Classique Perfume

A corset-shaped bottle made this fragrance instantly recognizable on release in 1993, and the juice inside still holds onto some of that era's confident maximalism. Orange blossom, star anise, rose, mandarin orange, pear and bergamot open Classique Perfume sweet and spiced, an unusually complex citrus-floral top accord for an Eau de Toilette. Ylang-ylang, ginger, orchid, tuberose, iris and plum build a dense floral heart. Vanilla, amber, musk, cinnamon and sandalwood close out a warm, spiced base. Jean Paul Gaultier classifies this Classique Eau de Toilette as floral oriental, built for evening wear where its considerable density can actually stretch out. Ginger sitting inside that already-crowded floral heart is an unusually spicy addition for a fragrance built primarily on orchid and tuberose, giving Classique a warmth and slight bite that keeps the enormous floral bouquet from reading as purely sweet or one-dimensional across a full evening's wear. The star anise in the opening is the detail most reviews single out: an unexpected licorice edge that keeps this from reading as just another straightforward 1990s designer floral, and the sculptural, torso-shaped bottle remains as recognizable a design icon as the fragrance itself more than three decades later.