in the middle.after a while it feels more like a barbershop scent,not too dated and not so outrageously soapy as Paco Rabanbe PH for instance.the dry down is a really mossy,which gives it that old-style charm.there is absolutely no need fear you're going to smell like an old man wearing this.

Edit: I'd say women, give this a try. Alternatively I'd say: men, give No. 19 a try (parfum formulation is preferable).

Even in its current form, Chanel's flagship masculine fragrance is a cut above other chypres. Some fragrances you need a bit of time to enjoy, but some are love at first sniff. Pour Monsieur is a case of the latter.
Others are assuredly better at describing notes, so I will just say that Pour Monsieur is classy and gentlemanly. It may come across as dated to someone whose only experience with fragrances are the designers offered at Macy's or Sephora.
My 5 ml decant has grown some chest hair over time, obtaining a bit of animalic funk. Otherwise, it is the epitome of a dumb reach, easy-to-wear, feel-good fragrance.
My only complaint is performance. As others have noted, Pour Monsieur is a bit understated. I think that's part of its charm, but if I were willing to pay Chanel prices, I'd want better performance.
It should also be noted that the edt is no longer available in the U.S. market, which is no skin off my back, as I prefer the fuller edp launched in 2014. It does, however, speak to the state of perfumery in the U.S. Just a few years ago I could sample Pour Monsieur edp and Chanel's other classics Antaeus and Egoiste at my local Nordstrom. Nowadays, you mention any of these at the Chanel counter and you get a blank stare followed by we DO have three different concentrations of Bleu de Chanel! Have you tried the Parfum?
Overall, Pour Monsieur edt gets a thumbs up, but because of performance and cost/availability, does not get a full bottle worthy endorsement.

What a disappointment. It's barely a shadow of its former self. Reformulation has ruined it. A lemony blast disappears almost immediately leaving a very faint skin scent and that is gone after an hour. I can see why vintage bottles online fetch such high prices.


When I first tried Pour Monsieur, it was already heavily reformulated. I found that it was a pleasant citrus fragrance with a light oakmoss and even lighter woodsy finish. I wouldn't bother with this version if you can find a vintage bottle.
The vintage Pour Monsieur, or the Chanel for Men that I have, is truly a delightful scent. It is very understated and inspired by the various traditional eau de cologne. It's an elegant scent and for its time I can imagine it was incredibly special.
When Polge created Pour Monsieur Concentree, it was probably because in 1989 the original Pour Monsieur would have been considered quite tame and lacking power. Nowadays less can be more, as they say, and I think Pour Monsieur has a spot in every gentleman's wardrobe. I actually enjoy Pour Monsieur Concentree because I find it has some depth that Pour Monsieur lacks, but also because the Concentree has quite a lot of differences - maybe more than similarities - to Pour Monsieur.
Some of the vintage Pour Monsieur/Chanel For Men are very heavy in oakmoss, which has been banned for use in perfumery. I always use Pour Monsieur as a reference when discussing oakmoss, as it is incredibly prominent in the vintage compositions - and almost entirely absent in the modern Pour Monsieur....and modern fragrances in general.



