Crepe de Chine by F. Millot c1925

Crepe de Chine by Francois Millot: launched in 1925, created by Francois Millot's grandson, Jean Desprez. Crepe de Chine was launched at the 1925 Paris Art Deco Exposition. Crepe de Chine derives its name from the very fabric, which was a new material at the time.

The House of Fragrance  of Montvale, NJ. was the American distributor for the fragrances of Hubert de Givenchy and of F. Millot, a French firm whose most popular scent was Crêpe de Chine. 

The Eau de Cologne was released in 1950. An atomizer came out in 1955. And the bath Poudre Glacee came out in 1958, its aerosol spray form came out in 1959.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? It is classified as a vibrantly green, aldehydic chypre fragrance for women. There are over 100 ingredients in Crepe de Chine. Languid chypre, messenger of the sparkling undergrowth, with accents of precious woods (Mysore sandalwood, cedar, Javanese patchouli), blends in with the bocage mist of resins, the floral exhalation of lilies, Bulgarian roses, Grasse jasmine, gardenias, lilies, carnation, and irises, heralded by the tang of bright citrus notes, followed by a very light note of incense and olibanum, all warmly powdered by the aroma of oakmoss and musk.

Crepe de Chine is a light floral fragrance, a blending of musk, jasmine, rose, carnation and iris with undertones of sandalwood and patchouli. It also contains an aromachemical, benzophenone, which provides a rose geranium character.

• Top notes: Calabrian bergamot, neroli, Portuguese orange, aldehydes, lemon, elemi, rose geranium
• Middle notes: gardenia, eglantine, lily, carnation, lilac, ylang ylang, Grasse jasmine, orange blossom, Bulgarian rose and iris
• Base notes: pine, resins, cedar, frankincense, heather root, amber, galbanum, Mysore sandalwood, benzoin, leather, oakmoss, vetiver, Javanese patchouli, musk

 

Stage - Volume 11, Issues 7-12, 1934:

"Now available in Face Powder• Dusting Powder• Talcum Powder•  Eau de Toilette•  Crepe de Chine by F.Millot, Paris France."

The Retail Chemist - Volume 8, 1937:

"F. Millot Ltd. announce the introduction of a new perfume range - Crêpe de Chine — which includes perfume, powder - face and talcum — the former being presented in nine shades, including sunburn; face creams, eau de Cologne, toilet soap, lipstick and brilliantine - solid and liquid. Prices for the perfume range from an introductory size at 42 6d. to one holding 9 ounces at 110s. Between these are some twelve different prices."

Drug & Cosmetic Industry, 1939:

"F. MILLOT "Recital" created by F. Millot is a companion perfume to Millot's Crepe de  Chine. It is an enchanting odor, light and gay"

Synthetic Perfumes: Their Chemistry and Preparation, 1949:

"Isobutyl phenylacetate (synonym: eglantine) has a very sweet and powerful honey like odor that imparts individual freshness to flowery perfumes such as rose, carnation and tuberose as well as oriental type perfumes: example: Mitsouko, Crepe de Chine and Tabac Blond. 

Citraldiethylacetal has a lemon like odor, much milder than citral. It is used in Eau de Cologne and to give a top note in Crepe de Chine, Mitsouko and similar fancy perfumes."

Femme, 1950:

"If it were possible to translate into writing the artistic and delicate edifice that is a modern perfume, we could say of Crepe de Chine that it places on the fragrant framework of a slightly musky chypre, light touches of floral scents such as: jasmine, rose, carnation, iris, as well as fresh notes of hesperides: Portuguese orange and bergamot, linked by a play of shadows of woody and exotic notes: cedar, sandalwood."

Art Et la Mode, 1952:

"The Millot Crêpe de Chine Beauty Milk will give you the perfect powder base. Very slightly nuanced with pink, barely perfumed, this milk goes so well with the powder that they are one. Chez F. Millot Crepe Powder.."

 L'Atlantique, 1952:

"Millot's Crepe de Chine, is in this same category, a perfume which has headed the list of great names since it was first put on the market. The house brought out a travel flask of the same perfume and a bottle of toilet water recently, and now it brings out a travel flask of the toilet water; special hermetic stoppers permit safe voyaging even by air, and fine leather cases suit luxurious baggage."

Combat, 1953:

"Crepe de Chine de Millot - Musky chypre, with accents of precious wood and gardenia, and a very light note of incense, all warmly powdered by the aroma of oakmoss. We dream of the lingering hour at the edge of a wood, when a hot day dies, and that we are not alone. "Sweetness of being and not being..." A woody scent is a bit dizzying... The powerful smell of oaks, whose magic the druids knew, has masked itself with treacherous fragrances to soften us."

​

Combat, 1954:

"Eau Crepe de Chine de Millot: The druids knew the magic that the hands of the oak leaves gather in the sky, and which is concentrated in the fragrant moss. Diffused by a refreshing eau de cologne, it exalts a slightly musky fragrance where we recognize, in a chypre atmosphere, notes of precious wood and gardenia. Here we are drawn, in pursuit of Puck, towards this wood near Athens where Titania held her enchanted court, in the dreamy freshness of this summer night or siege, under a dome of greenery, the immortal poetry."

Combat, 1955:

"Crepe de Chine fragrant ambiance created by Millot. For devotees of the famous perfume, which adds a hint of musk to the chypre scent of oak moss, mellow with the tenderness of roses, gardenias and incense , there is a whole range of products allowing you to be faithful, even on the hottest days, to this elegant atmosphere. Extract for the cool hours of the evening, water for the toilet, eau de cologne for the hot hours, powder, talc , soap, brilliantine; thus women can avoid any wrong note."

Go: The Travel Leisure Magazine, 1956:

"A souvenir from Paris, F. Millot's "Crêpe de Chine", one of France's ten top perfumes, beautifully packed in a rich-looking box of imitation ivory which is a copy of an antique snuff box."

Perfumery and Essential Oil Record - Volume 51, 1960:

"With the death of Felix Millot, following the war of 1870, his wife, courageous, energetic, assumed the direction of the business, an extraordinary thing at that time. Today , F. Millot Perfumes are managed by Monsieur Millot's great grandsons who , thanks to the creation of lovely ' Crêpe de Chine ' perfume continue to uphold in the world the traditions of elegance and quality which were established.."

The New Yorker, 1961:

"F. Millot (famous for that soft, insidious Crepe de Chine that has been around for decades) has added one called Insolent, much sweeter and lighter and gayer than any of the insolent people I know."

Soap and Chemical Specialties - Volume 43, 1965: 

"New “Crepe de Chine Fashion Mist" of Parfums F. Millot of France is packaged in novel refillable spray package. Aerosol container uses a " Micro-Mist "mechanical breakup actuator and valve, made by the aerosol division of Risdon Manufacturing Company of Naugatuck, Conn. A glass inner container made by Wheaton Plastic-Cote Corp, Mays Landing, NJ.  holds the fragrance and can be replaced when empty. The package is distributed by the House of Fragrance."

 

 Mademoiselle, 1975:

"In the thirties — when the implicit or expressed theme of nearly every other feature article in Mademoiselle seemed to be 'get your man' — college coeds were favoring fragrances like Crepe de Chine by Millot of Paris. Inspired by the luxurious fabric. It was an enchanting blend of musk, sweetness and tang."

Soap, Cosmetics, Chemical Specialties - Volume 53,1977:

"Crepe de Chine" eau de toilette by F. Millot is being offered in a purse-size frosted glass bottle by Lehn & Fink Products Co., Montvale, N.J. .45 ounces of the non-aerosol spray retails for $ 3.50."

The Psychological Basis of Perfumery, J. Stephan Jellinek, 2012:

"One of the earliest and most successful of these is Crêpe de Chine (Millot), characterized by the interesting contrast of fatty aldehydes with strolyl acetate, which forms the basis also of nearly all modern Gardenia perfumes."

Perfumery: The psychology and biology of fragrance - Steve Van Toller, ‎George H. Dodd, 2013:

"By incorporating a bouquet of aliphatic aldehydes into the basic chypre formulation Crêpe de Chine' (Millot, 1925) was created and formed another distinct grouping of the chypre family."

Bottles:

Crepe de Chine was presented in various bottles over the years.

c1929 ad

c1938 ad

c1937 ad

c1946 ad

c1947 ad

c1967 ad

Modern Packaging, 1962:

"Millot's Crepe de Chine aerosol dusting powder  is being launched on its fourth successful season with 400% sales increase each year since 1958 introduction is reported for Millot "Crepe de Chine" spray dusting powder which comes out this spring in a new aluminum container more attractive for dressing-table use, with all identification..."

Harper's Bazaar, 1964:

"Splash Day in some places occurs the very first day in May. But Millot tells us you'll have to wait until May 15 for theirs. That's the mark- it-in-red day you can first buy new Crepe de Chine Splash, a totally different after-bath, after- shower and after-swim lotion. Some privileged early users report "it's like a portable shower", a "ten degree drop in temperature." Of course it's lightly scented with Millot's famous Crepe de Chine perfume and that alone makes it worth waiting for. 8 ounces $4.00. At Lord & Taylor."

 

Omaha World-Herald, 1969:

"Crepe de Chine offers a new bath powder, bath and body perfume oil and refillable perfume spray."

Cue, 1971:

"Millot's Crepe de Chine, in an "antique" metal "ink stand" with quill — a sachet shaker to delight, $7.50."

Playbill, 1974:

"Millot's Crepe de Chine in "Fresheners", 24 fragranced towelettes."

McCall's, 1976:

"There are dollars off on Crepe de Chine Eau de Toilette Spray, $3, and Perfumed Hand & Body Lotion, $5; by F. Millot."

Cue, 1976:

"At B. Altman, for example, $5 will get you a lovely real jade pendant-on-a- chain, filled with Millot's Crepe de Chine perfume."

Soap, 1977:

"Crepe de Chine" fragranced pebbles inside a golden pendant on a 24-inch chain is priced at $6."

The Fate of the Fragrance:

In 1982, the fragrance was revived to be in tune with the woman of the eighties as it was with the twenties flapper girl. Crepe de Chine never faded from popularity but production ceased after marketing difficulties several years prior. Research showed though that of all the perfumes withdrawn from sale, Crepe de Chine was still the name most frequently in demand. That is why it was brought back 55 years after its creation. It was still a blend of gardenia, rose, jasmine, carnation and iris on a mossy chypre base of cedar, patchouli, and sandalwood. It has a beautiful musky note combined with a fresher tang of bergamot. The 1925 octagonal bottle has been retained but the original green and white packages have been replaced by burgundy, black and gold in keeping with the current vogue for all things oriental. The 1982 launch only offered the following products: 

• 0.25 oz Parfum
• 1 oz Parfum 
• 1 oz Eau de Toilette Natural Spray
• 1.7 oz Eau de Toilette Natural Spray
• 3.3 oz Eau de Toilette Natural Spray
• 1/6 oz Eau de Toilette miniature
• 2 oz Eau de Toilette Splash
• 8 oz Eau de Toilette Splash

Vintage versions of Crepe de Chine have been discontinued since about 1985.

The company of Irma Shorell, Inc purchased the trademark and sells a reformulated version of the perfume on their website at very reasonable prices for this long-lost favorite. While it is not an exact match of the original Crepe de Chine perfume, some users might enjoy having something comparable to the original.

Reformulation composition:

• Top notes: neroli, Italian bergamot, Egyptian basil, oil of Peru and fresh aldehydes
• Heart notes: gardenia, ylang ylang, carnation, lilac, otto of rose, Romanian chamomile and Egyptian jasmine
• Base notes: sandalwood, East Indian musk, oakmoss, vanilla, vetiver, benzoin and Indonesian patchouli

Irma Shorell, Inc.:

"Crepe de Chine is a stunning, world class perfume. The scent has a clean, fresh entry with a gorgeous full bodied green floral accord at its heart, all over creamy, dreamy exotic woods. Crepe de Chine envelopes you with beauty beyond compare."