Jonathon Delacour the heart of things

I don't know that product; I'm stuck on the question of whether to continue using scented products, after having heard from some people who have vigorous objections to being in the same space with people who wear scents.

It seems to me to be another "oh, for heaven's sake" topic--but then, web-page accessibility used to be one of those topics, and so on.

Whoops--have to go shower and shave.

AKMA, you should put L'Eau D'Issey pour Homme at the top of your Christmas wish list. Anyone who aspires to guruhood cannot afford to walk the corridors of power unscented -- no matter how comprehensive their grasp of hat etiquette.

Jonathon, I feel utterly absurd talking about the subject, but since we broached it I'll stumble ahead.

I mostly just wore whatever came to hand from the supermarket until I was looking for work out of grad school. Before the first series of significant interviews, Margaret and I decided that I would adoipt a scent--not so much from insecurity or aspirations to studly grandeur, but to encourage me to walk into interviews as though I actually had style and confidence. We went to the department store, men's section, and tried a plantation's worth of scents, winding up with Gucci Nobile, which I subsequently wore consistent until a year or two ago, when I began feeling pangs of conscience about scent-sensitive colleagues. So I was thinking of handing down my last semi-bottle of eau de cologne to Nate, and growing accustomed to the less floral ambiance.

Now you've got me second-thinking, and (of course) wondering whether I should change scents (if I did stay scented).

L'Eau D'Issey, however, stands up for "romantic" use whereas Gucci is nominated for "casual" use--and anyone will tell you I'm more casual than romantic.

AKMA, my apologies for attempting to impose L'Eau D'Issey pour Homme on your person. A fragrance must, as we both know, exactly match the individual's intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and physical qualities.

I think what I was really trying to say in my last comment is that you shouldn't give up the joy of a fragrance, particularly because of pressure from the nostril Fascists. Let them wear face masks if they are so overly sensitive -- if necessary, I can organize a shipment for you from Japan.

I sympathize with your search for the "right" fragrance. For nearly eight months, L'Eau D'Issey pour Homme was unavailable in Australia (supposedly it was out of stock in Paris). I tried every other possible alternative and none of them matched my body and temperament. So I did without. When L'Eau D'Issey pour Homme came back on the shelves, I bought a two year supply.

Persevere, AKMA, until you find the right fragrance. Make sure that Margaret comes with you and approves of your choice. Her nostrils, and your own, are the only ones you should consider.

Jonathon,

Thanks for your advice. I'm not feeling imposed-upon, but only encouraged. I'll go back to a dash of Nobile for a while, and when I restock perhaps Margaret and I can have an indulgent afternoon of scent-shopping. But I'll try to make sure that wherever we shop has L'Eau D'Issey for sampling (assuming anyplace in the US stocks it).

Since it's in the mid-80's in Chicago even though it's October, this thread is timely (I was reflecting on it this afternoon in my 3-5 PM class on Early Church History. . . ).

Postscript:

When I arrived after Evening Prayer last night, Margaret gave me a welcome-home hug and noticed, "You smell nice."

Well, that decides it--Gucci till I run out, then I'll restock after some careful comparison shopping.