...and male fragrances suit the olfactory sense better in the long run than an average feminine floriental or a sweetish gourmand. I disagree with Greysolon: it is not that men have fewer fragrance options, and that cultural restraints prevent them to buy Chanel No.5 – they simply do not want to wear...

...Greysolon:Njdeb:I do agree that the woman = flowers, men = woods is just a manufactured dichotomy, but we were asked to make some kind of distinction between...

...Njdeb:I do agree that the woman = flowers, men = woods is just a manufactured dichotomy, but we were asked to make some kind of distinction between masculine and feminine in this thread. I wonder how others are making this distinction. Is it simply what you think smells good on you?I hope nobody minds a guy hijacking the thread for a moment. Njdeb, agreed. But if I might be so bold... it seems to me men have far fewer fragrance options than women because of cultural stereotyping and social norms. These constraints not only effect the variety and quantity of fragrance choices men have but the quality as well. I'm thinking largely of mass market fragrances in this regard.Looking at this in terms of fashion, the western world is very accustomed to seeing women in masculine styles of clothing. The same can't be said of men's clothing choices. We have what amounts to a selection of uniforms and the closest men's clothing comes to feminine are pastel colors and paisley prints.Extrapolating this to fragrances and returning to the topic of the thread, I can't imagine anyone having a problem with a woman wearing an overtly "masculine" fragrance. Even if someone noticed I don't think they'd give it a second thought, much less make assumptions about the woman wearing the fragrance. On the other side of the coin, I don't think men would find the same level of social acceptance wearing an overtly feminine scent. I would bet that many men and women taking notice of a man wearing a "women's" scent would see it as fragrance cross dressing. What's sad is that I find it difficult not to listen to the same self limiting voice in my own head when it comes to selecting fragrances for myself.The biggest floral I wear is L'Ombre dans l'Eau. I must admit, I wouldn't be surprised if one day someone asks if I've used my wife's perfume by mistake. I don't feel self conscious wearing it but I'm also aware of how it may be perceived by others. So I'll keep gently pushing the envelope little by little until I evolve more. In the mean time I'll be envious of my wife's selection of superior Chanel "feminine" fragrances, wish I could pull off #19 but settle for wearing her Sycamore and Cuir de Russie which are just masculine enough.