Au Bon Vieux Temps, launched in 1890 by Jacques Guerlain, is a name steeped in sentimentality and rich, nostalgic imagery. Translated from French, Au Bon Vieux Temps means "In the Good Old Times." This phrase immediately conjures a longing for the past, for an era of elegance, tradition, and simpler, more gracious living. By naming the perfume this way, Guerlain taps into the collective yearning for the romance of a bygone era—a time when life was more measured, and beauty was found in the everyday, such as in the scent of potpourri wafting through homes or the musk-soaked fabrics of the previous century.
The name evokes the warmth and comfort of a time when homes were adorned with sweet jars filled with dried flowers, herbs, and spices, known as potpourri. These jars released gentle, lingering scents throughout rooms, making them a constant presence in the domestic life of the 18th and early 19th centuries. Potpourri was a means of keeping the home fragrant, long before modern perfumes or air fresheners existed. The scent of potpourri was often layered with spices, dried petals, and herbs, delivering a rich, earthy aroma that could be sweet and spicy or powdery and floral, depending on the blend. This nostalgic connection to the home, with the comforting smells of potpourri, would have resonated with women of the late 19th century, particularly as they navigated a rapidly changing world.
Au Bon Vieux Temps would be interpreted in scent as a return to these comforting, familiar smells—those of leather-bound books, musky perfumes, and richly decorated interiors. It likely captured the essence of a room filled with potpourri jars, combining woody, musky, and sweet floral notes in a way that invoked a sense of warmth, stability, and timelessness. For women of the time, this perfume would represent a connection to their heritage, recalling the old-world charm of grand homes, lush gardens, and the slower pace of life from their mothers' and grandmothers' generations. It would embody a sense of elegance rooted in tradition, and wearing such a fragrance would be a way to express refinement and an appreciation for the past.
The perfume was launched at the cusp of the Belle Époque, a period in French history from the late 19th century into the early 20th century, known for its cultural flourishing, technological advances, and artistic innovation. Though forward-looking, the Belle Époque also had a strong sense of nostalgia for the past, particularly for the aesthetics and customs of earlier centuries. During this period, there was a great fascination with the opulence and elegance of the 18th century, which influenced everything from fashion to interior design, and Au Bon Vieux Temps would have fit neatly into this trend of romanticizing the past.