Reviews of Stetson by Stetson
Humble Stetson. Maybe not the most exceptional of ‘80s men’s fragrances, but still just fabulous and widely available for cheap. Stetson is a great oriental chypre and, though rather linear, reminds me a lot of Obsession, with its vanilla and patchouli. Rich, smooth, and easy to wear. If you like fragrances in the Clubman, Canoe, Wild Country genre, you owe it to yourself to try Stetson. And mine came in the flask bottle with accompanying shot glass. For kitschy saps like me, it doesn’t get better than that. 🙂
Stetson by Coty (1981) is several things all at once: It's probably the last noteworthy chypre from the house that put the word "chypre" on the map (Coty), the last really well-done scent from the house that had slid precipitously downmarket as it grew, to the point of not being a house, but rather a megacorp braintrust under which other indentured houses operate, and the first really good use of a licenced brand for a tie-in fragrance (something all the mass-market drugstore perfume peddlers would eventually do). The Stetson brand, known for it's erstwhile iconic line of extended-brim fedora-style hats that are just classified as "stetsons" and forever linked to the American "Country Western" culture, has arguably become more known for the fragrances marketed under the name in the 21st century than the hat maker which sold the use of it's name. Put it to the test: ask a friend what they think of Stetson, and see how many strike up an opinion of the hat versus the fragrance. The original Stetson cologne is comparable to the Ford Mustang in modern times, and tends to get critically lambasted and devalued/marginalized due to it's ubiquity, and the kind of person associated with wearing it. I won't blow smoke rings and say this is some unsung hero of the early 80's, because let's face it: 1981 was awash in legendary masculine fragrance releases that defined the decade, and Stetson is not among them, but it -is- a distinctive and important scent nonetheless. I personally think it's the greatest repackaging of older concepts since the idea of selling cologne itself as an inherently masculine type of scent, since originally everyone wore it regardless of gender when the first eau de cologne came into being.
What's most funny about Stetson is the way it's composed versus what it's associated with culturally. Stetson rides on the back of Chaps Ralph Lauren (1979), which was a dense leather chypre/fougère hybrid that smelled like Bogart Signature (1975) on steroids, and was a development of the theme put forth initially by Avon Wild Country (1967), which got this whole "cowboy cologne" ball rolling. Stetson didn't have much connection to it's predecessors in terms of composition, and actually is more like an early 20th century women's drugstore chypre a la Dana's Tabu (1931) or 20 Carats (1933). In fact, pulling the lime, vetiver and geranium out of Stetson would literally be enough to market it as a pre-WWII feminine. Don't believe me? Compare smells and read the note pyramids! Stetson opens with lemon and lime, sage and bergamot, which is fairly straightforward. The middle of carnation, jasmine, orris, patchouli and cedar are also pretty much in line with early feminine chypres, which is why so many older women have said to me that this doesn't smell properly masuline when their husbands or significant others wore it. The vetiver and geranium do what they can here but the only reason this is masuline to people nowadays is for the same reason young adventurous guys can wear Tabu without judgement: shifting cultural paradigms. Basenotes here are honey, tonka (adding fougère-ish tones), oakmoss, musk, vanilla, and amber, which are also fairly on par with the genre. Stetson works because it repackaged a concept that was seen as feminine into something masculine with only a slight bit of tweaking. If you're a guy and you like Stetson, you can probably enjoy a wearing of Esteé Lauder's Youth-Dew (1953) as well. This is classic oriental/chypre here people, gender is almost irrelevant.
Stetson's story is similar to Jicky (1889) becoming Mouchoir de Monsieur (1901), and Early American Old Spice (1937) into just Old Spice for men in later years, with the difference being that like Canoe (1936), Stetson was never marketed to women first then tweaked into a male scent later, but just sold to men from the start despite being built from parts-bin feminine notes. The association with rugged cowboy machismo is quite literally all marketing on Coty's part, which is the real stroke of genius here, as it has generations of "good ol' boys" convinced that this is as manly as cologne gets, which puts an even bigger smile on my face than when I get compliments from wearing Chanel No. 19 (1971). The sheer success of Stetson spun off numerous flankers (including a feminine version), and for a while, future Coty masculines like Preferred Stock (1990) were introduced and sold under "The House of Stetson" before they were just re-branded as Coty after the Stetson brand lost some steam. Surprisingly, modern versions are superior to the vintage because the introduction of synthetics actually made this less cloying and easier to wear than it once was, and it's rare that reformulation ever improves anything, especially at this level. Stetson: it's Chantilly (1941) for cowboys, and I like it. Bonus points for the ladies who can strut this too, as it really goes both ways in my opinion, just like wearing the hats themselves. Thumbs up
What's most funny about Stetson is the way it's composed versus what it's associated with culturally. Stetson rides on the back of Chaps Ralph Lauren (1979), which was a dense leather chypre/fougère hybrid that smelled like Bogart Signature (1975) on steroids, and was a development of the theme put forth initially by Avon Wild Country (1967), which got this whole "cowboy cologne" ball rolling. Stetson didn't have much connection to it's predecessors in terms of composition, and actually is more like an early 20th century women's drugstore chypre a la Dana's Tabu (1931) or 20 Carats (1933). In fact, pulling the lime, vetiver and geranium out of Stetson would literally be enough to market it as a pre-WWII feminine. Don't believe me? Compare smells and read the note pyramids! Stetson opens with lemon and lime, sage and bergamot, which is fairly straightforward. The middle of carnation, jasmine, orris, patchouli and cedar are also pretty much in line with early feminine chypres, which is why so many older women have said to me that this doesn't smell properly masuline when their husbands or significant others wore it. The vetiver and geranium do what they can here but the only reason this is masuline to people nowadays is for the same reason young adventurous guys can wear Tabu without judgement: shifting cultural paradigms. Basenotes here are honey, tonka (adding fougère-ish tones), oakmoss, musk, vanilla, and amber, which are also fairly on par with the genre. Stetson works because it repackaged a concept that was seen as feminine into something masculine with only a slight bit of tweaking. If you're a guy and you like Stetson, you can probably enjoy a wearing of Esteé Lauder's Youth-Dew (1953) as well. This is classic oriental/chypre here people, gender is almost irrelevant.
Stetson's story is similar to Jicky (1889) becoming Mouchoir de Monsieur (1901), and Early American Old Spice (1937) into just Old Spice for men in later years, with the difference being that like Canoe (1936), Stetson was never marketed to women first then tweaked into a male scent later, but just sold to men from the start despite being built from parts-bin feminine notes. The association with rugged cowboy machismo is quite literally all marketing on Coty's part, which is the real stroke of genius here, as it has generations of "good ol' boys" convinced that this is as manly as cologne gets, which puts an even bigger smile on my face than when I get compliments from wearing Chanel No. 19 (1971). The sheer success of Stetson spun off numerous flankers (including a feminine version), and for a while, future Coty masculines like Preferred Stock (1990) were introduced and sold under "The House of Stetson" before they were just re-branded as Coty after the Stetson brand lost some steam. Surprisingly, modern versions are superior to the vintage because the introduction of synthetics actually made this less cloying and easier to wear than it once was, and it's rare that reformulation ever improves anything, especially at this level. Stetson: it's Chantilly (1941) for cowboys, and I like it. Bonus points for the ladies who can strut this too, as it really goes both ways in my opinion, just like wearing the hats themselves. Thumbs up
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You know how we all took our mom's home-cooked meals for granted when we were kids? It wasn't until we moved out, ate way too many fast food takeouts and Ramen noodle dinners that we became aware of how good a cook Mom was.
Stetson is like that. It was everywhere in the 80's. I took it for granted until men abandoned this affordable classic for Polo, CK1, and an endless stream of "sport" scents.
Cozy and distinctive. A real snuggle scent.
Stetson is like that. It was everywhere in the 80's. I took it for granted until men abandoned this affordable classic for Polo, CK1, and an endless stream of "sport" scents.
Cozy and distinctive. A real snuggle scent.
This is a very western smelling cologne that I got a splash at Christmas time last year that I had to put in a reuseable atomizer (there was no reservoir cap for the splash) and is very strong. Unlike most colognes that I spritz twice to three times, this needs only one and still smells strong and lasts a full day. This smells not just 1980's but 1880's but in a good way and I am younger cologne user. For places like Arizona, Texas and California, it is not just a night and winter scent but almost an anytime scent.
I like original Stetson just fine, and liking a fragrance myself is important - I feel energetic, fun, and confident when wearing it - otherwise, why bother? The floral and musk notes are outdoorsy, rugged, and Western and fit with my Colorado mountain lifestyle. Fragrances don't need to be expensive or pretentious to be nice and effective, and Stetson is nice and effective at a very affordable price, and has a name you can easily pronounce (or not mispronounce).
Not for me, I believe this would would be better on a woman. But then I'm more into leather/ oak moss/ tobacco scents. Great longevity and projection but the dry down is heavy with a powdery vanilla smell. Reminds me of baby powder.
Stetson has a nice fragrance with moderate strength. you will feel like a cowboy ready for your cowgirl. a true classic!
Stetson Original Collectors Edition Splash Review its a leathery floral woodsy aroma that weakens into a floral smell a few hours after application. a deal for the price, though def. for the seasoned crowd. trendsters and other aquatic sissies will not find this one appealing good safe bet for a grown man on an evening adventure 3.5/5Pros: for the grown manCons: a bit sharp in the beginning"
A Nice Surprise I have over the years seen this at every drug store and grocery store for dirt cheap, and I always assumed it was because it was really awful stuff. I bought a small bottle today, and was I wrong! This is a really pleasant masculine floral. If you're on a budget this is well worth a blind buy.Pros: Floral but MasculineCons: Simplistic
VERY hard to rate this...I wore it in 10th grade and so its fragrance is embedded in my mind and I can't separate out the notes. It is rugged like a cowboy on a horse Sam Elliot with a 3 day beard, covered in dust smelling like Stetson. It is nice as a fragrance to wear out in the garage, or sweating it up in the garden. Inexpensive and rugged.
I don't agree that Stetson is too feminine, or even feminine at all. It's in the long tradition of barbershop fragrances such as Black Suede, Royal Copenhagen and Canoe that meld a masculine lavender with a sweet, powdery vanilla or amber, with some floral added to raunch things up a bit. Sure, it's a bargain. My beef is that it is redundant if one owns the aforementioned fragrances or several others (Zizanie for one) in the same species. If you're just getting into fragrances and want a long-lasting example of Barbershop 101, Stetson will fit the bill rather inexpensively.
The old TV spot for Stetson went: (angelic voices and man on horse in a snowy field) "Stetson makes it easy for youuu..."
Makes what easy exactly? Most women hate colognes like this one and the only way it might work is by announcing its wearer as a guy so damn confident that he'd wear a loud, candy-like concoction like this just because HE happens to like it it, to hell with you and your good taste.
I played with the idea of a neutral here, but, sorry, it has to be a thumbs down. Did you ever watch the old TV show "Gunsmoke"? I say this is NOT what Matt Dillon would wear; Stetson is really Kitty the saloon-maid's perfume.
Makes what easy exactly? Most women hate colognes like this one and the only way it might work is by announcing its wearer as a guy so damn confident that he'd wear a loud, candy-like concoction like this just because HE happens to like it it, to hell with you and your good taste.
I played with the idea of a neutral here, but, sorry, it has to be a thumbs down. Did you ever watch the old TV show "Gunsmoke"? I say this is NOT what Matt Dillon would wear; Stetson is really Kitty the saloon-maid's perfume.
For the $5/1.75 oz. sale price, this edc might be worth a try. Not one of my favorites, but here's what I get:
initial take: strong, sharp, citrus floral… not so good, but it does project
@ 5" a little powdery feminine floral
@ 10" still flowery, maybe a slight hint of ambery/leather?, along with some sort of cheap lavender
@ 15" pretty much the same with rememberances of a cheap imitation of Givenchy Insense (a much better choice for a men's floral fragrance).
@ 30" OK, it's starting to soften a little, and I may be picking up a little amber?
@ 45" Definitely softened, closer to the skin scent now; reminds me of another fragrance, but I can't quite pick it out...
@ 60" Now it's getting strange... wait a minute, wait a minute... I'm thinking, Bogart pour Homme??? I sprayed some to compare. No, it's not the same, but still, does anybody else get that tie-in?
Well it's not likely to enter my personal line-up soon, but, for the money, one could do worse. After all, Tania Sanchez gave it a 4*, and wrote she'd wear it herself :-)
initial take: strong, sharp, citrus floral… not so good, but it does project
@ 5" a little powdery feminine floral
@ 10" still flowery, maybe a slight hint of ambery/leather?, along with some sort of cheap lavender
@ 15" pretty much the same with rememberances of a cheap imitation of Givenchy Insense (a much better choice for a men's floral fragrance).
@ 30" OK, it's starting to soften a little, and I may be picking up a little amber?
@ 45" Definitely softened, closer to the skin scent now; reminds me of another fragrance, but I can't quite pick it out...
@ 60" Now it's getting strange... wait a minute, wait a minute... I'm thinking, Bogart pour Homme??? I sprayed some to compare. No, it's not the same, but still, does anybody else get that tie-in?
Well it's not likely to enter my personal line-up soon, but, for the money, one could do worse. After all, Tania Sanchez gave it a 4*, and wrote she'd wear it herself :-)
I don't truly like this one for myself but I highly respect it because my dad wore it for years. It brings back memories of a strong man who worked on cars in the backyard. I only wear this one on nights when I am alone, blogging on basenotes, and need a true masculine for reference. Not considered the best masculine by most fanatics but who cares. I only paid 10 bucks at walmart for it.
Overall I would describe this as a soapy vanilla. On top I smell vanilla and berries, soon the musk comes out bringing with it an Oriental spice. In turn the vanilla becomes more delicate. I picture the vanilla as a veil through which you are seeing a spicy lady. The spiciness turns boozy and almost powdery Oriental. After awhile the veil falls leaving only an old spice sitting by itself, very sheer.
Incredibly floral, feminine and heavily reliant on patchouli, this is an acquired taste to say the least but for those who can handle powder well worth the experience. Now resigned to drug stores and Walmarts because it is considered highly dated and cheap, even at a time when everything 80´s is en vogue, Stetson manages to maintain a level of respect because of its sheer originality and fairly dependable projection and longevity. Like it or not, this was a daring product for its time and the marketing duped most Americans into associating it with the American West, despite it being a very synthetic, flower box aroma that would have been more likely to be found in a whore house than in a saloon of the Old West.
Strong and in your face, this is a scent that insinuates itself on the room, so use with caution. Not for the faint of heart. Compared to other Stetson products like Black, Suede and Fresh, Stetson smells less synthetic and more thoughtfully blended.
An above average floral cologne, this is something to have in the catalog as a nice change of pace scent. As long as its used in moderation is perfectly fine, but it should never be relied upon as a signature scent if only because it is very common. I am quite impressed with the aftershave balm that comes with the cologne in gift sets and if you can find it, it´s worth holding out to get it.
Stetson is not fantastic or essential by any stretch, but it has its moments and with solid longevity rare for its price tag, deserves at least a look. An example of advert campaigns creating a false reality that was able to shape people´s opinions despite the product being one of the most feminine colognes on the market.
Overall 6.3 (Scent 4.0/Longevity 7.5/Sillage 7.5/Originality-Intangibles 6.0/Value 6.5)
Strong and in your face, this is a scent that insinuates itself on the room, so use with caution. Not for the faint of heart. Compared to other Stetson products like Black, Suede and Fresh, Stetson smells less synthetic and more thoughtfully blended.
An above average floral cologne, this is something to have in the catalog as a nice change of pace scent. As long as its used in moderation is perfectly fine, but it should never be relied upon as a signature scent if only because it is very common. I am quite impressed with the aftershave balm that comes with the cologne in gift sets and if you can find it, it´s worth holding out to get it.
Stetson is not fantastic or essential by any stretch, but it has its moments and with solid longevity rare for its price tag, deserves at least a look. An example of advert campaigns creating a false reality that was able to shape people´s opinions despite the product being one of the most feminine colognes on the market.
Overall 6.3 (Scent 4.0/Longevity 7.5/Sillage 7.5/Originality-Intangibles 6.0/Value 6.5)
Sweet, powdery.
If you want the "woods and spices" they talk about on the Stetson website apply a LOT of it. Then you'll know what they're talking about. Apply a more normal amount it turns sweet and powdery. Yet its not bad. They have somehow cheapened it over the years as I have a very original bottle of it and it smells similar to the current cologne in an aftershave concentration.
A fair fragrance. It is available cheaply. Christmas gift sets have brought me a copious supply but it isn't my everyday cup of tea.
Update: After further wearing it doesn't smell like it uses as cheap of ingredients as some of these drugstore fragrances. The drydown is fairly decent. Powdery, slightly sweet and with a bit of patchouli when it gets to this level.
If you want the "woods and spices" they talk about on the Stetson website apply a LOT of it. Then you'll know what they're talking about. Apply a more normal amount it turns sweet and powdery. Yet its not bad. They have somehow cheapened it over the years as I have a very original bottle of it and it smells similar to the current cologne in an aftershave concentration.
A fair fragrance. It is available cheaply. Christmas gift sets have brought me a copious supply but it isn't my everyday cup of tea.
Update: After further wearing it doesn't smell like it uses as cheap of ingredients as some of these drugstore fragrances. The drydown is fairly decent. Powdery, slightly sweet and with a bit of patchouli when it gets to this level.
I'm with Tania Sanchez on this one - a woman would smell lovely in Stetson, and the "aftershavey" hints of patchouli and vetiver in the drydown would add a bit of interesting pizazz to her aura. On a man, well...it's powdery. Very very powdery. I gave up on the likes of Obsession for Men and Le Mâle because of their suffocating talcum powder vibes, and Stetson is in a similar vein of powdery "masculine" orientals (see also: Old Spice, Joop! Men, and Cuba Gold). Not to my taste, and sadly linear, but with surprisingly good lasting power and a very tempting price tag. For the man (or woman) who simply wants to "smell nice" with no complexities, Stetson may well satisfy.
...makes me think of Brokeback Mountain?? Nevertheless quite nice for some occasions!
I couldn't care less about the cowboy implications. I wear it because it smells good to me and I've been complimented many times wearing it (sparingly!). I can see why it's been referred to as a somewhat feminine scent; it does have a powdery thing going on. But to me it is a masculine smell, as well.
Lot's of people here have called it 'powdery' but deep down, people just 'like what they like' don't they? There are a lot of things I like, and many of the scents I like most of all aren't classified as 'masculine'. The teasing write-up of Tania Sanchez is well known, and spot on, too. Clearly, she likes Stetson a lot, because Stetson smells great! But why eactly? Because Stetson really smells like something that might as well have been called 'Chantilly for Men', if such a thing could ever be marketable (not likely). But every time I smell Stetson I think of Chantilly. Thumbs up, but definitely not for those who prefer 'power scents' to powder scents.
Very highly synthetic, repulsive, abrasive smelling mixture. The drydown smells like an overheated mosquito mat. YIKES!There are some fragrances out there (like Dune by Christian Dior and Live Jazz by YSL) which have synthetic vibes to them, but they smell in a very good and pleasing way. This one on the other hand smells just crude and nasty.This is something that I do not want to sniff, leave alone me thinking of wearing it.
Stetson has been around since the dawn of the 80's power fragrances, but I never actually smelled it until recently. Despite it's ultra macho branding, it is indeed quite unisex, leaning towards the femme side. And yet, it's popular and still readily available. Men must be buying it. Another surprise was how good it is. It's a quality product. It's one of the most floral mainstream "mens" frags I've ever smelled. For me, that's not a bad thing...i've gotten over my reverse sexism and actually wear a few "womens" frags that I've always loved (of course, if a man is going to wear a female scent, he needs to apply far less and dab it in far more inconspicuous places, like his armpits or just below his sternum) like Opium, Coco, and Ombre Rose (which this quite resembles). A very pleasant surprise!