Gendarme

At a glance

Gendarme is a fresh, clean cologne created in 1983 by Topper Schroeder, a music-industry executive with no perfumery training. Verbena, citrus and green notes open onto jasmine and thyme, with a trace of leather underneath.

It became a Los Angeles word-of-mouth success and is still made by the independent company Schroeder founded.

Creation and context

Gendarme’s own history and a 2008 Philippine Star profile of Schroeder both date the fragrance to 1983. Parfumo gives 1991 instead; neither the company nor the Star mentions a 1991 launch.

The Philippine Star tells the origin story in detail. Schroeder was allergic to most fragrances he tried and wanted a steady supply of one he could wear. Several perfumers turned him down before one agreed, with a minimum order of 750 bottles. He gave bottles to friends in the music business, word spread around Los Angeles, and the boutique Fred Segal offered to sell it. His partner Bob Adels named it Gendarme, French for a police officer.

The company’s account agrees on the essentials: Schroeder left the music industry, had searched for “a subtle, clean, fresh scent,” and developed Gendarme “with some guidance and no experience in the art of perfumery.” The perfumer who composed it has never been named.

The composition

The notes below are the ones that both the company and Fragrantica list. Fragrance Help’s original listing described Gendarme as bright and clean, with citrus, verbena, jasmine, thyme and leather, the same five notes.

Fragrantica classifies Gendarme as aromatic green and also lists green notes. Parfumo’s entry lists a different set (bergamot, lemon, lime, lavender, lilac and jasmine) and calls it fresh-green. Fragrantica also quotes the company’s claim of “a full 12% oil blend.”

Why it matters

Gendarme is an early example of the “clean” scent: understated, fresh and meant to smell like skin rather than cologne. The company claims it “led the way” for that category. That is hard to prove, but reviewers on Fragrantica repeatedly describe it as about as clean as a fragrance gets.

It is also an independent success story. It was built without an established perfume house and sold by word of mouth, starting at Fred Segal. The Philippine Star later found it at Barneys, Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s. Celebrity names have followed it for decades; several appear in Fragrance Help’s Fragrance Favorites archive, including Burt Reynolds and Brooke Shields.

Reformulation and editions

The original is an eau de cologne. The company now also sells a Gendarme eau de parfum and related scents, including Gendarme V, Gendarme 20, Gendarme Green, Grabazzi, Sky and Carrière. Fragrantica and the company both list these. No reformulation of the original has been documented.

Wearing it today

Gendarme is an easy office and warm-weather scent that stays close to the skin. It works for anyone who likes a crisp green citrus.

Reviewers disagree on longevity, from a few hours to a full day, so reapply at midday if you want it to last. The eau de parfum is the stronger option.

Related entries

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