Coach Leatherware No. 03
Coach (2013)

Coach Leatherwear No. 3 (2013) is the third of three different numbered leather-themed fragrances issued as an expansion on the "Leatherwear" concept, and ostensible replacement for Coach Leatherwear (2009), which was a poor-selling masculine fragrance launching the ill-fated the several years before. Most people smelling that first Leatherwear lobbed grievances at Coach around an apparent lack of any substantial leather notes in it, and Leatherwear went under the radar until discontinuation for everyone else because Coach itself was centered mostly around women's handbags in the media of the time. This fragrance and its two brethren were meant to rectify this problem, presenting three different shades of leather light to dark, giving would-be male buyers a spread of proper leather scents from a brand that's supposed to be known for its leather goods. The big deal breakers here for all of the Leatherwear releases were more or less timing, lack of advertising, and no real interest in traditional leather perfumes among the target customer demographic at the time, resulting in a brief two-year market life that then lead to a quick stock-flush. For a small time, these were discounter darlings among the online "Cognoscenti", but scalpers gotta scalp you know, and the online "town criers" among the forums and social media platforms made sure everyone came running to buy seventeen billion backups a piece so they could be buried with their bottles like an Egyptian Pharaoh when their mortal warranty expires.

Leatherwear No. 3 is the least talked-about one of the bunch, and part of that may be because it is the darkest of the three leather amigos, although Tom Ford Ombré Leather (2018) this is not. If you want more of the oiled baseball glove vibe of Coach Leatherwear No. 2 (2013), this one is the Leatherwear scent for you. Leatherwear No. 3 opens with lemon and aldehydes over pink pepper, with cardamom and a bit of orris slipping into the heart. A bit of isobutyl quinoline does return to the mix, not seen since Coach Leatherwear No. 1 (2013), but it comes calling with birch tar for a dark "Russian leather" feel here. This darkness is countered by the soapiness of the orris and ionone choices, with what feels like an unlisted bit of neroli here too. Dark shoe polish leather notes come into the fore, but are much more subtle than what you might expect if you've smelled a lot of the darker more-photorealistic style, as this isn't that. Patchouli and vetiver mix with oakmoss, cedar (via Iso E Super), and what feels like a pinch of nagarmotha too. Overall, this is less-oily than what lovers of extreme leathers a la Puredistance or Roja Dove probably enjoy, and even a step below the aforementioned Tom Ford, but definitely darker than anything else released in the designer realm aside from maybe Gucci Guilty Absolute pour Homme (2017), which was a few years away. The most complex of the three leathers from this series is also unsurprisingly the best-performing, and I'd say best use here is in winter or to a biker bar.

If Leatherwear No. 1 is the love letter to perfumers like Germaine Cellier, and Leatherwear No. 2 is the "modern chic" brown leather jacket offering for the painfully fashionable, then Leatherwear No. 3 is Rob Halford coming on stage riding a motorcycle, not quite scary enough like a true Hell's Angel to be off-putting, but making the intention clear that if you aren't at least somewhat Hell-bent for leather, you're at the wrong show. Therefore of the three, this one sold the poorest and is the least-expensive in the aftermarket discontinued gouge-fest of eBay and Etsy, since classic leather fans didn't exactly reach for it, and the modern leather fans didn't want it either. Only after Ombré Leather made really oily-slick jackboot Tom of Finland tropes in the leather world palatable to mainstream noses, did stuff like the by-then long-gone Coach Leatherwear No. 3 make sense. Honestly though, if you're going to spend the kind of cash this commands online, I'd just the same say reach for Clandestine Laboratories Master (2021), which is the real gobsmacker of the style in my opinion. Of course, if you're beyond the distribution footprint of such a small brand as that, go for Ombré Leather instead, as Leatherwear No. 3 just feels like a half-hearted "for dummies" cousin to it anyway. If Coach still made these three, they could all retail for $200 anyway as part of some upper-crust exclusive range, sold unisex, at high-end stores, making them feel even more like a missed opportunity than they already do. Thumb up

Coach Leatherware No. 3 is the most classic leather scent among the three Leatherware men's scents. The Coach store associate told me it was designed to resemble a baseball glove, and it's a fairly accurate comparison, as leather dominates most of the fragrance, with some woody accords like cypress in the background. While I get mainly cypress, I do get some of the cedar to round out the dry down. I get less of spicy and herby top and heart notes. There's a slightly citrus aspect to the opening, but not to the point of it being gourmandish.

On the whole, it's smooth---not significantly acerbic, like D.S. & Durga's Bowmakers, and not citrus-intensive, like Acqua di Parma Colonia Leather. Coach Leatherware No. 3 is very agreeable, and therefore versatile. Leather inherently lends itself toward cold weather use.

Projection isn't overwhelming for an EDP but longevity is strong--it'll remain a skin scent for a while. The relatively limited projection goes hand-in-hand with the scent not being distraction stylistically, either, but a great blend that itself blends in well with the wearer and doesn't stand out too much.

I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a bottle after the men's Leatherware trio started disappearing in early 2015 and by the fall was almost gone. The original pricing of $95 for 95ml was roughly appropriate, but on clearance at half the price, I got a steal.

Not especially daring, but still far more wearable than most leather scents out there, even niche options like Tom Ford Tuscan Leather, and far more versatile, this is a great leather option if you can get your hands on it.

8 out of 10

Smells pretty good. Smells like freshly polished shoe leather. Perfect for cooler days and evenings. I would wear this with a leather or suede jacket. Would fit perfectly. Good job Coach.

I have to say thumbs WAY UP on this one. Reminds me of the smell of My Father's first BMW. I haven't forgotten. The leather smell is unbelievable. I want to buy a bottle soon.