White Linen Estée Lauder for women

Here's a perfume whose lovely fragrance disappears on me. An hour after application, it's as if I never applied it. Such a shame, it is a beautiful scent.

White Linen smells exactly like I expected it to smell from the name...but actually a tad better I think! It reminded me immediately of a freshly starched and ironed shirt. It borders on smelling like laundry detergent, yet it doesn't smell nearly as synthetic. I was surprised to see that this was created in 1978 because it simply DOES NOT smell that dated to me. I'm not sure if I'd ever buy it, but it certainly has all the elements of a classic in my book.

Wore it to *death* in the '80s and now can't go back to it.

Must agree aldehyde quite strong here with powdery floral notes. The name is deceiving, it does not smell like linen at all, but more like ancient medieval princess quarters type a scent. Hermes Caleche spot on resemblance.

Full throttle aldehyde overload in a bottle.

An hour of squeaky clean soap followed by clovey flowers.

Nothing to rave about, to me, it smells like every other soapy floral out there...K Krizia, BB Amazing, etc.

It is lighter than No22, so I guess that's a plus.

Meh...

This is one of the most beautiful scents of all time imo. Fresh, crisp, and breezy. It was the first "signature" perfume I wore and have never found another one that I've stuck with for years. This scent is amazing, and it's the one I compare others to.

Very nice, scent so fresh, yet so elegant ! Love to smell it on other people and would love to have a bottle of this myself...
Its invigorating, refreshing, breezy, cool and professional. Great office scent, imo. Yet it retains a distinct lovely feminine element. Refined freshness in a bottle. I like pure white linen too, its less 'dense' .

Very elegant, fresh and clean. Quite powerful, I found a little goes a long way. Too bracing for me, but definitely worth a try if you like crisp florals.

Now that I'm becoming an aldehyde junkie, I've met White Linen and I might get hooked on it, it's too early to say. What I like is that the powder and rose in the aldehyde is not too dominant, as it so often is, here it's driven by the bitter and fresh zest in the background notes. They are not exactly citrus, actually when mixed with the soapiness, they are curiously chypre. At first it reminded me of the wonderful cooling detergent smell from a batch of newly ironed clothes. Then as it settled I got more conventional green and pleasant clean perfumey classic vibes.

For me there are similarites to Private Collection and Knowing, but this is younger, lighter and more airy, much better for modern unconventional women.It's the only Lauder that gives me those feelings, all the others smell more generic and old-fashioned.

It's feminine in that very virginal nubile sexy way that was described by Victoria Beckham speaking of how she regards her own sexual appeal.

For me White Linen is an acquired taste and once acquired it might become fixed forever.

I find White Linen fascinating -- less of a perfume than a sensory special effect. It goes on loud and insistent and stays that way, with an aggressive, piercing quality. It smells clean in a way, but cleanliness would really be the absence of smell and there is nothing absent about White Linen.

I do find the sharpness and almost metallic quality of this scent very invigorating, like cold air. And for all its lack of subtlety, it's not over simple; there are floral and rich facets adorning the handle of this olfactory ice-pick.

I don't wear it often -- usually in the dog days of summer, when I want that blast of chilly purity -- but when I do I'm always impressed.

I wanted to revisit this, and check out if I'd like it beyond my neutral to slightly negative 80s impressions. Thanks to icekat for the decant.
I wouldn't call this a 'clean' perfume at all!
As soon as I put it on my hand and sniffed, I felt this to be a deeply sensual and evocative perfume.
Evocative of what? Well, I'm not really sure how to explain - my mind was filled with dreamy and mysterious atmospheres and associations in reaction to White Linen. I suppose if I had to pull some names out of the smell, they would be 'violet' - and I don't usually like violets in blends but this is sublime - and a very particular type of 'rose'. WL is also delicately powdery, but not a fusty powdery.
Clean? No. It's not my idea of 'clean'. However I like it!

oh my god .. thats not a perfum ,.. i normally use to buy "Beautiful" von E. Lauder .. and i really love it !!.. as i read that "white line" suppoused to be similar as "Chanel 22" and the conbination seems to be similar as "Beautiful" i bought it ..but oh..surprise !! it smells sooo strong and sooo penetrant .. and sooo intensiv like cigarrete or something smoking .. i did not like it absolutly not !!!

This is sharp and lemony at the initial spray which settles into a rather nice fresh, floral perfume which retains its sharpness throughout. Nice!

For some reason this reminds me of summer 1984, Karate Kid, Bananarama's Cruel Summer, and the like. The good days. White Linen is a clean rose, aldehydic fragrance that, while being somewhat controversial in its legendary composition, still gathers many fans who've worn it since its launch back in the spring of 1978. The base notes of vetiver and moss keep the rose note from becoming cloying in hotter weather. A classic, for sure.

no.. absolutly no .. it smells terrible.. i just could not get this terrible odor for 3 hours ..

normally i love aldehydics (chanel 22 for example) but white linen it stinks "old"

I am a big fan of the 80's, heavy-hitters (Obsession, Eternity, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, Opium, etc.) but now, in my 40's, I prefer clean and pretty. I wore Dream Angels "Heavenly" for years and years. That scent smells REALLY good on me, but it doesn't last and I was spraying and spraying for nothing plus it's so common.

I wore the entire Philosophy line for a year and their scents, although likable, just don't last so after several trial and errors which included Chanel No 5 Eau Premiere, I decided that I want a soft, clean pretty, powdery smell that lasts.

White Linen is that scent. It's not the screechy loud scent that I shunned from the 80's. It seems much more wearable to me. Smells feminine and clean but not clean like laundry. Just very crisp and fresh upon opening and the dry down is this soft, velvety iris smell.

If I spray it in my hair, it will last all day. On skin, about 6 hours which is pretty darn good these days. It doesn't have that "old lady" vibe that I remember it having back in the day. Plus, it's so affordable. I'd love to try the lotion.

This used to be my signature fragrance, beginning in 1980 when I was in my early teens. Over the years I've tried various forms of this and I've found that the parfum oil is definitely the one that smells best. It is smoother, warmer, and just plain more beautiful. The parfum oil seems to have a complexity that the EDP lacks but it's missing the harsh note that's in the EDP. White Linen smells good on some people and lousy on others; do give it a try before you decide. The lasting power will vary from person to person as well. After wearing this scent for over twenty years, I've never had a single male human being take a deep sniff and not love it on me. Women sometimes like it and sometimes don't, but the worst I've ever been told is "You smell just like my aunt."

I bought this fragrance because it was my mother's favorite scent, and she passed away 7 years earlier.
I remember how her mother-in-law always gave her Arpège for any occasion, but my mother never liked Arpège.
So she only wore Arpège to visit her parents-in-law.
The other days, it was White Linen.
So I just bought myself a bottle, 60ml EdP.
This is just amazing on my skin.
I'm almost ashamed to say it smells better than on my mother (or is this a reformulation that is better than the Vintage?)
Lately I tried a lot of musk based fragrances; some niche brands (MKK, MR) and some drugstore stuff.
I knew I was craving for something...
Now that I've found White Linen, I understand it wasn't any musk fragrance I needed, but WL.
The aldehydes in this EdP have a very very slight animalic vibe to it (like a cat protecting her kittens), and even something similar (only similar) to a tobacco note, but the whole things manage to smell extremely clean on me, without being cloying like Amber (Prada) or clean/dirty like Amber Intense (Prada), without smelling feminine like Chanel N°5.
This is THE fragrance for women who want to smell great without seducing.
On a man, iI think it is quite seducing!

I absolutely love White Linen, I always get compliments when I'm wearing it. My aunt has been using it for years. It's a classic fragrance and smells like no other

Something is really powerful in this fragrance that seems to scream in my nose with intensity. I think it's the aldehydes. I don't mean to pick on the perfume, but to me it really does smell like baby wipes.

I love clean smelling fragrances but was really put off by this one. I think this is very different from more modern clean smelling perfumes. I prefer fresh scents that are greener, sweeter, and smoother.

Another unexpected pleasure from Estee Lauder. This came to me in a trade and I wanted to sample it before putting it in my trade box. As expected the aldehydes saluted me sharply with the expected clean chill. What I wasn't expecting was the next note: benzoin, which normally takes a long time to come up in a scent like this. While the florals are definitely there they seem to support the benzoin and woodmoss more than taking the preeminent role. (EDP by the way)As several hours pass I'm immensely enjoying what I've come to expect from Sophia Grojsman: scents that are complex changeable and completely grown-up. Estee Lauder may not be at the very zenith of perfume houses with names like Guerlain but they've never received the credit they deserve for being as good, if not better, than most of the big-name French houses like Givenchy and Chopard.

Sillage: noticeable in a car
Duration: excellent, 5-6 hours with most notes
Fabulosity: a perfect Manhattan with a perfect cherry
Value to price ratio: excellent
8/10

Oh well, you can't go wrong with Estee Lauder perfumes.
Really! They are so delicious and well made and on the cheaper side that if you don't like the first one you sample, you'll most certainly like the second and surely leave the shop having bought the third. :)
One must applaud the company for providing such great products in common sense prices!
Having said that, "White Linen" is another interesting (for its bold simplicity) perfume created by one of the best noses in the business (Ms Grojsman, as always, has adapted to the spirit of the company exceptionally well!).
It starts very nice and floral (it has a very tidy character I must say) and soon becomes like "Effervescent Clean"!
Frankly, there's nothing more to say about it, apart from the fact that I actually find it a very good perfume for the car.
I keep a small bottle there and spray the seats every now and then.. :)

The lemon, cedar, peach, and benzoin are working an incredibly snazzy concoction on my skin right now...Aldehydes are hardly ever friendly to me, but with this frag, they are rolling out the red carpet! The orris, jasmine and Bulgarina rose are complimenting each other as the oakmoss and vetiver peak through ever so gently...

I can't stop sniffing my wrist which is the ultimate 'test' point since this area always seems to eat up any fragrance...WL is holding up extremely well, and boy, does it smell CLASSY...It reminds me of vintage YSL's Rive Gauche...This is definitely a keeper...Gotta get a huge bottle of this now!

I enjoy White Linen for the fact that it is cheapness done well. Conceptually so downmarket (soap) yet executed so brashly (1 part aldehyde, 1 part laundry detergent musk, one part whatever your notion of a bar of “floral” soap is.) This is the olfactory equivalent of holding a large tuning fork to your skull, but for hours. I can imagine for many women this might just seem simple, oldish in style and unsubtle, but on a man, it’s a great alternative (CLEAN) to so many current men’s fragrances (FRESH.) The camp of wearing a squeaky clean girly fragrance is added enticement.

But I have one particular use for White Linen. I’m an RN and work in a hospital. Search through the basenotes forums and you’ll find plenty of discussions about inflicting fragrance on those around you, the hospital being the ultimate battleground for this argument. I have a few scents that I wear to work, each with a different strategy as to why it works. (More on this in later posts.) White Linen is easily my favorite, since it’s akin to being in drag in scrubs. On a man I think this simply reads as so-clean-you-still-have-soap-on-you clean. The only comments I’ve gotten from my patient are, literally, “You smell so clean!” I imagine if were a woman wearing this she might be accused of wearing too much or too strong a fragrance. It’s fun screwing with gender assumptions in general. With perfume, it’s a delight.

White Linen is a really good scent and it does remind me of my moms white linen!
The scent is very fresh, chic, soapy...
Its like a perfected version of Dove soap. I remember that one of my teachers used to wear this.
The main notes on my skin are definatly carnation, lemon, aldehydes...
Its a great scent to wear in a winter morning, with your best fur coat or a silky blouse.
Ageless, classic, feminine, great!
Thank you Estee Lauder!

Sillage: Big
Longevity: Amazing on my skin

8.5/10

This was my signature fragrance for many years. While other friends my age at the time were using newly launched heavy hitters like Obsession, Giorgio, Red and Poison, I felt set apart in this fragrance. It was fresh, airy,open, and perhaps somewhat atypical for a teenager to wear at that time. This fragrance was part of who I was back then, so it is much like an old friend to me now....not seen enough or very often, but always a fondness in the heart. I haven't worn it for almost 2 decades. It is too special of a perfume to only hold in my heart; perhaps I should make it part of me once again.

eatee lauder has some of the most beautiful & classic perfumes around in my humble opinion WL not there best oe the worst im writing this not just about WL. but all the other 'classics that people get on here & knock for being''OLD LADY'' aldehyde out of date i know they want every ones opinion but...we are all gonna smell like brittany spears of flower bomb or aqualinapink etc.. those are consumer wise the most popular these days bcuz tweens &teens have the money 2 spend 40-90 dollars a bottle on perfume in the last 10 years or so anyway we did have a few tween perfumes (b.t.w i enjoy a sweetperfume time 2 time) they was EXCLAMATION in the black & white bottle ici & longing & diors poison if u had the moneybut NOW these cottoncandybumblegum dominates 75% of the market thats also fine...here is my point PLEASE dont come keep knocking the classic becuz they keep -reformulating-them 2 ''suit'a younger person but they are only ruining them& turning them into sumthin we dont like &also YOU dont like & remember when all these girls grow up this new 75%with the money they will want sumthin other than pineaple-bubbleyum-paris-brittany-justin beiber-cherries etc . . i like a few of these but i would DIE in a world of only those this should be copy & pasted to the other classics that are in dangers comment box everone who reads this if you have 1 youLOOOOVED that got RE-DONE please post its name i want to make a list the one that killed me was when they RUINED diors-dolce vita :( a very very sad indeed R.I.P dolce vita

Surprise! White Linen isn't the harsh concoction of dish soap that I thought it was. Recently, I got past the aldehydic opening blast and gave White Linen a good, long try. Oh, hello, soft rose heart, I had no idea you were there. And the fresh, powdery, somewhat green base? Where did that come from? I have neglected White Linen for far too long. And I think I will be getting to know it a lot better this summer!

Lovely, clean, white, soapy. Not sure if it's the power of suggestion, but it does remind me of freshly washed laundry, but with a more sophisicated edge. This is for someone that's confident and mature, but still fun and friendly.

une odeur délicate de drap de lin séché au soleil ,pour un jour ou vous vous sentez femme ,en accord avec vous mème .....une réussite modeste.

I guess you either love it or hate it. Very strong, very sharp, not a perfume to wear in a hot crowded bar, so not for little girls who frequent Bath & Body Works. It is classy, sophisticated, crisp, and clean smelling, and I picture an elegant lady wearing a white linen suit, having a cocktail at the yacht club. I do like just the smallest spritz on my pillow, where I can lay my head and dream of better things.

White Linen has always baffled me. I used to believe myself, the type who didn’t fit into any ‘’perfume mold’’ or olfactory group. I do have a perfume comfort zone, but I know how to break out of it. I enjoy perfumes that will cause a shift in my consciousness ( so to speak). I can handle most of the heavy stinkers containing, civet, aldehydes, leather, patchouli, tuberose, and roots. In fact I love those notes, along with others. What I cannot handle on my skin, is smelling like laundry…I’m sorry but no…I must have been a sad laundry maid in one of my past lives…I think White Linen is a lovely ‘’bed linen’’ or room spray but not for my skin. With that said…

I certainly consider White Linen a masterpiece. It’s impossible not to show a lot of love, and respect for this perfume. I sold many bottles of it, and usually to men, buying it for their mothers. It was always lovely to hear their heartfelt stories of ‘’mothers love’’ and how they will always associate White Linen with comforting childhood moments.

I personally think White Linen was released during the late 70’s for the career and family driven woman. It reminds me of starched and dry cleaned power suits. Yet the aldehydes and flowers soften the composition, and give this elegant appeal…If White Linen turned into a song it would be ‘’These Dreams’’ by Heart. I’m quite convinced the lyricist was referring to this perfume in that song!

I personally dont like or dislike this perfume...my mom has wore this perfume for many many years .This is her signiture scent and when i smell this scent it reminds me of my mom.

Aaah, to be young again!
I couldn't possible give you a objective review of this scent (if that is at all possible) as all my fondest teenage memories seem to cling to it: first party, first boyfriend, first ... well, you get the idea.
I used the perfume again ten years ago trying to seduce the man I loved ... it didn't work at all. Not sure if White Linen was to blame for that disaster, though!

When I tried White Linen on a test strip It was love at
first sight W.L was the first Fragrance In my opinion
to recreate freshly dried linen that just came out of
the drier or cloths drying in the Wind under a clear
blue summer sky on a clothes line and when i received
a sample bottle of White Linen i was ecstatic and sprayed on my skin Then it turned sour on my skin
and i was a bit puzzled is this a bad sample because
sometimes perfumes do go bad due to age or
manufacturing or it's my skin chemistry some scents
don't work on some scents and maybe this is not one
of them I don't want to pinpoint that White Linen is
a mere disappointment which is not or a average run
off the mill Fragrance i really think it's the harsh
aldehyde with the mixture of Lemon and Honey
Aldehydes have to be carefully blended to make sure
not get a plastic and cloying smell but nether-less
a unique Treasure.

I have never been one for light, airy, soapy fragrances.
I used to wear mostly orientals (Samsara being one of the most memorable), and occasionally go for something a bit fruity or citrusy for the hot summer months.
But recently, I have come round to the beauty of white flowers and craved "clean" scents. Therefore, I was intrigued by White linen... after all, this vintage scent boasts a very clean, soapy smell, and so I could not go wrong with it... could I? So I went and tested it recently, having always avoided the Estee Lauder section of any perfume shop (somehow, none of the fragrances really attract me). Well... instead of the clean and light "baby powder" scent, I got something very stuffy and overpowering. The hyacint came through as a sharp note, with the honey and aldehyds giving a slighly nauseating twist to the whole affair. After a while, the scent totally disappeared with no trace, only the faintest of drydown.
So this has definitely not converted me to Estee Lauder, or to clean soapy scents.
I will be sticking to "my" clean and fresh scents, namely Love in Paris by Nina Ricci, and Lacoste for women.

White Linen was born a classic. It is the crispest, cleanest perfume I've ever smelled. However it is not light and delicate, it packs quite a punch. The opening is a burst of sunshine and citrus. The heart seems to be a combination of florals though the only one I can distinguish is orris, which gives a pleasant soapiness. The drydown is spicy thanks to cedar, sandalwood, and honey. Most perfumes from White Linen's time seem so dated today but the "big air" feeling of this one keeps it fresh and contemporary.

I got this one in a little set of Lauder perfumes.
The first time I wore it, it made me feel very uneasy, like I was about to get into trouble. I didn't dislike it but I just wasn't sure. It was on my mind a lot, so I found myself giving it another go; and then I suddenly recalled an ex Manager's face...
The rest of the day, this strong,strange, clean smell kept evoking the face of my ex-Manager.

I have asked a mutal ex college if she knew if ex-manager wore this, and she did indeed. So the uneasy smell came from that!

Do I want to wear it again? I'm unsure. Seems to be a polarising perfume with people loving or hating it...Will I 'manage' to overcome the guilty feeling that I've not done my work well enough when I wear it?
I think I will wrestle with this one a bit longer. Not a usual scent, worth fighting for I think.

an american attempt of channel no.5. Good reference as a perfume from the "floral aldehyde" family.

A lifelong favorite (since I was 14). Crisp, clean, fresh. A signature scent that never goes out of style. Classic.

Green, breezy, crisp and sharp. It calmed down a bit, but I just couldn't stand the clean notes, smell very cheap.

On the right person I imagine this could be very fresh and pretty.

Estee has better fragrances.

(This review is for Perfume Spray and Body Lotion)

I was curious about WHITE LINEN for quite some time and I finally acquired a bottle. Well, WHITE LINEN is a bit peculiar and strange combination to my nose. On one hand WHITE LINEN is squeaky clean and laundry fresh and it reminds me of white laundry sheets drying outside on a cool and clear morning. On the other hand it is floral aldehydes with quite opulent and strong heart notes of ylang-ylang, rose and carnation which are associated in my mind with elegant and classy going out style perfume. So this is kind of mixture of both in my mind, however strange this may seem. This is like doing laundry in an evening gown. I have to give credit to Estee Lauder for creating this unusual combination.

WHITE LINEN starts with a fresh lemony burst. Then aldehydes come in and for the first few minutes there is this weird sharp and unpleasant note that I strongly dislike. I am not sure what creates this note or how even to describe it. However, it dissipates quick as the scent becomes gradually smooth and floral. There is soapy undertone to the heart notes but it is quite pleasant. I rarely like soapy scents but this one is an exception. Ylang-ylang, carnation, orchid and rose are most prominent in the heart notes. The heart notes remind me of grand traditional floral bouquets from the classical scents. The dry down has woody notes, a bit of honey and benzoin but it is not overly sweet. The soapy feel continues into the dry notes.

I bought White Linen as a gift set and it came with a body lotion. The body lotion smells awesome on me. It is not sharp or overbearing like EDP. I would describe it as a clean, luxurious and sophisticated soap scent with soft floral notes. It is very smooth and comforting. Basically it represents everything I love in WHITE LINEN but minus strong and sharp notes that I am not sure about.
I do not think that WHITE LINEN EDP is my thing but I will definitely use body lotion and perhaps get a body cream if I can find it.

Oddly, though I normally hate aldehydes, I do like this. It smells awful and headache-inducing at first but then grows on you. My husband, who first gave it to me, said it smelled like a horse's stable. I think he meant that in a nice way.

I tested WL several times before adding this review. The first time I just thought it was really a weird scent. The second time I thought it was ok... the 3rd, 4th... x time :) I still thought it was ok but also nice. But I realized that the reason why I kept on coming back to spray it on again and again was that it actually made me feel good. A comfortable clean and fresh scent that is not narrow minded. A scent of a good person with no bad intentions. That`s how I perceive this fragrance.
Maybe because I come from the Czech Rep (I`m 31 now) and in my childhood there were no such things as expensive perfumes around I never had the chance to associate this with any old person... but still. I`ve been living in the west of Europe long enough to meet crowds of old ladies smelling of WL but somehow I didn`t. And anyway this scent does not have the old lady aura.
It is beautiful, clean and so friendly scent. If I was going for a journey around the world and could take only 1 perfume with me I`d take a bottle of WL.

Now... I`m adding this review after quite a while. So I`m going to Sudan shortly and WL is going with me :)

This is one of the oddest perfumes i have ever sniffed! It is not associated with anyone in my mind, but it smells very very much like an old lady to me that makes her even more older! I do not smell any linen drying in the sun in this one! I smell dirty linen sheets, that´s all! I am sorry, but it smells indeed like someone has pissed on his/her linen sheets and forgot to wash them right away and left in the heat. That´s maybe my perverted fantasy, but for me it smells like that.

Please do not remove this comment, since others might find it useful. Not every rewiev should be positive, so people like me wanted to make a blind buy might find it very informative. Thanks.

She is a rich woman. Independently wealthy. Divorced in the '70's and never remarried. Never needed to. She owns several homes; a Fifth Avenue apartment, a summer home in Newport, one in Belize. She wears White Linen.

i love white linen. goes on very strong, but turns into a crisp, sharp, confidant scent. put it on with a light hand and it will dry down to a lasting feminine aura.

Everytime I wear White Linen , I think of Bananarama's 1984 classic, "Cruel Summer" along with 1984's, "Karate Kid"....why?....because White Linen is the epitome of 1980's summertime in a bottle. Back then, you didn't have Philosophy's Graces and Cleans line of laundry scents. Everything was either an over sweet floral or one of those power-housed orientals that ever so defined the 80's for many of us. White Linen was a nice alternative to those two categories.

It starts off very aldehydic, with lots of jasmine and rose. The base noted come along fast. The cedar, sandalwood and vetiver make this perfume what it is....a classic spring and summer scent. Many hate it, I love it. Though, I seem to like many of the fragrances others detest. I've never gone with the crowd on anything, anyway, so yeah.

I love many of the Lauder classics, and White Linen is at the top of the list. I am very dated to the 80's, and when I think of that decade, I always think of the summer. What else to wear but White Linen when pretending it is summer 1984 all over again....I do that quite often, as I am finding more and more I don't fit in with these new times. Take me back to the fun days...please.

Just tried this yesterday. The opening is a brash, harsh adelhyde burst, and can be quite strong and headache inducing. However, one this faded (and it took about an hour) the mid-range notes were not inspiring...BUT the dry-down was wonderful. Floral, delicate, earthy and spicy on my skin. Lasting power is excellent - could still faintly get the scent on my wrist this morning.
The overall impression is cold - not a winter scent for me - and a soapy floral. It is the dry-down that makes it remarkable for me.
It is not a scent I will be wearing often, but it will have a place in my collection for long-term.

If you want to clear a room or end a meeting early ........wear this. It is SO , so bad. I cant stand aldehydes and this is the queen of them. Light Blue hits me the same way. Yuck and more yuck.

In taking up my virgin bottle of WHITE LINEN edp, acquired in the post-ecstatic sleepy-headed bliss of my experience of WHITE LINEN parfum (extrait), I have discovered that, alas, the magic does not fully survive dilution.

WHITE LINEN edp is nice but not nearly so clean and bright—and white—as the extrait. I find the middle section of the development trajectory slightly murky, in fact, as though extra oakmoss somehow oozed out the crevices of the EL KNOWING factory and accidentally made its way into the WHITE LINEN edp vat.

The drydown is nice, and I can still affirm that I like the edp, but it’s not quite the same. Love is no longer in the air, no, not this time around. Désolée.

If you've ever wanted to know what sharp aldehydes smell like, give White Linen a try.

This fragrance is an aldehyde overload, so much to the point that it smells like a white, sparkling bathroom. There's huge doses of powder, soap, laundry and flowers in White Linen. The clean qualities are so bold that it's sometimes difficult to point out any individual notes.

While I do love aldehydes, I prefer them in smaller doses. White Linen is a scent I like my sheets to smell of, but perhaps not my own skin.

This fragrance is also typical of those 80's fragrances, being a monster in terms of sillage and reliable in terms of longevity.

I'm only 20, so strong perfumes such as this one make me feel too old before my time. Not saying that this is a so-called 'old lady scent', but it does have more mature connotations. Along with that thought, personally I find this fragrance far too chemical, powdery and sharp for my liking.

I got a mini of White Linen, to test, and I am very glad it was just a mini as this scent did not work for me at all. Matter of fact, I put just a teeny tiny dab on the wrist... and nearly fainted. Aldehydes, VERY strong, pungent aldehydes, and nothing else. I don't mind well balanced aldehydes at all (like CD Miss Dior, for example) but this was really awful. Someone compared it to a whiff of detergent. I'd agree and go a step further - I thought I dunked my whole head into a box of not so nice smelling detergent. No line-dried linens were present...

A nice lady came into work wearing this scent...I did,t have the heart to tell her she smelled like a dank old cellar with an added old newspaper smell..is it chemistry or do i just not like this kind of scent...phew!

I wore this from the late seventies until the mid eighties. I loved it then. Now, it just gives me such nausea and a headache. The review about just using the bath powder sounds tempting. I tried the lotion and it was wonderful. Not as sharp. I have a friend who wears this as her signature, but I think it goes "sour" on her. Just doesn't smell very good. I guess this is one that definitely needs the right chemistry!

This was my mother's scent. Most perfumes give her a headache so her choices are limited. It doesn't inspire any positive thoughts in me, though.

Perfume names sometimes frustrate me. Take White Linen, for instance. White linens don't *actually* smell like anything other than the remanent of detergent. But the experience of "white linen" in MY head includes the slight heat they radiate, their blinding white contrast to the green grass and the blue sky, the crisp creases of the iron, the summer weather they go with. The experience of white linen is different for each person. And here is Estee Lauder inviting a comparison; their juice to the vision on our heads.

So I'll add to what Zvoncica says: don't buy based on the reviews, and don't buy based on the fragrance name.

For me personally, I didn't get much white linen out of White Linen. I could kind of see what Estee Lauder wanted me to imagine, but I wasn't convinced. The closest comparison in my mind was, "Is No.5 Eau Premiere a flanker of No.5, or this??" Because it was a blast of squeaky-clean aldehydes very reminiscent of Eau Premiere with fewer citruses and a weaker base.

I found White Linen very enjoyable for an aldehyde blast uncomplicated by tricky florals or powdery notes. I like it, but would never wear it, and certainly would never compare it to white linen.

I have read about White Linen from my very first Fragrantica steps. I have searched for it because of the white linen, the fresh and clean clothes resemblance, and because I am a sucker for clean and crisp smells. It was the Holy Grail. And I was a women with the mission.

Our first unexpected encounter happened during late spring going to summer heat day. My brain swiftly gazed through pictures of white sheet hanging in backyard. I mean before I applied the perfume. In the nanosecond White Linen flow through air I thought I heard the blink. It marked start of washing machine for long program on 95 degrees. The centrifuge promptly whirled. Mighty aldehyde rotor knocked me out of my shoes. I felt like Dorothy in the land of Oz.

The street I walked was paved with flowers, gigantic flowers, some of them even seemed as carnivorous plants. The sky was dark from bees. I heard them buzzing and I smelled pouring honey on their furry feet. I was scared. I had a felling hundreds of eyes are starring at me, thinking what the hell stinks in this town. Took me five hours of discomfort burden named White Linen.

Then it happened. The clean sheet were hanging in backyard. Centrifuge whirling stopped.

White Linen is rarest smell I ever experienced. Think I am not ready for it yet. Hope you’re not buying this one solely on reviews.

White Linen is beautifully crafted perfume, one of Estee Lauder's best creations.

I love the freshness of the lemon and aldehydes, and the middle notes of hyacinth, rose and lilac are most clear to my nose- although I smell each of the florals in turn as the scent dries down. There is a warmth to the florals in White Linen that leaves me wrist-sniffing for the entire first hour of wear.

The full dry down is honeyed, woody and warm as well as crisp, soapy-clean and powdery. Gorgeous, elegant, and fresh, this perfume could be worn in daytime or at night, and both in winter and in summertime.

My mother began wearing this perfume in 1978, and she still owns a bottle--and wears it--when the mood strikes. White Linen is a classic, a must-have perfume that has lots of nostalgic associations for me. I plan to add a bottle of White Linen to my perfume collection before summer's end.

I am ABSOLUTELY a Lauder women, and this is no exception. A perfect aldehydes, very high quality.

My mother loves this perfume. I, on the other hand, can't stand it. Too strong and pungent for my liking.

It's funny, because many years ago this was recommended to me in a shop as a gift for my then fiance's mother. I was only about 18, but I loved the perfume so much that I actually kepy it and have worn it until the bottle was finished. I don't think I would go back to this scent now, when I am much older and it should be more "appropriate"- but I've got very fond memories of it, and would definitely recommend trying it to everyone- the freshness is unbeatable, and despite being strong is so much more full of character then EL later compositions like Pleasures for instance.

I usually have White Linen in my perfume collection. It always smelled fresh and crisp on me and I was complimented when I wore it. I have tried Pure White Linen but it just doesn't have the scent that I could love. Individual chemistry is everything in the perfume smelling game. As is a good nose and ability to sort out notes. Some of us seem to have the nose of a blood hound. I don't, but still enjoy the sniffing game!

alot of people i know cant wear this, but im pleased i can, clean and fresh,i love the warmness in the scent

this scent is like living in the country with ur sheets drying in the sun.a gentle breeze blows by and u can smell the woods and the wildflowers.miday,as u check on ur linens the violet and jasmine r in full bloom bewitching you.as u take ur sheets down at sunset,the dew kissed oak moss awaits you.clean,beautiful scent that lasts.

Many people have that one scent they associate with their mothers - well, this is mine! White Linen has been my mom's signature scent for the past 30 years. Whenever I smell it, I see her dressed up for a night out, in a long black silk dress, complete with pearls and diamond rings.
A beautifully classic scent; soft, warm and slightly powdery. I'd never use it myself, but I'll happily buy another bottle for my mom whenever she asks.

I have used White Linen for a long time, it is the most wonderful scent. I have had people stop me in shopping malls asking me what I am wearing.When someone stops you, then you know it is good

I keep going back to retry this as its such a classic. Indeed, I sniffed it the other day and found myself liking it- I got a real incense blast from it that I hadn't noticed before and I liked it on the strip, too. Will try on skin next time and come to some conclusion. Maybe the fascination/repulsion thing is the best thing about it! Truly unique, and definately challenging.
ok I tried it on skin today and I must say I really liked it. It's more an atmosphere than a fragrance and it's quite uplifting. Smells of floral candle wax after the first blast then dries down to a comfortable musk with a urine edge to it (the honey note). All in all I like this and would buy it if I wasn't so in love with Azuree.

Clean, crisp, soapy, comfort. That is what White Linen evokes the sense of to me. This is a must have in the spring and summer, especially in the body cream and powder.

This fragrance is a comfort scent to me because of its clean nature. When everything else seems like it's just too much, White Linen never fails. This is like the ultimate summer vacation perfume. Those old ads from the 80's really told the story of White Linen. It really does make you feel like you are off in the tropics somewhere.

White Linen has been around since 1978 for a reason. It truly is a classic, ageless fragrance. I highly recommend it.

An old friend of mine used to crack me up with his description of White Linen when he said, "It smells like rich, old, ladies!" Too funny. Well, to me, it smells light, airy, elegant, but heavy and intense at the same time. It reminds me of college. I alternated between this one, Lauren, and Opium. I eventually graduated to Chanel Cristalle and Fracas, but this was one of my favorites for two years. A young man I had one of the most passionate love affairs of my life, absolutely loved this scent. It will forever remind me of him and I still love it.

I've tried so many modern perfumes (too many) but have come back to this, it is a classic and as long as you don't spray too much it is fresh, individual, clean - but not boring. It brings back many memories and makes me feel good every time I wear it, Definately worth a try.

It is far more classic than its modern descendants: Pure White Linen, Pure White Linen Light Breeze, Pure White Summer Fun, Pure White Linen Pink Coral, etc... and that is a good thing. It is from a different generation - but still holds true to its style and good composition.

To me (being 23) this perfume is just on the edge of being tolerated. But there is something wildly attractive about it too (the lightness of the aldehydes and florals, perhaps?). It's the kind of perfume that pushes the boundaries of what you like - and there is a certain thrill in deliberately stretching your known preferences. I can imagine if I got it I would not wear it all that often. But for those rare days when you want something daring (to your nose), and it's stinking hot and you need something really refreshing - this scent would be ideal.

The scent starts out very sharp and strong (but strong in a floral not oriental way). It gives the impression of being extremely clean, crisp and fresh. The top notes are pleasant but deterring at the same time. I find the aldehydes (which are in large concentrations) almost too much to bear. Fortunately, after about half an hour, it evolves into something without the high screaming top notes, that is more floral, powdery and very tolerable (to both you and those around you). The full extent of the drydown only improves the scent, I think. Sillage and lasting power are both excellent.

i have a bottle at home, 35ml are still there from 60ml and its an EAU DE PARFUM, the bottle is still very nice, doesnt look "used", was a mistake, i thought its pure white linen, but white linen is much too strong, if u are in europe and u have paypal i give it away for 12 euro + postage extra (for europe not more than 7,50 for insured postage) let me know!

WHITE LINEN (extrait) is indeed aptly named, for it is a burst of crisp, clean white flowers framed and tamed by pristine aldehydes, and a fresh, not overly sharp modicum of green. Hours after applying the perfume, I still feel squeaky clean. This is truly a soapy floral experience that even evokes memories of white dial soap--which for me is a good a thing!

Like other classic floral aldehydes, WHITE LINEN should be applied sparingly and savored for its conferral upon the wearer of an astonishing degree of lucidity. There can be no doubt that WHITE LINEN participates in the Platonic Form of Perfume and may even bring us closer to enlightenment: the Form of the Good.

When you find yourself surrounded by dirty, corrupt trogloydytes, just reach for WHITE LINEN and your perspective will surely change.

This scent is as the name implies-LINEN smelling to the very best of my description. Most will agree they pretty much matched this one rather close to what linen smells like after being laundered. Este is awsome anyway!!!!!!!

I have tried this one and all the new versions and i should say that this is the best one of them by far.
Complex, classy and long lasting.

Vile, not fresh-I deleted my negative review of "Pure White Linen", as I was actually reviewing this....

This is mean, not green, aldehyde-machine. Maybe it smells nice on somebody, but applying this on my wrist and bringing my nose too close takes me back to the days when I wrote off all perfume as synthetic, powdery, sharp stuff. Back before I discovered scents I like, I smelled a note I smell in this far too often when I smelled women's perfumes......I think I might like Beautiful more, and I don't like Beautiful at all.

I have been wearing White Linen since it first came out. Do not like the newer versions of it. This is my signature perfume. I receive compliments from friends and strangers, especially men how clean I smell. I'm trying other perfumes but this smells the best on me so far.

This is my one perfume that gives me a headache guaranteed.It is so strong and owerpowering!

i didn't try white linen until the mid 90's although it came out in the seventies. It suited me then, with a fresh, almost sharp edge. Now it is a memory fragrance. I haven't had any white linen for a while, and am thinking i might want to keep it in the mix. It still expresses a part of me!

Hardly anyone will be indifferent,fragrance that will delight you or will even be repulsive.
Eternal classic for me, without which I can hardly imagine my collection. Works well with my body chemistry,so fresh, clean, feminine and has a wide aura. Not the kind of scent for love at first sight, but once you get used,every day reveals something new, catch a fragrant note that you really like and attracts more and more. So fresh and tempting, very original and very retro, it could be a perfume from the 19.century, but also exciting in the 21st century. Beautiful scents with aldehydes, which many people consider old-fashioned.
Strange that I wear it frequently when I wear trousers, it seems that this is a perfume for emancipated women, although I do not like that phrase, but somehow the liberal, without the seductive pleasantness, or cheap coquetry. Often inspires me when I go to a meeting that is important to me, the less I use it in the evening by going out.
And I agree that maybe acts strongly, but this is only an illusion, in fact it's full of tenderness. The scent of woman who knows who she is and where to go, fragile and firm at the same time, freed from prejudices.
White Linen could appeal to those looking for Chanel No.5 because it really has that same feminine note that hides behind a clean, soapy topnotes with aldehydes, when overcome initial sharpness perfume reveals its femininity.

One of the few Estee Lauder scents I rather like. There is just something clean and crisp about it (perfect name). It can seem sharp at first but than it seems to balance itself. It's a unique scent that is best worn sparingly. Super long-lasting.

I use it now and again but very sparingly as it gives me a headache. I used to work with someone who must have drenched herself in it every day and I couldn't bear to be near her. Same headache I get from hyacinths when they are in a bowl in the same room as me!

My great aunt wore this since it came out in the 70s, it was her signature scent. It smelled so good on her. She passed away 3 years ago and I bought a bottle to remember her by. It smells just like her. I don't wear this one often, just when I feeling sentimental or homesick. It is kind of an "old lady" fragrance, but still nice!

I remember being very young girl of 13 meeting a lady of 22 in a little lobby of one of the TV stations in Moscow.I tried to look and act older, and I easily held the conversation without my vis-a-vis suspecting my real age.
I noticed a strange but irresistible scent of this young lady`s perfume - fresh yet sweet, with a hint of honeycombs.Still playing into my "adult" side, I tried to casually ask her about her perfume. She was very nice, told me it was White Linen and even showed me a little mini bottle she had in her elegant purse.But shortly after my question she looked at me and asked - may I ask your age?
Later when we became friendly, she told me that I had an absolute childish tone of voice when I asked about the name of her scent. I was so afraid that she will leave and I will never, ever know the name of it it must have reflected on my voice!
(I too have a scent I long to know again, but unfortunately I did not ask the name of it and it`s been haunting me for almost 20 years now!!!)
I still like it and consider it to be one of the best scents made by EL.It is a little bit harsh in the beginning, but later it develops into a beautiful youthful scent.You won`t regret knowing it.

I have this & used to love it, but my husband complains about it. He does like one of the newer versions of White Linen, but not the one I liked. I can't remember which is which anymore, so I just went a different way now.

my mom loves this perfume so i always buy it for her birthday, but honestly, it gives me a headache. with a name like "white linen" you expect something fresh and airy, but there's one sharp, heavy note that really keeps me from liking the scent. the lasting power is excellent though.

My Mom has this, and when she wears it, it gives me headaches.

My mother's fave. I like it too. Very fresh.

I can see why this one became a success at the end of the 70's. Sophia Grojsman remains faithfull to the rose that should reappear in some of her best creations. A lasting, warm perfume, perfect for the winter. However, I do find it a bit old fashioned for my taste.

I received this in a large gift set for my high school graduation. It is a scent you typically associate with older ladies;classy,refined,ladies. It brings back memories of very loved aunts and my grandmother who has passed. This is a beautiful,soft,warm scent.

I only wear the bath powder and I really love the fresh smell. It reminds me of hanging out clothes on the line. I love the texture & silkiness of the bath powder. I think the perfume to would be a bit too mature for me, but- my grandmother uses this EDT regularly and this scent is just heavenly on her. Absolutely fabulous on the right lady.