Gentleman (1974)

Review for a Vintage 1982 I have owned my 1982 vintage bottle for about ten years. It was the fragrance that changed my mind about animalic notes. Before discovering it, I thought I generally disliked this kind of accord. The structure is built around a rich combination of patchouli, leather, and honey, creating a polished yet distinctly old-fashioned texture. The honey adds warmth and a slightly luminous, almost crystalline texture, while the patchouli and leather provide the dark, earthy backbone. Then comes the civet. It is not a discreet touch in the modern sense, but a full animalic surge that gives the fragrance considerable presence. This is the kind of pre-1990 masculine perfumery in which animalic materials were allowed to occupy the foreground rather than being carefully softened for universal appeal. Despite its density, the composition feels remarkably coherent. The animalic facet does not seem pasted onto the structure; it is woven into the patchouli-leather accord and gives the whole fragrance an unmistakable sense of character and history. I have smelled many modern interpretations of patchouli and leather, but few possess this combination of depth, texture, and confidence. This is not merely a vintage curiosity. It is a beautifully constructed masculine fragrance with a personality that modern perfumery rarely attempts to reproduce. Rating: 9.5/10 (vintage)

Definitely a trip to the past.

Gorgeous, oldschool Pachouli and Honey bomb with a load of sidekicks. This combination makes this scent into a seductive, addictive, almost chocolate like, dry sweet masterpiece. This is an amazing classic. Basically, it does EVERYTHING I hoped Antaeus, Kouros, Farenheit etc.. would do for me, but it appears that I was looking for Givenchy Gentleman all along. My signature scent all year around. Beware that people draw comparison with Giorgio Beverly Hills Giorgio for Men, and yes, theyre largely similar, they arent identical. Giorgio for Men is more of a green "just harvested" pachouli instead of a sweet chocolatey one as in this fragrance, and that carries thru the entire scent of it. So Giorgio for men is a fresher, rougher cousin to this.

Perfume is not bad, it is definitely for mature audience, smoker grandfather feels but don’t get me wrong a successful old man who has hustled and achieved

This is one of my favourite commercial perfumes. I have followed the changes, though I still have a small amount of the first bottle I bought on a cruise ship in the 1990s. Smoky fruit is the first impression - a warm and sultry hit that combines wood, musk, and patchouli with light florals and exotic citric fruits. It has a unique and fascinating scent. Sharp, manly, sophisticated. There's a sense of excitement and refinement about it. It is full of such contrasts. I love it.

Vintage 80s batch: mostly get patchouli. not much else. maybe the current formulation would have more top notes. 5.5/10

Earthy and mossy with honey. This wasn’t a favorite right away. A year later and I can’t get enough of it. It lingers on my sweaters in the best way. Absolutely gorgeous.

Too classic for me I guess... smells like the thrift store or an old closet probably honey and too much musk comes off with that old syrup smell can't deal with that, passing it off to uncle.

I dont understand what is going on here... but i have a givenchy gentleman with silver cap and black wider collar, made in france, silver sticker in front... i got this from a flea market, so its possible it wasnt stored in the correct temperature, but this has a heavy wet tobacco opening and tobacco isnt a listed note... its very pungent tobacco and it dries down spicy and leathery. This is a great fragrance Kind of like if Tom ford Tobacco vanille is from the 70s/80s but less sweet and more moist... I still have yet to describe the late drydown...

Forget the barrage of notes listed here, as the current version of Gentleman is simply a blast of herbal greens on top, followed by patchouli, patchouli, and more patchouli. I have a few patchouli oils, and one of them has a nice cedar-like finish. Gentleman shares that quality, starting brisk and green, before eventually mellowing into a more chocolate-amber heart accord that gets balsamic and powdery in the base. Conjures images of ruffled dandys in horse-drawn carriages in the days when patchouli was used in cedar wardrobes to deter silkworms and moths. Truly a beautiful fragrance, well worth owning, and of much higher quality than Giorgio for Men, like Giorgio done with more natural-smelling materials.

Current formulation (the one pictured) is just such a beautiful and ridiculous honey and synthetic oakmoss bomb. The patchouli is also so fun but wish it was stronger. An extremely tasteful fragrance considering its note profile; it could be way more aggressive and in your face but it chooses not to be. As always, this may be a pro to some and a con to others...

I usually love the classics especially one with such a great reputation(and bunches of patchouli) however I'm only liking this one. Don't get me wrong I really like it, but the problem is I already had Giorgio for Men by Giorgio Beverly Hills. I love Giorgio, and it's basically Givenchy Gentleman with sugar diabetes. Perhaps I'll eventually fall in love with it, but maybe not. Either way it's a classic and it's great.

the best fragrance for men released in the 1970s, periodt.

I blind‑bought this perfume and initially didn’t like it the animalic and musky notes were just too strong for my taste. After experimenting with layering it using a sweet fruit with cedarwood, a touch of oud, and a bit of citrus, it transformed into a scent I genuinely enjoy.

Smells great projection and longevity are pure dog mess

This is what the grown ups smelled like when I was a Kid! I finally got this because a coworker was looking for polo sport and couldn't find it in stores. So he MADE ME go on a perfume shopping site. That Forced me to round out the order to not pay shipping....lucky coincidence. So spraying this on this morning was very immediately a medically clean scent. Much like Givenchy Insense Ultramarine has that clean medical soapy note. It's always when I am wearing my Givenchy scents that I always feel like "This is why I pay a little more for this stuff" The blend is so complex and together as one harmonious outfit. Like The Allman Brothers Band at the Fillmore. On the way to work inside my winter coat and scarf the patchouli would waft out sometimes making it really old school. This was made when I was 3 years old. This was totally barbershop clean and still is. I'm huffing it on my wrist but don't get the patchouli like when it creeps up on me . On my wrist it's shave cream at Vito's barber shop where my dad would take me for a haircut. He was my barber until my late teens when the same do would no longer do. I'm a kid when I smell this. It takes me back to when cars were huge and built like tanks and saturday morning cartoons were a saturday morning religious ceremony. It kind of feels wrong to wear this for me. A lot like YSL Opium. It's what the old guys wore the adults. Its so nostaligic to wear this because it almost seems irrelevant and antiquated yet really comforting and clean. I'm not disappointed to own and wear this. I've reached the age that the guys who wore it had when I smelled it on them. I wear hats when I go out like a geezer. Why not just be and not give a crap about what anyone says or thinks. that's another thread. I am wondering what it will be like when it matures. The patchouli I suspect will get stronger.

Gentleman (1974) by Givenchy is a classic, embodying the mature, sophisticated aura of the 70s with its dominant patchouli, civet, and leather notes. It starts with a chocolatier patchouli brightness that transitions to an earthy, oakmoss and vetiver base, offering a nostalgic yet timeless masculine scent. Longevity is strong, typically lasting 6–8 hours and sometimes much longer on skin, with moderate projection that becomes more intimate over time. This fragrance suits colder seasons and formal occasions, resonating best with an older crowd who appreciate its vintage character and quiet elegance. It’s a true gentleman’s fragrance from an era when bold, green, and animalic notes ruled, perfect for those who want to wear a refined, historical statement.

I think you mean this one @Winston25, https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Givenchy/Gentleman-Original-2024-99145.html

Great classic fragrance but it's not as good as the original 70s one. It's close but misses a few notes. Doesn't last to long either on my skin.

I've got a bottle 3274872444126 from batch 4A01 that apparently is from Jan/2024 but that has the same bottle as the 1974 original (with sticker label) and Ref. # P011181, Formula 16670. It has written on the box "Eau de Toilette Originale", and apparently it's a reformulated version of the 1974 original that was being sold in parallel with the 2017 travesty version. The scent is very soapy and patchouli/earthy centered, I find it a bit boring to be honest, not what I expected. Will try to sample the new 2024 version (with new redesigned bottle) that some people are commenting here that smells closer to the original. The formula I have is ok, but not a "masterpiece" - maybe it's the reformulation, maybe my specific bottle is not delivering... Will just leave this note, will not rate it because it seems like it would be unfair.

Green, ambery, slightly warm spicy, slightly powdery, slightly animalic musky. Patchouli ambery, sophisticated & masculine scent profile. Came here to review this since GG 2024 reminded me of this, and is 1:1 identical to this as well just slightly more fresh and less animalic. Pretty nostalgic.

When I was a kid my mom cleaned the Place Ville Marie in downtown montreal. She would often bring home various discarded items from offices that closed in the building. We also never bought pens pencils or liquid paper because Mom had tons of supplies that were trashed by corporate waste. One of those things was a tiny Vial of Givenchy gentleman in a cardboard wallet. The cardboard had the signature Givenchy Logo that still evokes great memories. To be honest it's probably the first fragrance I ever got. As a preteen I recall putting some on from the vial just rubbing it on my neck. I felt all grown up and cool . Even today i can remember it being Patchouli leather and some root like spiciness. The memory itself is delicious in my mind. I've been meaning to get a bottle forever but something laways intervenes. I will one day purchase this and enjoy it again. It is definitely old school and unique. A signature for many of the reviewers who had a loved one use it. It's yesterday's Gentleman but it's THAT Gentleman every time. I love my Givenchy scents and I feel this is their staple and signature Gent. I tip my hat to all those who have fond memories of this scent as I do... P.S. If you're trying to compare this to anything new just don't....it's an excercise in futility to try to diminish this stately Gent by comparing it to just anything. This is in an old school hall of fame class by itself. Can't be tarnished can't be dethroned. Since 1974 ...before I went to kindergarden...nuff said guvnuh!!

Somewhat less, it’s a barber like Flannel or Pour Lui, but its initial take subjectively doesn’t appeal to me. It also seems too aged, no opening, a suffocating darkness — interesting how it behaves on skin. It’s a scent that was recreated in Beau de Jour. Yes, very similar. They mellow over time. I don’t know if it’s worth the effort. On paper, nothing interesting, just a wall of bitterness. On the hand, finally, you can feel notes specific to this scent — it’s a dark barber with character, but is it worth the trouble? Kind of like the Kouros drydown, when it’s no longer urinous. Not worth checking on paper.

I have bought recent newly bottled GIVENCHY GENTLEMAN ORIGINAL 2025 PERFUME IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL ALSO MORE SIMILAR TO THE ORIGINAL ONE UNBELIEVABLE! BOTTLE LOOKS MORE SIMILAR TO THE ORIGINAL ONE Too…. I WOULD JUST CHANGE THE CAP FOR SILVER as it would look even more CHIC I AM SO SO SO HAPPY AS IT IS ONE OF THE GREATEST PERFUMES EVERY CREATED

My favorite fragrance of all time

Slightly sweet, earthy patchouli with a hint of spice. There’s some tobacco in the background. It doesn’t smell animalic on my skin. The drydown is a bit nostalgic. I love this! Smells like Psychedelique, but replace the vanilla with tobacco and make it drier. Scent: 9.5/10 Projection: 8/10 Longevity: 9/10

Kouros but more patchouli less stinky

Roja Danger Pour Homme is really very similar to this product, not as a gemini, but as a brother, exactly. I have an old version of it.

Honey, cinnamon, rose, patchouli, tobacco, and civet. is what I pick up on in the vintage bottle. It's animalic and strong. The patchouli is dusty. The new version is pretty similar minus the civet and an added vanilla note. It's noticeably sweeter. The new version lacks longevity but is still good. The older version is stronger, drier, and more animalic.

I think I’ve hit the jackpot. Browsing in Manchester T1 UK terminal, and I’m looking for the newly (2024) relaunch of Gentleman 74’…. Can’t seem to find it here (they probably don’t stock it) however I do come across one that looks identical to the OG gentleman… I smell it and I do believe it is! £74 for 100ml. Is this worth getting I wonder… 🤔🤔