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This placed has changed my tastes

So I used to wear sweet "modern" stuff like CK one etc.

Now what I love: OLD SCHOOL AND MANLY Like Tabac, Brut, Mennen, Rive Gauche, even a bit of Aramis for a fancy occassion.

Problem is Im only 25 and I'd rather not offend girls I date (20-27) by smelling "like an old man." But these are the fragrances I love - of course I want to smell like a man! I am one!

So I wear Givenche Pi and A*Men for dates - once I get to know the girl I let them in on my love for "old man" fragrances- my dirty little secret... :tongue_sm
 
Of course, you could always try to find one that likes the classic scents up front. They are out there. My wife likes the older scents better than the newer ones anyway. We're both in our 30's, so we're not that much older than you. Who knows, you might just come across the right young lady that hasn't had much exposure to the classics and loves the smell from the get go.
 
i've found that some chicks dig the brut (even the brut revolution). girls also seem to like burberry brit and ralph lauren polo black. i haven't tried the c.o. bigelow elixir black on them yet.

though my fiance likes it when i use aqua velva aftershave because it makes me smell like a "man". so everyone is going to have their own tastes (scents?).

oh and i forgot to add that both my fiance and i are 25.
 
im 21 and im always wearing these old men scents. tabac, brut, polo green etc.

nothing wrong with that!
 
funny story about this topic, i was visiting my aunt in israel, and my cousin (15 years old) was looking for a new cologne, and i picked up a bottle of aramis, he tried it, said it was ok, and then my aunt grabbed the bottle and said, no way he´s wearing that, he aint wearing that untill he can work and afford it for himself,
 
Im 27 and Ive found that some "classic" colognes are quite appealing to women in their 20's. Floris JF and Vetiver have both been really popular among the ladies.

Off topic but, have you ever noticed that when you hear a guy say "The Ladies" that you know there is A lady; let alone multiple ladies?
 
Still using training wheels? Disposable diapers? Find a scent that YOU like. Like the Great Man once said,"Women are like busses, they'll be another along in five minutes!".
 
lamaman3, this is phase most of us went through. I had practically given up wearing ANY colognes in my twenties. I could just never put my finger on it but I didn't really like too many of them. After I found the grooming forums a great many things became clearer to me. First of all, most of the designer colognes are made for just that reason; designer name recognition. Go through any fragrance department at a store and dare yourself to smell a really original scent. You will likely find as I did that since you have been tinkering with old school, real scents, that ninety percent of that other stuff now smells like sweet ocean water to you. I can barely stand any of it now. That's just me. There are many who like it and that is fine. It was just that once I got a good whiff of honest to goodness MEN'S colognes, I couldn't go back. They run the gamut from very reasonably priced like Taylor's to just as expensive as any designer stuff, ie; Penhaligon's. Just do this. Apply some of your old school colognes and let them dry down. Then grab your girlfriend, mom, aunt, or other female who feels comfortable sniffing your neck and ask them what they think. 90% of the time or better they will really like your old school stuff. Just don't tell them ahead of time. My wife loves my 1818 and Eucris. Not exactly jet set, 20 something cologne styles. Enjoy what you like. That is the key.

Regards, Todd
 
yeah its really personal choice. if you love say ralph lauren polo and your date doesn't you can try other things or you've got an excuse not to see her again "i don't like the way YOU smell!" just kidding. that probably would be bad and you wouldn't get a date again.
 
+100 million for wearing what you like. As long as they're not allergic or prone to get headaches etc from certain scents, I think SO's should just accept what you like. If they like it too, then it's a bonus. Never underestimate the confidence boost and mood lift a good cologne can give you - people are far more likely to notice a good attitude than a good scent.

As for the modern/old skool issue, there are a number of more masculine traditional scents which can cross over into more contemporary arenas...
Acqua di Parma, T&H (Clubman, Freshman, Trafalgar and 1805), Floris (near enough any, but I dig out No. 89 on special occaisions) and Trumper's (GFT especially) can all be appreciated as "modern" scents.


If all else fails - Old Spice. Even those women who think they don't like it can learn to love it!
 
lamaman3, this is phase most of us went through. I had practically given up wearing ANY colognes in my twenties. I could just never put my finger on it but I didn't really like too many of them. After I found the grooming forums a great many things became clearer to me. First of all, most of the designer colognes are made for just that reason; designer name recognition. Go through any fragrance department at a store and dare yourself to smell a really original scent. You will likely find as I did that since you have been tinkering with old school, real scents, that ninety percent of that other stuff now smells like sweet ocean water to you. I can barely stand any of it now. That's just me. There are many who like it and that is fine. It was just that once I got a good whiff of honest to goodness MEN'S colognes, I couldn't go back. They run the gamut from very reasonably priced like Taylor's to just as expensive as any designer stuff, ie; Penhaligon's. Just do this. Apply some of your old school colognes and let them dry down. Then grab your girlfriend, mom, aunt, or other female who feels comfortable sniffing your neck and ask them what they think. 90% of the time or better they will really like your old school stuff. Just don't tell them ahead of time. My wife loves my 1818 and Eucris. Not exactly jet set, 20 something cologne styles. Enjoy what you like. That is the key.

Regards, Todd

I could not agree with this post more. Those department store offerings all seem to smell the same after a while. No originality. And even more important . . use what YOU like. It's all about attitude with the fair sex. If you feel good about yourself and like the scent you're wearing and it fulfills your self image of yourself . . . then go with it, man. Trust your judgment. Keep the scent subtle and pretty soon you'll be getting some nice complements from your lady friends.
 
Agreed. Wear what you like and do so with confidence. If you're not confident wearing it, it will affect you and that the last thing you want, right?

So, my question is what do you really like? You've said you like old school scents -- no arguments here. I think you might want to pick up a copy of Perfumes: The Guide. It will give you an education on scents and there are a ton of reviews in it of many fragrances. It's a very good read. Once you have some point of reference, order some samples from The Perfumed Court and try some of the scents you're interested in. It will take some time, but I think you'll find scents you're happy with and can be confident wearing.
 
The only scent that smells like old man is any scent a man over 80 is wearing.

A guy in his 20's-30's wearing the classics smells like a guy in a classic scent, even if it's the same cologne her grandad wore.

Girls whose fathers and grandfathers wore Old Spice have asked me what I was wearing and where they could get some for their guy, and I was wearing Old Spice.

There is no such thing as bad words, too much bacon or old man colognes.
 
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The classic stuff is classic not because older guys use it. It's classic because it smells good and has passed the proverbial test of time. Good simply transends time.

Years ago I bought some Pinaud Clubman on a whim because I liked the old school fragrance. I was afraid of what my then girlfriend, now wife, would think. First whiff and she loved it.

So if you like it, wear it. Its a classic for a good reason.
 
Rive Gauche is not old. True, you may attract older women but that, IMO, is just a big plus.
Ahh, I can see the tagline now: "Rive Gauche: Because Cougars know."

Got to agree with the comments about old school scents; they really are the best. I generally wear Aramis or Polo Crest, but Pinaud is perhaps my #1 favorite. And I generally detest colognes; I used to sell them.
 
Ahh, I can see the tagline now: "Rive Gauche: Because Cougars know."

Got to agree with the comments about old school scents; they really are the best. I generally wear Aramis or Polo Crest, but Pinaud is perhaps my #1 favorite. And I generally detest colognes; I used to sell them.

Well I am not sure what a cougar is. But women of ages 28-35 (or so they say) find Rive Gauche specially attractive.
 
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