Often times, packaging can make all the difference in the world. Case in point, this weekend I went to a Pinot Noir tasting and it came down to two from different regions but both were quite tasty. As I stood conversing with the attendant, I openly said this one is going to come down to aesthetic. He chuckled! But think about it, you’re entertaining friends and you’ve gone through the trouble to decorate as uniquely as you can, you certainly want your wine presentation to be up to par. To wine aficionados, this would be considered downright dumb. But these two wines were so closely matched that I needed something to push me over the edge. The bottle I picked, which was actually also picked by about 95% of the other customers that attended the tasting, possessed a sophisticated looking label while the other seemed a bit playful…either my palette was in tuned with the other patrons or the labels beauty nudged some decisions. All that to say that when I received my sample of Banana Republic’s Classic, it was in the most unassuming bottle…downright plain Jane so I couldn’t be persuaded by anything other than the scent. All I had running through my head was my own skepticism. Fragrance is the last thing I associate with them. If I need a reasonably good priced sweater, jacket or shirt, I’ll see what they have to offer because they have great staple pieces and every now and then, they produce a winner. Well, one of those winners for me this season is Classic.
As part of Banana Republic’s 30th Anniversary, they decided to reintroduce an updated version of Classic. Originally launched in 1995 as an Eau de Toilette, the limited edition remixed version is being offered as an Eau de Parfum. From the moment I sprayed this on myself, I felt refreshed. The scent has a sweet crispness to it that one would associate with a summer scent but is being offered August-December. That makes me like this even more as its a bit unconventional. As fall rolls around so do the scents that are heavily woody and spicy and this is far from that. While cedar wood, ginger musk and teak wood make up the dry down notes, the freshness of the top and middle notes, which include grapefruit zest, bergamot mandarin citrus, lavender and honeysuckle, really dominate. So while your compadres will be smelling like burnt wood, or leather or a bunch of spices, you’ll have the cool, crisp edge of Classic to set you apart.
By the way, the bottle looks good too.
fragrantmoments.net 
Thanks for the lead.
These fragrance bottles generally look so unappealing today. This bottle looks great.
Thanks for this review B! I think I’ll get a bottle for my Mr.TK… I’m honestly not too good with picking out fragrances for men but I trust your taste 100%.
I just got this fragrance after sampling it in the store, and like it very much. I noticed that its aimed at women though (i’m a guy). Do you think this fragrance is “strong enough for a man, but made for a woman?”
I’m referring to classic limited, in the picture, not classic.
Don, if you like the scent, who cares it ifs marketed to a woman. I will admit, sometimes retailers can cause confusion but I like this fragrance because of how fresh it makes me feel. Also, your bodies chemistry will react with this fragrance differently than a woman’s would. So have no fear, you won’t smell like a woman. Enjoy the fragrance. Its a good one.