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Thursday, July 01, 2010

Armani by Giorgio Armani (1982)- Vintage Perfume






I fell in love with the original (and very discontinued) Armani after getting a free tube of the shower gel when I bought some other vintage gems. Even in its sudsy form, Armani (sometimes known as Armani Black because of the packaging, but not to be confused with Code Black and other older Giorgio Armani perfumes) was very obviously a bitter green chypre. I started showering with it before wearing either Bandit or Niki de Saint Phalle, as both share several prominent notes with it- the oakmoss-glabanum in Bandit and the bitter marigold from NdSP. But I also went on a quest to find and acquire the real thing.

I now own bottles of Armani both in EDP and EDT and I'd be in heaven if I could also find it in parfum and fully indulge in its crisp and somewhat leathery drydown. But I'm very happy with the two concentrations I have- green, grassy and herbal from beginning to end, with a softer floral underbelly that is more evident in the EDP (very similar to the modern re-issue of Piguet's Bandit) and a gloriously mossy base of the kind we haven't seen since IFRA stomped all over our perfumed lives.

The original Armani was labeled a feminine but to me it's an androgynous just like Bandit. After all, Armani's iconic1980s work utilized masculine shapes and fabrics for women and nothing was sexier (well, in 80s terms). It should appeal to hard core chypre lovers and anyone who gets high on galbanum and marigolds and other angular notes that are not traditionally "pretty". Now, if it only was easier to find...

Images:
Giorgio Armani perfume ad- okadi.com
Gia Carangie in Armani ads from Vogue Italia, March 1980- giacarangieditorials.blogspot.com
1982 Armani fashion- fashionmoment.blogspot.com

6 comments:

  1. I feel your pain. I luv Lauren, another vintage scent that getting harder and harder to find.

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  2. Clara, I'm also a huge fan of the original Lauren. The pre-reformulation version is getting higher and higher prices on eBay. So frustrating.

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  3. Hi my name is Lina. I live in Denmark and I am looking for gorgio armani armani pour femmes 1982. It is the one that you have on picture on your site. Please if you can tell me where i can find it. I LOVE IT !!! It is my favorite and until ysterday midnight i could not remember the name so i google it for days and hours. Thanks to you i find it. I hope you can help me. With kind regards Lina Louise.

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  4. Hi Gaia, I am also a huge fan of the original Armani perfume, and WISH I could find it somewhere.... Thanks for the other alternatives you listed- I'll try and see if I can check them out!

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  5. Hi Gaia,

    After reading your post, I have searched (and found) my ole bottle of Armani ET, still half full, and in great shape. It was lost, the poor thing, among some creatures I don't visit often: Giorgio, Escape, Loulou, Amarige... I'm so glad I found my friend Armani, it feels like a gift! It's very sexy and polished at the same time - which is almost an oxymoron, but it actually is both! And it brings me a few lighthearted, youthfull memories that make my day! I'm even giving a break to my recent passion, Eau de Shalimar, and wearing Armani in the midst of Brazilian summer - only not to work! Thank you so much for the post. Great hint.

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  6. hi all, just finishing my last bottle of Armani ET, so sad. Have never found any scent like it.....

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