New Habit Rouge Sport Cologne, or, Guerlain Sells Out (Again)

Word is out that there’s a new version of the classic Habit Rouge cologne coming this spring. Habit Rouge Sport.

Ah, crap.

Habit Rouge Sport, aka Whore of Babylon pour Homme.

Now, I love Habit Rouge. It’s a venerable cologne, debuted in 1965. It’s been tweaked some over the years; the European Union has forced reformulations of many fragrances with the new rules they’ve put in place concerning ingredients.

Can’t be helped. You gotta dance to the government’s tune.

But I just don’t believe old Jean-Paul Guerlain would have done a ’sport’ version of Habit Rouge.

Business is business, people gotta make a buck. The Guerlains sold their company to LVMH (Moet Hennessy Louis Vitton) some years ago. Now the house name is just another brand in the stable. C’est la vie, non? At least they’re in good company. Givenchy, Kenzo and Acqua di Parma are stablemates.

So, now we have a ‘Sport’ version of Habit Rouge.

There is some discussion on basenotes centered on: Why doesn’t Guerlain have the right to make a buck? Maybe guys will be introduced to Guerlain by a ’sport’ cologne who never would have heard of the house otherwise.

It just feels wrong.

Adidas Sport, Hugo Boss Sport… go to town. Habit Rouge was, I thought, above that.

Now it seems like Guerlain (LVMH) has pimped out the name. The once grande dame is out walking the stroll next to the crack whores.

Making a buck
>
>
>