Recently myself and 5 other male bloggers were approached by New York based fragrance brand Aramis about an exciting new project. The brief was to create original content about how we each celebrate the act of being "Gentlemanly" and what it means to us. I was really excited to be involved right from the start, as the brand evokes fond childhood memories for me.
As I was growing up the only strong male role model in my life was my Grandad. His family were Israeli immigrants who set up a tailoring company in the East End of London and this is where my Grandad trained to be a tailor. Somewhere in between this and serving in the army he became a footballer, retired early and then became a factory manager, in my hometown of Blackpool. He was an extremely compassionate man who was charming, impeccably well mannered and a joy to spend time with. One of his chosen aftershaves was Aramis, every time I hugged him I got a whiff of the infamous "peppery & potent" scent. I remember trying to squeeze him as tight as I could because it made me feel safe and loved. For me, these values and personality traits embodied what it means to be a gent.
Each blogger was asked to come up with an original idea about what the word Gentleman means to them. For me, being a Gentleman isn't just about being courteous and well dressed, it's your attitude towards people and life in general. My concept was to create short mantras about how we subconsciously live our lives, accompanied with a photoshoot of my day-to-day life. Here's what I came up with...
I'm really excited to see what the other 5 bloggers come up with, as I'm in good company. The Dandy Project, Kate Loves Me, Impossible Cool, Guerreisms and Man of the Cloth are all coming up with their own original Gentlemanly concepts. Feel free to check them out.
The Aramis fragrance itself is extremely elegant whilst at the same time being masculine and powerful. If you asked me 10 years ago if I'd wear a fragrance like Aramis the answer would have probably been no, but as with many things in life I have matured and so have my tastes. They have become more refined and considered, which is reflected in my own personal style. So here's to the "peppery & potent" scent of Aramis and all things Gentlemanly!
My Grandad, Leslie Bennett circa 1955
