Tuxedo by Ralph Lauren c1979

Tuxedo by Ralph Lauren: launched in 1979. Tuxedo was created for women, but the name sometimes seems to throw people into thinking that it is a men's fragrance.

Ralph Lauren was already trying out the name Tuxedo when he was working on his initial women's fragrance, Lauren, two years prior. "I already felt like following up with a heavier evening fragrance, something you couldn't wear with a T-shirt," said Lauren.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? It is classified as a warm floral chypre fragrance for women. Sensuous, seductive and sophisticated. It mixes Oriental textured rose and classic jasmine woven with touches of jonquil, ylang ylang and a new floral complex. A resonance of Adriatic moss, Javan vetiver, and "earth notes, rare" in origin. A soft and feminine warmth from blends of spices, peach notes and exotic amber.

• Top notes: aldehydes, green note, bergamot, coriander, lemon, tarragon and ylang-ylang
• Middle notes: orris, carnation, cilantro, jasmine, narcissus, oriental rose, jonquil, lily of the valley, gardenia, clove and peach
• Base notes: civet, Adriatic oakmoss, styrax, labdanum, benzoin, amber, sandalwood, Javan vetiver and musk

The Washingtonian - Volume 15, 1979:

"Tuxedo...because some things should only be worn at night. This is Ralph Lauren's newest fragrance creation. Designed for the woman who appreciates and understands what evening can bring."

Country Life, 1980:

"Ralph Lauren's Tuxedo is intended for evening and to complement his Lauren fragrance already on the market. It is named after his his evening tuxedos for women and is what the publicity calls "a p.m. fragrance", whereas "Lauren", his first perfume for women, is fruity, young and modern and definitely "a.m." With both perfumes comes a bathtime collection of dusting powder, body cream, spray cologne and other delights."

Tuxedo was available in the following products:

• 0.25 oz Parfum
• 0.50 oz Parfum
• 1 oz Parfum (original retail price $125)
• 0.25 oz Spray Cologne - Obelisk Purse Spray
• 0.38 oz Spray Cologne
• 2 oz Spray Cologne
• 4 oz Spray Cologne
• Delicate Silk Powder (Dusting Powder)
• Silk Body Lotion
• Potpourri (Tuxedo scented petals)

Sometimes a Ralph Lauren handkerchief was sold as part of a gift set with the Tuxedo fragrance.

In 1984, the Tuxedo Delicate Cologne was introduced in both a 1 oz and a 2 oz spray.

Bottle:

The black glass cube shaped bottle was designed by Ben Kotyuk and recalls the earlier Lauren fragrance, but has a black cap trimmed in red to match the cute little polo rider symbol on the bottom right hand corner. The bottle design earned a Fragrance Foundation FiFi award in 1980 for Women's Best Packaging of the Year - Prestige. 

The Tuxedo Delicate Cologne was housed in a frosted glass cube shaped bottle and topped with a silver cap trimmed in red to match the cute little polo rider symbol on the bottom right hand corner.

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Fate of the Fragrance:

Discontinued, date unknown. It was discontinued by 1995.

The fragrance was reformulated and relaunched by Long Lost Perfumes/Irma Shorell, Inc. Though judging from some comments, this did not smell as good as the original fragrance.

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