On clothes, it's fine, but you don't really want to spray chypres on clothes since they need body heat to open up and bloom. Maybe it was old, and "spoiled" ( yes, fragrances spoil) but there was a note in this fragrance that was just awful. Received this in a Big Box of '70s today (Halston, Ciara, Tabu, three that my scent memory strongly associates with that decade), and although I'd worn it some years later, waaaaaay back in the days when I was a young pup working in an office in Manhattan, I'd totally forgotten about the warm, musky deliciousness of the drydown. Nowadays I'd be hestitant to wear it out of the house until it dries down a bit as the sillage is nuclear, but perhaps a small amount on an autumn night would do.

The third episode of the series traces the development of the blockbuster scent, including Halston’s struggle to convince corporate executives to use Elsa Peretti’s now-iconic glass teardrop flacon, and his meetings with a perfumer, played by Vera Farmiga, to decode and bottle his unique emotional cocktail of repression and desire. In real life, Halston’s nose also worked for IFF, but the nose behind Halston was a “tweedy Frenchman” named Bernard Chant. One out of the five "Halston" episodes is dedicated to the story of the creation of this fragrance, a rare treat for perfume enthusiasts.

It's not a conventionally beautiful floral like rose or jasmine -- though there are faint nuances of rose and jasmine in here, too -- but something of a rugged working flower that smells tart and herbal. Hopefully the one you purchased was just expired and not indicative of this classic's current formulation. Woody floral notes emerge as it dries down, and the base develops, giving it warmth and earthiness akin to a traditional chypre. I’m definitely going to get another vintage bottle because l enjoy unique perfumes, as l don’t like smelling like everyone else. Still unisex to me, regardless, especially for those who appreciate more floral doses in their woods.

I bought a large bottle of the current formulation of Halston Classic after falling in love with the Netflix miniseries. Today at my place the weather is humid and rainy, and the sharp bitter marigold note completely overwhelmed the other sweeter notes in Halston (and the other fragrances I own), and I had to scrub it off. I thought I didn't like marigold note all that much, but Halston (and Van Cleef) have changed my mind about that. In Halston, Farmiga’s perfumer asks the designer to bring in items with scents that have personal resonance for him—hence, he presents her with the jock strap, a Lady of the Night orchid, and a box of cigarettes.

And this will sound unusual to many: the cucumber note has now been replaced by, what smells to me, like perilla.

I especially liked how it lasted a literal workday; I wish that more newer scents had this longevity.It's almost like some fresh-faced midwest ingenue wandered into Studio 54 and decided to make it her scene. Creative licence is taken here, but Halston's scenes with Vera Farmiga's perfumer from IFF reflect the power of scent, the personal memories it evokes, and the craftsmanship that goes into perfume creation. To enable personalised advertising (like interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies.