Pour Monsieur was created by Henri Robert, who succeeded Ernest Beaux as Chanel's perfumer in the 1950s. Chanel's history notes that it was the only men's fragrance launched during Gabrielle Chanel's lifetime.
The house describes it as a fresh chypre with top notes of lemon, spicy middle notes and a woody trail. It appeared in 1955, the same year as the quilted 2.55 handbag, shortly after Chanel reopened her couture house in 1954.
Robert later created N°19, launched in the 1970s and named after Chanel's birthday. Pour Monsieur was followed at Chanel by Antaeus (1981), Égoïste (1990), Allure Homme Sport (2004) and Bleu de Chanel (2010).