Our take
What does 1957 smell like?
Chanel added 1957 to Les Exclusifs in early 2019. The name refers to the year Gabrielle Chanel received the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award in Dallas, a sign of her success in America. Olivier Polge built the eau de parfum around a blend of eight white musks. Bergamot opens with a touch of pink pepper, and a few aldehydes add the shine of fresh laundry. That opening fades within about an hour. What follows is a cloud of musk lightly tinted with powdery iris and neroli. Orange blossom stays in the background. The honey is the most personal touch. It warms the base without making it sweet, alongside very soft cedar and a hint of vanilla. Compared with Narciso Rodriguez For Her, 1957 is less animalic and airier. It smells like a skin texture more than a perfume people notice. Some noses go blind to these musks fast.
When to wear it
A skin scent for the office or the weekend, all year except in heavy heat. Spray it on a scarf to make it last, because on skin it turns very quiet.
It belongs to the Floral, Musky family. 1957 is one of 45 creations by Chanel in our encyclopedia.
