09.26.07
Kelly Calèche
by Hermès, 2007
You’re thinking, “What’s with all the Hermès scents lately? First it’s that Bel Ami swill, then the newer/nicer Hermessence ones. What gives?”
What gives is I got a free sample of Kelly Calèche, which I’ve been jonesing to try due to the breathless anticipation in the blogosphere about it. How did I get it? I had the opportunity to buy my Hermessence fave, Ambre Narguile, in a quantity larger than 1.5 ml. (Specifically, 3.3 oz. @ $195. Ouch! I better have gotten a free sample with that!) I also bought it while wearing shorts and flip-flops.
WTF?! Isn’t the Hermessence collection only in certain exclusive Hermès boutiques? Aren’t these boutiques in very very fancy boulevards and shopping gallerias (not malls!) that have actual fashion police to keep out the riff-raff earning less than seven figures annually, minimum? Why yes, they do, MOST of them. I was fortunate to be on my honeymoon in Hawai’i (that’s MRS. Heretic to you!) Yes! The Waikiki Hermès boutique is one of the few that carries the Hermessence collection, but in full-size bottles, not the small 4-bottle sets (the Hermès outpost at nearby Ala Moana Mall does NOT carry Hermessence!)
Any readers that’ve been to Waikiki know it’s heavily geared towards rich Japanese tourists, yet still manages to be full of beach bums and West Coast college kids, plus any of the above regularly go to a fancy dinner right from the beach, still sandy and in their flip-flops. This equals the only Hermès boutique in the world where I could walk in (after some prodding from my husband) dressed like this without getting dirty looks, actually get attended to by a very nice Japanese sales girl, and actually be allowed to purchase anything… AND get a free sample!
OK, so… Score! So what does the stuff smell like already? It smells exactly as the advertising says (now you know why I went on about its acquisition). It smells like the accessories section of every fancy department store you’ve ever visited. It’s softly flowery, softly woodsy, and gently leathery, like very soft suede gloves, not something harder and nastier like a saddle or a motorcycle jacket. Other bloggers have already said much the same thing about Kelly Calèche, there is no new news to report. The advertising images of a model in leather pants with a bottle of the stuff caught in a carriage whip is inaccurate, there isn’t even that much leatheriness in this, it’s much more civilized. The scent doesn’t change as it wears, it’s “linear” with no noticeably different top note or undernotes that appear later in the day as it wears out. This is a soft, tasteful scent you can wear everyday, to the office, going out, etc. It succeeds in communicating wealth and taste subtly (unlike anything by Jean Patou). Many might adopt it as their signature scent. It provides an aura of classiness, but isn’t obtrusive. Obviously it’s designed to appeal to everyone. I find it boring …but not tedious, which is further evidence of its excellent design. For everyday wear, I’m still in love with Ambre Narguile, a much more complex, intriguing scent that I can sniff all day and find a different facet. Kelly Calèche, much like the actress Grace Kelly after whom it was named, is a more aloof scent. Nice and classy …and so what?
