There are literally thousands upon thousands of fragrances on the market – from celebrity scents, to the fragrances created by designer fashion houses to the good old perfumes that have been around for ages. But even with the major influx of new fragrances every year, the older, classic scents are still the most popular.
What do we mean by classic? Well, Chanel No. 5 for example, is one of the best-selling fragrances of all time, and it’s been around since 1921! Filled with neroli and ylang ylang, this scent was famously given the number “5” as Chanel approved it on the perfumer’s fifth attempt.
Did you grow up smelling Opium by Yves Saint Laurent in your mother’s room? It’s been a firm favourite since its release in 1977. Guerlain Shalimar is still a popular choice today, and it was first released in 1925.
So why do we keep returning to these old scents? Partly because they take us on a trip down memory lane. Many of our mothers and grandmothers wore scents like Chanel No. 5, and when we smell it today, we are reminded of our childhood, and of them. Studies have shown that we link smells to emotion, so not only do they bring back happy memories, but they also make us feel happier.
Feeling the recession? During difficult financial times, we are more likely to stick to products we know, and associate with good quality, rather than to experiment with new products we’re unfamiliar with. Plus, as consumers we associate age with prestige. Think about the last advert you saw for jewellery, watches, sunglasses or cars… The most prestigious brands (think the Cartier’s and Rolex’s of the world) are proud of their heritage, and often refer to the brand’s age in ad campaigns. After all, if it’s been around for that long, it must be good, right!
Our final thought? Long ago, fragrances were designed to smell feminine and beautiful. Instead of creating bold, unusual or eccentric scents, perfumers used the limited technology and resources they had to create something that would appeal to as many women as possible. Because these scents are simple and still around, they never date, and we know we can turn to them, no matter what the occasion.
What is your favourite classic fragrance, Beauties?
Other articles you may be interested in:
Our top five fragrance balms
The story of perfume
Your perfume personality
How to wear perfume
Fragrances for different ages
29 Responses
I love to try new fragrances, but I always have both Chanel No. 5 and Opium as part of my fragrance collection. Very different fragrances, yet each has become part of my life and if given the choice between taking ONLY one of those two and – for example – Jimmy Choo’s ‘Flash’ fragrance (LOL, difficult choice, I know) with me to a desert island, I fear that the classic fragrances will win (and I love Jimmy Choo’s Flash)!! Oldies, but goodies!
Chanel does it for me, I always go back to it after experimenting.
My moms favorite has to be Panache. I’m not sure how old it is but she had me and my sisters hooked, now I’m more of a DKNY kind of girl!
Guerlain’s Shalimar is stunning….still! I am still experimenting…so many lovely fragrances out there.
This is a fantastic article, thank you for sharing it with us!
My mother still has an untouched bottle of Opium, when I smell it I automatically think of her. She is also fond of Exclamation by Coty and while I am not a fan, I find it too sweet, that smell also reminds me of her. It is true that we associate smell with memories.
Guerlain Shalimar wins hands down as my classic fragrance
My mom loved Exclamation by Coty. I still need to figure out my favourite because I always change my mind.
Old scents are a classic as we grew up smelling these from our grandmothers to mothers. I agree some scents do remind us of the people that wore them so we keep wearing them or something similar.
Definitely Chanel no 5!!!!!!