Caline by Jean Patou, launched in 1964, emerged during a transformative era in both culture and perfumery. The name Caline (pronounced "kah-LEEN") is French, derived from the word câlin, which means "a cuddle" or "a caress." The name conveys tenderness, intimacy, and affection—suggestive of gentle skin-to-skin closeness and quiet feminine allure. Its emotional register is soft but not fragile: it evokes the sensation of a comforting embrace, of being loved and cherished. For a fragrance, this name is profoundly appropriate—intended to linger close to the body, like a whispered secret or the warmth of a soft shawl.
The 1960s were a decade of immense change. By 1964, youth culture was reshaping the world, from the Beatles’ explosion onto the global stage to Mary Quant’s miniskirts and the rise of ready-to-wear fashion. The fragrance industry, too, was shifting. While grand aldehydic florals still held sway in earlier parts of the decade, the emergence of lighter, greener compositions was gaining momentum. Women were increasingly seeking fragrances that reflected a freer, more natural sense of femininity—less powdered and formal, more vibrant and independent. Caline captured this shift perfectly.
Created by perfumer Henri Giboulet, Caline was classified as a fresh floral chypre—a composition that traditionally marries citrus or herbal top notes with a floral heart and a mossy, woody base. What made Caline special, however, was how it introduced a youthful tenderness into this structure. The top notes had a dry, airy brightness that quickly settled into a dewy floral bouquet, rich with classic femininity but tempered by the greenness of leaves and freshly cut grass. This leafy tone gave it a modernity—herbal, slightly bittersweet, and evocative of an early morning walk through a sun-dappled garden after a rain.
Its base, rooted in mosses and woods, anchored the fragrance in the chypre tradition but avoided heaviness. Instead, it remained close to the skin, inviting touch. In this way, Caline was both timeless and timely—bridging old-world elegance with the new softness of 1960s youthfulness. It wasn’t about seduction in the dramatic sense; it was about presence, intimacy, and understated confidence. The perfume appealed to women stepping into new roles—whether as students, professionals, or creatives—who wanted something that reflected their freshness without sacrificing sophistication.
In a market where fragrances like Chanel No. 19 and Yardley’s Lily of the Valley also reflected a more naturalistic sensibility, Caline held its own as a uniquely French take on youthful refinement. It was delicate but self-assured—just like the woman who wore it.
Fragrance Composition:
So what does it smell like? Caline by Jean Patou is classified as a fresh floral chypre fragrance for women. It starts with a dry, fresh top, followed by a classic floral heart, resting on a woody, mossy base. Caline is a floral, fresh, green, and aldehydic fragrance. It is composed of lily of the valley, jasmine, bergamot, iris, neroli, coriander, and musk. Built on a green accord, the floral notes blossom to create a fresh, original, feminine, and youthful atmosphere. Herb-tender and cuddly, the young, modern perfume, floral, very feminine, with a strong tone of leaves and grass. Its freshness makes Caline an ideal companion 24 hours a day.
- Top notes: aldehydes, green citrus, Calabrian bergamot, Tunisian neroli, Guinea orange, Sicilian mandarin, Moroccan orange blossom water, Italian basil, English mint, Spanish mimosa
- Middle notes: Russian coriander, Mexican cilantro, Chinese ginger, Zanzibar carnation, Alpine lily of the valley, hydroxycitronellal, Turkish cyclamen, Grasse jasmine, Grasse rose de mai, Florentine orris, Nossi-Be ylang-ylang
- Base notes: Virginia cedarwood, Yugoslavian oakmoss, Indonesian patchouli, Mysore sandalwood, ambergris, Tonkin musk, French labdanum
Scent Profile:
To experience Caline by Jean Patou is to wander barefoot through an awakening spring garden at dawn—each breath drawing in crisp air filled with herbaceous green, soft petals, and the earth’s mossy exhale. This 1964 fragrance, classified as a fresh floral chypre, unfolds in deliberate layers, beginning with a brisk and luminous top, settling into a complex floral heart, and finishing with a soft but earthy base. Each note has a story to tell, a geography and texture of its own, contributing to the fragrance’s graceful balance of tenderness and clarity.
The opening is a breath of freshness—dry yet alive, like a breeze passing through a citrus grove at sunrise. Aldehydes lend their signature effervescent brightness, like the fizz of clean air or the crisp snap of freshly laundered linen. Green citrus notes quickly follow, brisk and almost tart, underscoring the sparkling aldehydes. Calabrian bergamot, prized for its nuanced citrus profile, gives the composition a refined bitterness touched by floral softness. Tunisian neroli, extracted from orange blossoms, offers a honeyed sharpness, subtly soapy and radiant. Guinea orange and Sicilian mandarin lend a rounder, juicier sweetness—sun-drenched and just a little zestier, while Moroccan orange blossom water provides a softer floral whisper beneath the citrus burst.
Italian basil and English mint add an herbal coolness, leafy and aromatic. The basil is peppery and green; the mint, cooling and uplifting, makes the fragrance feel modern and free-spirited. A thread of Spanish mimosa—powdery and softly floral—adds early tenderness to the top accord, hinting at the more romantic heart to come. The green accord feels palpable, as if crushed leaves and torn grass blades have released their living scent into the air.
The heart is a lush floral tapestry, artfully embroidered with spice and powder. Russian coriander and Mexican cilantro intertwine, adding an unexpected freshness with a subtle anisic tinge. Chinese ginger cuts through with its clean, invigorating warmth—sharp, bright, and a little rooty. Zanzibar carnation adds body and depth to the floral bouquet, with its spicy clove-like warmth. Alpine lily of the valley and Turkish cyclamen bring a fresh, watery sweetness, airy and green, enhanced by the velvety softness of hydroxycitronellal—an aroma molecule prized for its ability to replicate the crisp green freshness of muguet and foliage. It lifts the floral notes like sunlight catching dew.
The floral signatures of Grasse jasmine and rose de mai provide a sensual yet gentle presence—fleshy, sweet, and pure. The jasmine is indolic but restrained, while the rose is lush and powdery, recalling a garden in full bloom. Florentine orris, distilled from iris roots, adds powdery refinement and rooty earthiness—a bridge between the floral heart and the earthbound base. Ylang-ylang from Nossi-Bé (a volcanic island off Madagascar) rounds out the heart with a creamy, banana-like floral note, known for its intoxicating sweetness and exotic smoothness.
As Caline dries down, it grows increasingly intimate and grounded. Virginia cedarwood lends a dry, pencil-shaving woodiness, while Yugoslavian oakmoss brings the chypre structure into focus: damp, earthy, slightly leathery. Indonesian patchouli weaves through with its dark, resinous character—rich, green-brown, and softly spicy. Mysore sandalwood, once considered the gold standard for its creamy, milky warmth, blends seamlessly with the tonality of the musks and ambergris. Its smoothness evokes comfort, like sun-warmed skin or the softness of suede.
The base is further softened by French labdanum—sticky, resinous, and ambery, with a slightly leathery balsamic quality. Ambergris adds a subtle marine whisper, bringing depth and fixative strength, while Tonkin musk provides sensuality, enhancing the closeness of the fragrance to the skin with a soft, animalic pulse.
Together, these ingredients make Caline feel both delicate and quietly assured. Its composition is finely tailored—a perfume that smells like youth remembered: tender, bright, quietly sensual, and full of the promise of something just beginning. It is a fragrance that doesn't shout but lingers close, like the feeling of someone drawing near, warm with affection.
Product Line:
The Caline product line from Jean Patou was crafted to provide multiple ways to enjoy the fragrance’s fresh floral chypre character, each formulation offering a different olfactory experience depending on its concentration and intended use. The line included Parfum, Eau de Câline, and Soap, each thoughtfully designed to highlight a different facet of Caline’s gentle, youthful personality.
Parfum (Extrait de Parfum)
The Parfum version of Caline represented the highest concentration of aromatic compounds, offering the most intense, long-lasting, and nuanced interpretation of the fragrance. In this form, the perfume reveals its full complexity with maximum richness and depth. The green citrus top notes feel drier and more refined, while the heart—particularly the creamy Grasse jasmine, lush rose de mai, and powdery Florentine orris—unfolds slowly with velvety grace. The woody-mossy base lingers closer to the skin, exuding elegance and intimacy. This concentration was intended for those who wanted the purest, most luxurious expression of the fragrance—ideal for evening wear or special occasions when lasting power and sophistication were desired.
Eau de Câline (Eau de Parfum)
Eau de Câline was positioned as a more approachable version of the Parfum, but still more substantial than a typical eau de toilette. Often described by the brand as "better than an eau de toilette, the reflection of the perfume," this Eau de Parfum concentration retained the spirit of Caline while offering a lighter, more casual experience suitable for daily wear. In this form, the brighter, greener top notes—such as Calabrian bergamot, English mint, and green citrus—are more prominent and uplifting. The floral heart remains radiant, though less dense, while the chypre-style base of oakmoss, cedarwood, and patchouli is softened and more diffusive. It was designed for the modern woman who wanted freshness and elegance in a wearable, day-to-night formula.
Soap
The Caline Soap offered a luxurious, sensorial gateway into the fragrance through the ritual of bathing. Gently perfumed, the soap allowed the wearer to layer the scent, helping to prolong the experience when used with the Parfum or Eau de Câline. The cleansing base was likely enriched with softening agents, and the fragrance in this format emphasized the herbaceous-green top and floral heart, leaving a light veil of scent on the skin. Unlike synthetic-scented soaps of the time, Caline’s soap was refined and evocative—an ideal introduction to the perfume or a delicate standalone expression of its personality.
Together, these three products reflected different moods and settings, all tied together by the unmistakable fresh, floral, and mossy signature of Caline. Whether one preferred the concentrated elegance of the Parfum, the luminous ease of Eau de Câline, or the soft, skin-close impression of the Soap, the line offered a cohesive and versatile expression of Jean Patou’s vision of youthful femininity.
In 1972/1973, Caline was available in the following forms:
- Parfum Presentations: "Original" bottle (7.5cc, 15cc, 30cc, 60cc); Purse spray (7.5cc); Dressing table spray (30cc)
- Related Products: Eau de Caline splash bottles; Eau de Caline spray; Eau de Caline vaporizer
- Ancillary Products: Deodorant spray; Soaps.
In 1977/1978, Caline was available in the following formats:
- Parfum Presentations: Original bottles (from 7.5ml to 30ml); Refillable purse atomizer.
- Related Products: Eau de Caline splash bottles, atomizers, vapomiseur
- Ancillary Products: Deodorant
In 1984/1985, Caline was available in the following formats:
- Parfum Presentations: Original bottles (15ml and 30ml); purse atomizer (7.5ml)
- Related Products: Eau de Caline splash bottles (50ml, 960ml), Eau de Caline Vapomiseur (120ml)
- Ancillary Products: Deodorant spray (90ml)
Bottles:
- 1 oz Parfum splash stood 2 7/8" tall
- 2 oz Parfum splash stood 3.5" tall
- 1 oz Parfum Refillable Spray
- 40ml Parfum Spray
- 4 oz Eau de Caline Spray
- 5ml Eau de Caline Splash mini
- 2 oz Eau de Caline Splash
- 4 oz Eau de Caline Splash
- 8 oz Eau de Caline Splash
Fate of the Fragrance:
Caline by Jean Patou, though launched in 1964, quietly disappeared from shelves in later years. While the exact date of its discontinuation remains unknown, records confirm that the fragrance was still available for purchase in 1982, suggesting it had a respectable market life of nearly two decades. As a fragrance that so elegantly embodied the fresh, herbaceous floral chypre trend of the mid-1960s, Caline maintained a devoted following for years, particularly among women drawn to its youthful, green charm and modern sensibility.
Over time, however, as the fragrance landscape shifted toward heavier orientals and sweeter, more gourmand notes in the late 1980s and 1990s, the delicate greenness of Caline fell out of step with prevailing market preferences. The original version eventually slipped into obscurity, leaving collectors and fragrance enthusiasts to seek it out on the secondary market. Despite its quiet exit, Caline remains cherished by those who experienced it firsthand—a softly verdant, feminine composition that captured the spirit of its time with clarity and charm.
Its absence from the modern Jean Patou lineup for many years only deepened its mystique. When Patou revived many of its early fragrances in the 1980s under the “Ma Collection” series, Caline was notably excluded—suggesting either formulation challenges or a belief that its appeal was too firmly rooted in the sensibilities of the 1960s to translate to a new era. Nevertheless, for perfume historians and vintage fragrance lovers, Caline continues to evoke an era when green florals represented a confident, youthful modernity, and Jean Patou remained a house attuned to elegance in every detail.
1984 Reformulation & Relaunch:
In 1984, Caline was brought back to life by Jean Patou as part of the prestigious Ma Collection—a curated reissue of the house’s most iconic and best-loved fragrances. This collection, developed under the artistic guidance of house perfumer Jean Kerléo, was both a tribute to Patou’s storied past and a celebration of French perfumery at its most refined. Caline rejoined a constellation of masterpieces such as Cocktail, Normandie, Amour Amour, L'Heure Attendue, Adieu Sagesse, Moment Suprême, Divine Folie, Colony, Chaldée, and Que Sais-Je?, each fragrance reimagined with sensitivity and historical care.
The 1984 version of Caline was subtly reformulated by Kerléo to accommodate changes in ingredient availability. Several materials used in the original 1964 formula had either become scarce, restricted due to evolving regulations, or too expensive to use at scale. Despite this, Kerléo remained faithful to the spirit of the original—a fragrance beloved for its fresh, green, and gently floral character. The result was a sophisticated reinterpretation that retained Caline’s tender charm while adapting it to contemporary perfumery standards.
In this reformulation, Caline was classified as a fresh aldehydic floral chypre. The aldehydic opening gave the perfume a soft sparkle, a gently airy lift that felt both vintage and modern, evoking clean linen, dewy citrus, and sunlight on green leaves. The heart preserved the bouquet of florals—rose, jasmine, mimosa, and lily of the valley—anchored in a composition that emphasized freshness and femininity. The chypre base, with notes of moss, patchouli, sandalwood, and musk, added a quietly sophisticated finish.
Notably, an Eau de Toilette version was created for each of the Ma Collection perfumes, a format that had not existed for the original pre-war or post-war editions. This allowed modern wearers to enjoy a lighter, more wearable concentration while still experiencing the essence of each scent’s character. Caline, with its herbaceous tenderness and youthful vibrancy, stood out in the collection as one of the most approachable and contemporary-smelling fragrances, making it a favorite among newer generations discovering Patou’s rich olfactory heritage.
Fragrance Composition:
- Top notes: aldehydes, green note accord, Moroccan mimosa, Sicilian green mandarin, Calabrian bergamot, Italian basil, spices
- Middle notes: Tunisian orange blossom, Malaysian patchouli, Yugoslavian oakmoss, Russian coriander, Grasse rose de mai, Egyptian jasmine, Florentine orris root, cyclamen, Manila ylang-ylang, French carnation
- Base notes: Mysore sandalwood, Virginian cedar, Spanish labdanum, ambergris and Tonkin musk
Scent Profile:
The 1984 reissue of Câline by Jean Patou, reformulated by master perfumer Jean Kerléo, reinterprets the original 1964 fragrance with careful reverence and modern refinement. It is a fresh aldehydic floral chypre, as shimmering and bright as sunlight through spring foliage, but grounded with an elegant, mossy warmth. As you smell this fragrance, each layer unfolds like a story—at once youthful, grounded, and unselfconsciously romantic.
At first breath, the aldehydes sparkle and shimmer, conjuring the airy effervescence of freshly laundered linen or the light that bounces off fine crystal. These synthetic molecules, common in classic French perfumery, do not smell “natural” per se—but their clean, luminous character makes the opening feel expansive and radiant, like the start of a beautiful day. Immediately following is a green note accord, a leafy, tender whisper of freshly crushed stems and young grass. The effect is invigorating and herbaceous, bringing clarity to the opening, much like the original version, but perhaps with a more faceted brightness.
As the citrus notes rise, Calabrian bergamot, Sicilian green mandarin, and a unique bitter zest from Moroccan mimosa weave through the composition. Bergamot from Calabria is prized for its nuanced balance of sweetness and bitterness—more floral and refined than citrus from other regions. The green mandarin from Sicily, still unripe, imparts a sharper, more acidic bite than its orange counterpart, playing beautifully against the gentle, powdery quality of the mimosa, which adds a honeyed, almost almond-like nuance. Italian basil, with its crisp and aromatic licorice-laced greenness, folds in next to spices—subtle and warming, though never overwhelming. These spicy accents lend dimensionality to what could otherwise be a fleeting opening.
The heart of the fragrance unfurls with floral abundance, each bloom vivid and distinct. Tunisian orange blossom introduces a soft, luminous white floral note that is clean yet sensual. From Grasse, the traditional heartland of perfumery, comes Rose de Mai, velvety and lightly fruity, and Egyptian jasmine, which brings a heady, indolic richness. These natural absolutes are nuanced and voluptuous, yet their intensity is tempered by cyclamen, which contributes a fresh, dewy, almost watery floral effect, and Florentine orris root, prized for its powdery, suede-like elegance. Manila ylang-ylang, with its banana-tinged creaminess, fuses tropical warmth with vintage florality, while the French carnation adds a spicy floral snap—clove-like and sharp, balancing the sweeter blossoms.
Supporting and contrasting all this florality is a chypre structure, built upon Malaysian patchouli and Yugoslavian oakmoss. The patchouli in this version is more polished than the deep, earthy patchouli of older vintages—drier, more camphoraceous. The oakmoss, less animalic than in earlier decades due to evolving regulations, still retains its leathery-forest character. A dash of Russian coriander adds a green, nutty-spicy touch that ties the aromatic and mossy elements together.
Finally, the drydown is plush and tactile. Mysore sandalwood, the benchmark for luxury sandalwood, imparts a creamy, milky smoothness with soft incense undertones. This particular sandalwood—almost extinct in modern perfumery—is rounder and more meditative than Australian or New Caledonian varieties. Virginian cedar adds a clean, pencil-shaving dryness, while Spanish labdanum anchors the base with its resinous, leathery sweetness. Natural ambergris lends an ethereal marine-skin quality, airy and animalic at once, and Tonkin musk—now simulated due to ethical regulations—adds a warm, intimate trail that lingers on the skin, echoing the plush sensuality of the original but in a more refined, less feral way.
In contrast to the 1964 version, the 1984 Câline feels slightly more sheer and stylized. Where the original was tender and softly herbaceous, this reformulation has a more structured silhouette—less grassy, more floral, with a chypre base that leans drier and woodsier. The aldehydes in this edition are more pronounced, giving a powdery veil to the scent that feels both nostalgic and modern. The reimagined Câline is like a vintage photograph touched up in color—faithful to the soul of the original, but adjusted for a new light.
Bottles:
Fate of the Fragrance:
Discontinued during the 1990s.