According to legend, it took 10 years for Patou to create “1000” and 1000 attempts before it was finally released. The perfumer who is credited with “1000” isn’t actually Patou; it’s Jean Kerleo who joined Patou in 1968 after the formula had been in development already for six years. By the time it was finally released in 1972, I wonder if the House of Patou gave a huge sigh of relief that the elephant was out of the room and they could finally move on.

“1000” comes from a generation of perfumes that scream “more is more”. The company describes the perfume as “the essence of extravagance” since it is a costly formula made with mostly natural ingredients.

Wearing something like Jean Patou 1000 is a little like showing up at a party knowing that you’re wearing something outrageous but that you’ll be the most-noticed person there. I see this as best worn in a more casual setting since it packs so much glamour it might be overkill if you’re perfectly coiffed and decked out.

Part of the swagger in “1000” comes from fields of roses and jasmine from Grasse as well as fields of osmanthus from China that Patou allegedly needed to purchase in order to secure enough osmanthus for his formula. It opens with a strong punch of aldehydes and fresh, slightly bitter leaf notes but is almost immediately taken over by an amazing orchestra of expensive flowers. Rose, jasmine, iris, violet, lily-of-the-valley and osmanthus blend to produce a buttery richness. The magical thing about it is that no one flower makes a break for it and at some point you aren’t even aware of the individual notes. The drydown is a golden mossy mix of vetiver, patchouli, oakmoss, sandalwood, amber, musk and civet.

The interesting thing about “1000” is that the longer it stays on your skin, the more layers it develops. While some might consider this fragrance overly complex, I find it both challenging and fun.

A 1.0 oz. bottle costs around $110.00 on Amazon.
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