There was a time not long ago that Ralph Lauren’s Purple Label EdT for Men had virtually disappeared from the market. Summer was also high upon us, so with Purple Label being a staple of my lighter collection, I’d become somewhat worried that a perennial favorite was abruptly being discontinued.
Purple Label was a nice enough fragrance, and my worry had turned to seeking out any reference to the fragrance; in turn, this put me on the trail of another fragrance that seemed to have similar qualities. Different notes, though an equally pleasant and very similar dry-down. That fragrance? Bond No. 9 New York Bleecker Street.
This began both a quest on two fronts: Find Purple Label and compare it to Bleecker. Our story begins in earnest here:
Ralph Lauren Purple Label EDT for Men
Ralph Lauren Purple Label for Men (2003): I’d first encountered RL Purple in 2004 when I’d also discovered Lauren’s Purple Label line of men’s clothing. I still have some of my shirts and ties from that period, all of them of very superior Italian make and quality. The fragrance matched the style very well. The contrasts of leather, fruits, herbs and tobacco flower were delightful and interesting to smell, even if it was something that tended to lack as much sillage as I’d prefer. Let’s first go to the notes:
It opens with green coriander, blackberry and lemon. The heart notes include tobacco blossom, sage, hedion and thyme. Base notes end with oak moss, suede, mahogany and musk. This wasn’t a bad combination, and the combination of tobacco blossom, blackberry and suede were the very definition of those notes I so enjoyed. It worked just as well for casual wear as it did for a formal affair, and was just as comfortable in the office as the weekend.
Longevity and silage, however, were always issues with the fragrance. The dry-down was fleeting and the base would begin to fade by the 6 hour mark. Not unrealistic for an eau de toilette, though I simply wished that the sillage wouldn’t simply vanish within 2 hours and the entire fragrance by 6. It’s single 125ml size wasn’t something you could carry in your back pocket easily for a refresh, and there was no travel size unless you emptied a portion into a small atomizer. Nearly everything else, however…flawlessly executed.
I’ll come back to the results momentarily.
Bond No. 9 New York - Bleecker Street EDP
Bond No. 9 New York Bleecker Street (2005): When I read the description of the notes, along with the comparisons on a number of sites, this became a ‘must-try’ experience. Granted, this was comparing an Eau de Parfum with an Eau de Toilette, something nearly double the concentration but the fragrance was the key, so onward we went. The first spray was the big reveal, and what a reveal it was.
The notes were quite similar in nature: Top notes of violet leaf, blueberry and thyme, followed by heart notes of cedar wood, intensely sweet/fruity jasmine and peppery/vanilla cinnamon. The base composed an ending of oakmoss, suede, patchouli, amber and vanilla.
Berries, oakmoss, suede, woods, spices, fruits. Indeed, there’s a lot of common territory between the two compositions. The fragrance itself was highly similar at top and base with subtle differences in the heart and much more power in the longevity and sillage with the Bond. I began with the first scent of Bond at nearly noon. By 9PM, the Bond on my one arm was still going strong. From my 9AM spray of Purple Label, much had dissipated by 3PM. I was left with only one scent and it was truly a powerhouse.
All things being equal, you can distinguish the difference between the Ralph Lauren and Bond, however closely mated they may be. Similar, yet different. Even if I’d lost my beloved Purple Label, I felt my search uncovered something even greater. Fortunately enough, Purple Label is still around, largely similar to the 2003 formulation; and I’m still a fan of the scent. However, asking poor Purple Label to hold a candle to the larger-than-life Bond was far too great a task.
The outcome? There really isn’t a true loser, as we’re comparing a lighter, less powerful yet rich and lustrous scent with a very unique and worthy scent in its own right, albeit a much stronger concentration.
Ratings:
Purple Label: 4/5. Recommended (primarily for lighter/summer wear)
Bleecker Street: 4.5/5. Highly recommended (year-round, primarily cooler wear).
Bottom-Line: These are both excellent choices, and both hold their own place. If your decision is based more on budget/price, the Purple Label EdT is priced at $96 for the 125ml (a reasonable price point, comparable to other top-end designer fragrances). If longevity and sillage is of greater importance and you’re seeking a powerhouse in EDP form, Bond’s Bleecker at $230 for 100ml is priced comparably to other EDP fragrances of similar caliber. Bleecker has the added prestige of being a 2009 Fifi Award winner.
Either way, these two scents constitute a can’t-lose proposition, and both are worth sampling.
I'm Andrew Buck, the man behind the words. I'm a published author, project management practitioner for over 20 years, work on Wall Street, and am a fragrance aficionado. I've had a passion for fragrance for 30+ years, and enjoy trying scents and adding to an expanding and rotating collection for some time now. 
