Los Angeles outfitter Hiro Clark has built a cult following producing high-quality basic tees and sweaters, mostly with monotone colors or simple designs. They’re built on an ethos of creating shirts that will stand up to nights out on the town, followed by early jaunts to work the next morning.
They’re back with a new collaboration series called “The No Shower Shirt”. In conjunction with high-end perfumer Le Labo Fragrances, they’ve dipped Hiro’s fabric in a fragrance called Santal 33 with enough luster (as they claim) to last for six washes.
The collaboration is really more of an experiment. Before the perfume bath, the shirts are woven with special microbeads to hold the scent in. More of the scent is released by rubbing the shirt as you wear it. We asked both companies about the process and they said they couldn’t reveal how this magic works.
With a keen sense of curiosity (and a $128 price tag), I had to give this shirt a try.
After a long day, I arrived home to a package that was literally permeating with the Santal 33 scent. It’s really hard to pinpoint what it smells like. Le Labo’s site notes a “use of cardamom, iris, violet, ambrox which crackle in the formula and bring … smoking wood alloy.” It’s definitely musky and almost smells like an old leather store. Not soon after I opened it, my entire bedroom smelled like it.
I wore the shirt out on a busy Saturday around town. My black “Disappear Here” shirt seemed like the best choice for exploring the Portland Art Museum’s Andy Warhol exhibit. My date noted how strong the smell was and even after wearing it for a few hours, I wasn’t nose blind to it either. She said it smelled like I rolled around in laundry sheets; another friend later said it felt like I had been in “the club” too long. In any case, be prepared to “enjoy” this scent all day long.
After 10 hours wearing this thing, you definitely don’t need a shower. The “No Shower” line is so heavily doused with Santal 33, you could likely have an intense workout and still smell decent afterwards.
I had to give this shirt a wash to see what it would do. After a guacamole mishap at the sports bar, it definitely had to happen. I’m happy to report the scent subsided to an almost-pleasant level. In small doses, it’s the right amount of earthy and spicy.
The shirt has a comfy fit and looks cool, so it’s definitely going to become a part of my rotation now that the perfume is more manageable.
If it’s in your budget and packing an extra shirt for the night is an issue, then go for it. Just give it a wash first.
