It's the mid to late 1980's. Big hair and big shoulder pads reigned supreme. Excess ruled the day. Too much make up, too much hair spray, too much neon, too much everything was the norm. I digress. One can never have too much 80's music. I was a teenager and coming of age in the greatest decade known to man.
One of my first jobs was as a fragrance counter girl. I worked for a well known department store, which was an anchor in a newly built, state of the art shopping mall. At the time, it was the largest mall in the southeastern United States. When I began working there, I was a “floater”, which is a sales associate who can work in any department to fill in when someone is absent from work, or if a department just needs a little help. After one shift in which I had the privilege of covering the fragrance counter one busy Saturday, I was enamored. I immediately put in a request to be assigned to the Beauty & Cosmetics Department, and work the fragrance counter permanently. Shortly thereafter, I was given the job!
I loved going to work. Since I was still a high school student, my employment was part time. I would typically work around fifteen hours per week, more during holidays or special sales events. I had always enjoyed a great smelling perfume and now I was surrounded by the most luxurious designer fragrances available. I was in Heaven.
I will admit to you, that I was guilty on occasion of being one of "those girls" with the latest release in hand, ready to spritz you as you walked by...if you desired. It was my policy to gain permission first before covering anyone with a blast of scent. I did have standards. Fortunately for me, it worked. I sold many a bottle of fragrance.
Some of the best sellers at the women's fragrance counter during this time were Giorgio Beverly Hills, Ysatis by Givenchy, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein's Obsession, YSL's Paris and Opium, Beautiful by Estee Lauder, Liz Claiborne, Christian Dior's Poison, and of course Chanel's No. 5 and Coco. Chanel had prime real estate in the fragrance display case, and that gave them an unattainable quality to me. In my mind Chanel was bold and fearless. The bottles themselves had more self confidence than I had. I would not hesitate to give myself a good shot of Giorgio, Lauren or Liz at any time, but the mere thought of wasting one drop of Chanel on my teenage wrists was insolent. It just seemed wrong.
The men's counter was just as much fun, but never quite as busy as the ladies. I believe the store eventually combined the two counters for a good while. Back then, men, particularly southern men, didn't often purchase fragrance for themselves. Men came in to shop for their wives, girlfriends, or daughters. Women, however, were on a mission for themselves and their men. These were the days of Aramis, Polo, Drakkar Noir, CK's Obsession for men, YSL's Kouros, and the quintessential Halston's; Z-14 and, my personal favorite of the time, 1-12.
This experience was bliss for me, and it sure made high school more bearable. Since then, I moved away and grew up a bit. I started a family and went through life's highs, lows and many, many changes. I went different directions with my career, and of course motherhood took priority over everything else. Today my children are grown. My daughters have signature scents, and my sons appreciate fragrance more than most young men. Over the years, one consistency that I've tried to always have is some form of Chanel No. 5. ;-)
~K