Seventies Scents

“Patchouli is back in a big way, as are aromatic herbs and green notes, all of which were key features of seventies scents,” says Persolaise. “They’re not retro clichés though: they’re lighter and more translucent than their seventies counterparts: their trousers aren’t quite as flared and their lapels not quite as wide.”

Notable examples are Bracken Man from Amouage, Él from Arquiste, L’Envol de Cartier from Cartier and Tom Ford’s recent green quartet of ‘Vert’ fragrances.

Also tapping the old-school gentlemanly vibe are Oliver Sweeney’s new lime, sage and oak moss combo Bosco Selvatico; Penhaligon’s The Tragedy of Lord George, which smells of brandy and shaving soap; and Floris’ 1962 – a retro mix of mandarin, jasmine and musk that captures a distinctly sixties Sean Connery-esque masculinity.

“There’s definitely a trend right now for woody, musky fougère fragrances with barbershop floral notes of lavender and jasmine, which [all] suggest elegance and confidence and hark back to a time of traditional values and etiquette, of chivalry and [an] elegant, sophisticated masculinity,” says Edward Bodenham, Floris’ perfumery director.

Perfect for grown-ups, these scents are also great for younger guys wanting to kick back against generic, mass-market fragrances laced with sweet, foodie notes or bitter aquatic ones.

Saffron

In the same way menswear homes in on a particular colour or cut each season, every now and then certain fragrance notes rise to prominence in perfumery. In recent years, everything from smoky oud to the piquant pink pepper have found themselves flavour (or smell) of the month.

But this autumn it’s saffron’s turn – often dubbed the King of Spices due to its scarcity and price. “Saffron is one of the most expensive of all perfumery ingredients but is worth its weight as it lends an incredibly elegant, warm spiciness to fragrances and provides a bridge between the fresh top notes and the more lingering base notes,” says Dove.