Thread: If It's English Leather, It Must Be Christmas

Gentlemen:

I have a tradition of buying English Leather aftershave lotion every year at Christmas. How many years I don't know. Many years.

The nearby pharmacy offers a special gift package of it and scores of other aftershaves and colognes at a good price. Subsequently, while rotating about a dozen or so aftershaves and colognes, I make the English Leather last through the year.

I have a warm spot in my heart for this fragrance. A friend introduced me to it in my early twenties in Chicago. That is almost as far back as the 14th century. My friend and I shared a basement apartment on the north side, and we had good times. More like wild times, really, to which my two lovely and dynamic daughters say, "Way to go, Dad."

Since those early days, I don't think I have ever been without English Leather.

The fragrance blends leather, wood and soap into a clean and pleasant experience after the shave. Old fashioned, some would say. Yes, thank you.

I like old fragrances, not because I am old, which I am, but because they had character and did not all smell alike. Like an old car compared to the modern box on wheels. Find something today that comes anywhere near the 39 Cadillac, for instance.

Whereas today's designer fragrances, especially those named after movie stars and sports figures, all small alike. To me, anyway.

Yes, my favorite fragrances today are Truefitt & Hill's and Trumper's Spanish Leather, Woods of Windsor, good old Pinaud, and Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet. There are others.

And, yes, English Leather. I especially like the warmth of English Leather. It reminds of me of my youth. It is an unpretentious fragrance that says, "Ah, yes, we had a good shave today, didn't we?"

Yes, we did. The straight razor and the luxurious lather pampered my old face with soft kisses and the English Leather assured me that life was good.

Merry Christmas.

Regards,

Obie