D.S. & Durga/Ralph Lauren/Brett Johnson
Clothes and fragrances have always shared a strong bond—and not just because the brands that craft the best menswear tend to produce stellar colognes. These invisible accessories add a sensory dimension to every outfit, often doubling as an extra dose of confidence.
But recently, companies large and small have examined this dynamic more literally, creating scents that evoke individual garments, materials, and ideas associated with style. Take the verdant Monsieur Chic from designer Brett Johnson’s debut trio of parfums, named after a running joke his late wife, Sarah, would deploy when he got dressed up for date nights. “She always said, ‘You think you’re too fucking chic,’’’ he recalls with a laugh.
Most of these new scents wear such sartorial inspiration lightly—but Ralph Lauren’s latest might make you want to don a tie. Called Ralph’s Club New York, it conjures images of a members-only boîte with a polished dress code. Asked what he’d wear to such a club if it were ever built, the scent’s spokesman, Usher, tells Robb Report, “I’m willing to put on a suit for that.” Here, a few other new fragrances that might make you think twice about what you’re wearing.
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Grey Blazer, D.S. & Durga
Image Credit: D.S. & Durga For the base of this cheeky homage to corporate life in the late 1990s and early aughts, David Seth Moltz concocted a virgin-wool accord from “sandalwood, peach, and parsley.” Here, it’s blended with green spices, tea, and musk for a result that goes from office to evening. $210 for 50 ml
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The Cut, Penhaligon’s
Image Credit: Penhaligon’s
Don’t let the Q4 tweed on the label fool you. Perfumer Paul Guerlain crafted this fresh, arboreal scent to honor the seasonless heritage of Savile Row. “Wearing something made-to-measure brings a sense of confidence and ease,” he says—a feeling he replicated with mint, basil, cedarwood, and vetiver. $250 for 100 ml -
Ralph’s Club New York, Ralph Lauren
Image Credit: Ralph Lauren With a bright burst of black currant and citrus zest, this celebratory scent channels a well-mixed cocktail—which may explain why its bottle looks like a flask from the Prohibition era. It dries into a confident, masculine mix of oakmoss and balsam fir. $135 for 110 ml
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Monsieur Chic, Brett Johnson
Image Credit: Brett Johnson With its elegant, easy-to-wear combination of cardamom, cedar, and patchouli, this fragrance may encourage people to lean in for a second whiff. “Each time I wore it, [she] would always give me a look that I had never seen before,” Johnson says of his wife, who created the formulas with him. About $300 for 100 ml
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