Did everyone smell the same back in the day?

[DE_Dude]

I know that here at B&B, we like our old school aftershaves because they work great and we smell different from the generic cologne guy.

But in the middle of the 20th century, when there was no Axe and wetshaving was the standard, did everyone just use the same aftershave/cologne as the next man? Or were there more options that have died away, leaving only the best scents to survive the test of time?

I'm imagining going to a party where everybody smells like Tabac or Brut.

Any thoughts on this? For the record, I'm 26, and I'm an Aqua Velva man.

 

[DavyRay]

Mid-20th century covers a lot of time.

Literally, that is 1950. Just after WWII. I suspect many men then got a barbershop shave. They smelled like the aftershave (and talc) that the barbershop had. I do not know if most barbershops had one or two choices, but the ones I would expect were bay rum, florida water, or lilac vegetal.

 

[instpasr]

Well there were a lot of choices back in the day it's just a shame that bug spray I mean axe has taken over the market. I think we have a bottle of vintage karate hanging around.

 

[spindlecone]

thank god those days are gone,brut,hai karate,all the avon stuff was discussting JMO

 

[DE_Dude]

Yeah, mid 20th century is misleading and too narrow.

I guess I'm thinking of any time when alcohol based, scented aftershaves like AV were the norm. Out of all my friends who I've talked to regarding grooming habits, all prefer a moisturizing balm and occasional cologne over a drugstore classic.

Or did most men not use scented aftershaves like I have been led to believe by watching too many Skin Bracer and Aqua Velva commercials on Youtube?

 

[Blue Raccoon]

Here's a few from 'back in my day' 1965 -> 1975
English Leather
English Leather Lime
British Sterling
Old Spice
Hai Karate
Canoe
Brut
Yardley
Jade East
Aramis
Royal Copenhagen
Timberline

 

[spindlecone]

My gawd I forgot jade east (yuckorama) my dad had this huge bottle of Eng leather 500CCs,I still have it,and use it.

 

[DE_Dude]

Here's a few from 'back in my day' 1965 -> 1975
English Leather
English Leather Lime
British Sterling
Old Spice
Hai Karate
Canoe
Brut
Yardley
Jade East
Aramis
Royal Copenhagen
Timberline

I've never seen or smelled most of those!!!!!!

So does that mean some of them, at least in their time, were the equivalent of today's generic Axe/Abercrombie smell or do you find them more unique?

 

[Blue Raccoon]

between HS, Vietnam and College it's kind of tough to remember.. I know most can still be found online and some at your local discount type stores.

 

[buddydog]

Here's a few from 'back in my day' 1965 -> 1975
English Leather
English Leather Lime
British Sterling
Old Spice
Hai Karate
Canoe
Brut
Yardley
Jade East
Aramis
Royal Copenhagen
Timberline

Mennen skin bracer
Aqua Velva

"Just after WWII. I suspect many men then got a barbershop shave."


most men did not get barber shop shaves after the war,maybe the Civil War....

 

[BlackBard]

thank god those days are gone,brut,hai karate,all the avon stuff was discussting JMO

Man, I don't have to read any further than this to know how much I agree with you, spindlecone. Back in the day, I almost never used AS for just this reason.

Maybe Old Spice was/is OK, but it irritates my skin. I like (and so does SWIMBO) Nivea Replenishing Balm.

FWIW, I have a coworker who uses Brut or some other bad AS. If he only knew how much everyone complained about his scent. There have been some women who requested to not have to work with him.

 

[CharlieTN]

I myself am very sensitive to very heavy perfume and cologne smells. Many make me very ill. Cannot stand being stuck next to someone who bathed in most of the stuff out there.

Because of that I am very thankful for all of the milder scented products out there that work so well, Nivea Replenishing ASB being one specifically.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Charlie

 

[binowatch]

Mid-20th century covers a lot of time.

Literally, that is 1950. Just after WWII. I suspect many men then got a barbershop shave. They smelled like the aftershave (and talc) that the barbershop had. I do not know if most barbershops had one or two choices, but the ones I would expect were bay rum, florida water, or lilac vegetal.

Barber Shop shaving pretty much died with WW1. Before that many men were shaved a few times per week in the barber shop. In those days shaving powder was used to cover up the 5o'clock shadow on non-shave days. I knew on old barber who was just starting out when we entered the war and he told me young men came in to be taught how to shave themselves before going into the army! The military issued shaving gear and when they returned from WW1 France most men just kept shaving themselves. Remember, 40% of recruits in WW1 had never used a flush toilet!

 

[AlanL]

Actually, in mid-20th century everyone did smell the same, and it was almost always the smell of cigarette smoke.

Sometimes it's good that we can view only images of the past, and not always the scents.

 

[GDCarrington]

Actually, in mid-20th century everyone did smell the same, and it was almost always the smell of cigarette smoke.

Sometimes it's good that we can view only images of the past, and not always the scents.

You are so right with the constant smell of cigarette smoke.
That tends to dull the sense of smell significantly, whether you smoke or are around it all the time.


Note: If people want to smoke so be it and I not one to legislate that out of existence as some believe in. With that said I don't need to be required to constantly smell it either.

 

[DavyRay]

I think you guys are right about the timing of barbershop vs home shaving.

Now that the OP has narrowed the time range to the "age of after-shaves", the lists presented are quite good. There was also lots of Avon aftershave sold. I think this was a time when TV advertising was taking off in a big way.

About 1963, you just weren't cool and sophisticated unless you used aftershave. The British Sterling commercials featured a woman on a horse, with a velvet pillow on which rested a bottle of the product. She was dressed kind of like Stevie Nicks.

Lots of this stuff was given as gifts. You could get a guy aftershave or a tie without knowing much about him. That is why there is so much vintage AS out there.

 

[DE_Dude]

Actually, in mid-20th century everyone did smell the same, and it was almost always the smell of cigarette smoke.

Sometimes it's good that we can view only images of the past, and not always the scents.

I'm glad you brought that up. I'm sure all the aftershaves mentioned smell a lot different in a smoky room.

 

[klm099]

I remember my dad in the 1950s using aqua velva, old spice, clubman, yardley, mennen and I am sure there were many others available

I remember Williams soap, yardley soap, old spice soap, I think colgate had a soap also as well as burma shave

and yeah there was always an aroma of tobacco; he smoked luckies and red dot cigars, he drank old grandad burbon,

he paid me 50 cents a week to put a daily shine on his combat boots and god do I wish I could watch Friday nite at the fights just one more time with him

thanks for the memories,
ken

 

[ace43]

Back then I think I smelled pretty much like I do now, and that's not particularly good.

 

[john parker]

Here's a few from 'back in my day' 1965 -> 1975
English Leather
English Leather Lime
British Sterling
Old Spice
Hai Karate
Canoe
Brut
Yardley
Jade East
Aramis
Royal Copenhagen
Timberline

And add the various bay rums, Aqua Bravo, and several different Old Spices besides the original.