How to smell like Bogie in ‘Casablanca’

Even as a kid, I always knew the Burberry trench coat was a classic. Before I knew about Chanel 2.55s or Hermès scarves, I already recognized the lasting power of this classic jacket. Burberry, especially their coats, always seemed elegant, timeless, aristocratic, and oh-so-British.

More than its classic style, the trench coat’s popularity is rooted in its functionality. After Thomas Burberry established his outerwear business in 1856, he developed gabardine in 1879, a breathable and lightweight fabric that is also wind-proof and water-resistant — strong and durable enough to protect the wearer from harsh weather. It became the cloak of choice for military men (which is why it became known as the “trench coat,” as many of them donned them in the trenches during the war), aviators and explorers until civilians started to wear them too. It didn’t hurt that Humphrey Bogart wore one in Casablanca.

When Christopher Bailey took over as design director of Burberry in 2001, he breathed a new life into the brand and created new and exciting incarnations of the trench, like shiny metallic fabrics and studded sleeves. Today, the coat is living proof of the brand’s commitment to quality and craftsmanship, perfected for more than a 100 years.

Last year, Burberry introduced the My Burberry Eau de Parfum, the first fragrance inspired by the Burberry trench coat. “My Burberry is the true embodiment of our brand, in scent, in design and in attitude,” said Bailey, now CEO and chief creative of Burberry. Created to evoke the scent and essence of a London garden after the rain, the scent has top notes of sweet pea and bergamot, heart notes of geranium leaf, gold quince and freesia, and a base of patchouli, rain-tipped damask and centifolia roses — a refreshing mix of floral and earthy notes that is iconically British. If you can’t afford to get yourself a classic trench yet, this is a great way to cover yourself in Burberry.

This year, they’re introducing the Eau de Toilette version of the fragrance. Bailey maintained his partnership with perfumer Francis Kurkdjian, famous for creating fragrances for major fashion houses and brands (his Le Male, which he made for Jean Paul Gaultier at age 26, is one of the world’s best-selling perfumes), for this fresh interpretation of the EDP. Bright, uplifting and still very floral, the new EDT captures the essence of a spring blossom garden, with its blend of blooming rain-tipped flowers: sweet pea and lemon flowers for top notes, peonies, peach flowers and freesia for heart notes, and damask roses, white moss and musk at the base — a Burberry bouquet, if you will. “The Eau de Toilette is a contemporary scent, which echoes the elegant quality of My Burberry,” says Kurkdijan. Top models Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne still headline the campaign, clad in the Heritage trench coats and that effortlessly stylish spirit of the brand and fragrance.

Best of all, the EDT is housed in the My Burberry glass bottle, which reflects the details of the Burberry stone-colored trench coat. The horn-finish stone and black cap reminds you of the coat’s distinctive buttons, and the hand-tied, stone-colored English-woven gabardine knot pays homage to the fabric invented by Thomas Burberry over 100 years ago and still woven today at Burberry’s factory in Yorkshire, England. Even the box is stone-colored with a gabardine-inspired texture, embossed with a golden knot finish. My Burberry trench coat-crushing heart flutters at the thought of owning a small piece of the coat’s heritage.

One of the most exciting things about My Burberry’s launch last year was that you could get your bottle monogrammed with up to three letters. Monograms remain one of the unique symbols of luxury, whether it’s a brand’s recognizable icons or your personalized initials on the side of your bag. Just as with My Burberry Eau de Parfum, you can personalize your My Burberry Eau de Toilette bottle with up to three letters in the SM Makati Department Store this coming Sept. 24 to 30, 2015. If you buy your 90ml My Burberry EDT or EDP bottles, you can have them monogrammed for free. After all, practically everyone who owns a Burberry trench coat calls it “my Burberry.” Since the fragrance is inspired by the coat, you might as well make your fragrance truly your own, too.

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My Burberry Eau de Toilette will be available in 90 ml (P6,000) and 50 ml (P4,300) at selected Burberry stores and retailers starting this month.