Pour Monsieur

Pour Monsieur is the scent of a man who still knows how to properly iron a broadsheet newspaper. Henri Robert's 1955 composition is a citrus chypre of such crystalline refinement that it makes most modern masculine releases feel like they're shouting through a megaphone. The opening triad of lemon, petit grain, and neroli creates not a simple citrus blast but a bitter-sweet hesperidic fanfare—the petit grain contributing its woody-floral complexity whilst the neroli lends a waxy, almost soapy elegance that speaks to mid-century grooming rituals. What separates this from typical citrus colognes is the immediate presence of ginger and cardamom in the heart, spices that add a peppery, slightly resinous warmth without veering into gourmand territory. The basil brings an unexpected aromatic greenness, almost medicinal, that keeps the composition from becoming too polite. But it's the base where Pour Monsieur reveals its true character: a mossy, earthy vetiver-oakmoss alliance that roots all that citrus brightness into something substantive and unapologetically masculine. The amber and musk provide just enough roundness to soften the edges without neutering the scent's backbone. This is for the man who appreciates restraint as the ultimate luxury, who understands that presence doesn't require projection. It's the fragrance equivalent of a perfectly cut grey flannel suit—utterly correct, quietly commanding, and entirely timeless in its refusal to pander to contemporary tastes.