The Fragrance Hierarchy: Designer, Drugstore, Niche, & More!

Have you ever heard of the fragrance hierarchy or considered the impact it could have on your fragrance purchases? The hierarchy of fragrances is an effort to categorize scents based on brand position, exclusivity, ingredient quality, and price range.

Ideally, the fragrance hierarchy helps consumers understand what to expect when selecting a fragrance.

Pyramid Position Doesn’t Equal Good Value

We want to be clear: where a fragrance falls on this hierarchy doesn’t necessarily reflect its quality—that will vary from person to person. You can find a good fragrance at any price point or position on the pyramid, provided that it does what you need and suits your style.

Our Expanded Fragrance Hierarchy

Bootleg

We’ll start with one place you never want to buy fragrances from—off of a blanket spread in a public square or down a dark alleyway. Yes, we’re talking about bootlegs.

Bootleg Fragrance Can Be Dangerous in Many Ways

Bootlegs are fake versions of a fragrance, illegally marketed as the real thing, and should be avoided at all costs. By definition, the person selling you a bootleg is lying to you by misrepresenting the maker of a product. So, you cannot trust the quality of the fragrance. They are often cheaply made and have ingredients that don’t function well or could even harm your skin.

Additionally, bootleg fragrance operations are commonly used to finance organized crime. Similarly, avoid buying any products sold suspiciously because even if they’re real, they could be stolen.

Drugstore

Drugstores are a good place to discover an array of different scents, all at very reasonable prices. Because these fragrances are more affordable, they allow you to experiment with different scent types and varieties to see how they interact with your natural musk.

Drugstore Fragrances Can Be An Extremely Economical Choice

And if you find a drugstore scent you like, you can use it as your daily fragrance, saving the higher-end options for special occasions. Many fragrance devotees swear by drugstores, and certain products have developed a cult following. Due to the limiting factor of price, drugstore-tier fragrances usually won’t have the diversity of fragrance types, unique, rare scents, or the lasting power of higher-end products.

So, they rely on more common synthetic ingredients and lower aromatic concentrations to stay at their price point. Some typical examples of drugstore-level fragrances include Jovan Musk, Florida Water, and Old Spice.

Examples of Drugstore-Level Fragrances

Not All Drugstore Fragrances Are Technically “Fragrances”

It is worth noting that some drugstore-category fragrances are technically aftershave balms and lotions, which are not conventional fragrances, but they work just fine when it comes to smelling great. They were the scent many men wore during the Golden Age of Menswear.

Preston, for example, has many positive associations with the classic Ice Blue Aqua Velva aftershave balm and occasionally still enjoys wearing it as a conventional fragrance.

Drugstores can also carry higher-tier fragrances, like our next category: Celebrity.

Branded (Celebrity)

Celebrity-tier fragrances in the hierarchy are named as such because they usually rely heavily on branding and name recognition as part of their sales pitch.

Basically, the selling point is the celebrity and not necessarily the quality or the value of the fragrance. Most of these fragrances are individually endorsed by celebrities or famous icons and accordingly bear their names. Common examples include Michael Jordan, Intimately Beckham, and 007 by James Bond.

Branded Fragrances Can Be Hit or Miss

Celebrity-tier fragrances can be very hit or miss, as the focus is more on the celebrity than the fragrance itself. Sometimes, these products have the same or even lower quality standards as drugstore-tier fragrances, yet they come with a higher price tag due to the celebrity association. And even when higher-quality ingredients are employed, they are usually at lower concentrations, like eau de cologne, resulting in reduced longevity and sillage.

That being said, like drugstore tier, there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with celebrity fragrances as long as you feel you’re getting genuine value from the product.

Fashion House

Another category of branded fragrances is the Fashion House or designer level in the fragrance hierarchy. These fragrances are created by companies that were not originally known for fragrances but have expanded into the market. Think of fragrances by Giorgio Armani, such as Acqua Di Gio and Si (both of which Eb likes!), Burberry, and Versace, whose Blue Jeans is a favorite of Jack’s.

Because fashion houses and designer labels have reputations to maintain, they often use higher-quality ingredients, greater aromatic concentrations, and generally higher production standards compared to drugstore or celebrity fragrances.

Many Fashion Houses Have Developed Positive Reputations as Fragrance Houses

Some brands, like Tom Ford or Mont Blanc, have thoroughly developed and cultivated the fragrance divisions of their companies and established solid reputations in the scent community. Of course, some companies at this level also trade largely on their name recognition and sell fragrances at inflated prices that don’t represent good value, so it all depends on the company and what works for you.

As always, don’t let brand names alone determine your fragrance purchases or any product decisions, for that matter.

Department Store

When it comes to department stores, we can’t attribute a discrete tier ranking to this level because it encompasses fragrances from nearly every tier we’ve discussed so far. Higher-end department stores can carry products all the way up to the top tier level of the fragrance hierarchy, becoming a source of a truly impressive range of scents at different price points.

However, department stores can also act as a graveyard for fragrances whose time in the limelight has passed. Of course, there’s a big difference between stores like Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue, so the fragrance selection at your local department store will vary based on the store’s prestige and target audience.

Fragrance House

Fragrance houses are companies known primarily for making fragrances. While they may have branched out into other products, their main focus is crafting scents. As dedicated fragrance makers, these companies tend to use higher-quality ingredients and carefully chosen aromatic concentrations. They maintain extensive libraries of interesting and unique fragrances designed for different seasons, occasions, and levels of formality.

Fragrance houses are more likely to provide detailed information about their products than just listing fragrance notes. They often share insights into their production processes and the creative rationale behind each fragrance, which can help you, the consumer, make informed decisions.

Fragrance Houses Offer a Variety of Paired Scented Products

Many of these companies also offer iconic scents in various forms, such as soaps, body washes, shampoos, and even room diffuser oils. This is especially useful if you like to avoid scent confusion and prefer consistent fragrances across your products. But don’t think everything you own has to match perfectly; scent layering allows you to combine different fragrances harmoniously.

Examples of Fragrance Houses

Brands like Ortigia Sicilia, Diptyque, and Jo Malone are good examples of the Fragrance House category.

Still, just because a company focuses on fragrances doesn’t automatically mean their products are worth the higher prices. Remember: being expensive doesn’t make a product great; being of great value makes a product great, with a cost that justifies the product.

Artisanal

In the conventional fragrance hierarchy, what we refer to as the Fashion House tier is called Niche because these companies are in a particular niche of fragrances. Now, we prefer, however, to include one final tier that we call Artisanal, consisting of Niche within the tier of fragrance houses. Think of it as the crème de la crème.

Makers at this level consist of high-end companies that exclusively develop and sell niche fragrances for discerning clientele that love the rare and wonderful when it comes to olfactory experiences.

Artisinal Fragrances Have a High Cost But Often Present Good Value

Artisanal fragrances tend to be very expensive, but the best examples of companies at this tier do their best to prove that the cost is worth it. These companies offer carefully curated selections of rare and exotic scents, unique twists on classics, and an unparalleled wearing experience, thanks to their use of the finest ingredients carefully combined in skillful melodies with minutely controlled duration and sillage.

Conversely, the worst examples at this tier trade on their reputation and legacies to justify exorbitant prices. They count on consumers assuming, “If it’s this expensive, it must be good.” But remember, while quality often has a price, price does not always equate to quality. This principle also applies even at the top tier of the fragrance hierarchy.

Defining Artisinal Niche Fragrance Houses: Some Companies to Consider

We understand people can have different definitions of what can make a fragrance house truly artisanal. However, some notable examples we would suggest include Roberto Ugolini, Creed, and Clive Christian.

Keep in mind, though, that this rarefied tier isn’t for everyone, and we’re not saying this level is automatically the best just because it is the most expensive.

We’re just saying that this space on the fragrance hierarchy is defined by companies that choose to set themselves apart by catering only to very particular clients. But not being one of these clients doesn’t mean you don’t appreciate fragrances, don’t value quality, or don’t smell good—it just means that fragrances at this tier aren’t for you. That’s why we have a whole hierarchy from which to choose.

Conclusion

Exceptional fragrances can be found anywhere on the fragrance hierarchy, and members of Gentleman’s Gazette wear drugstore brands with the same discernment as artisanal ones. We understand that the fragrance hierarchy is a tool intended to help you make informed decisions as you shop for products that suit your needs, budget, and lifestyle.

Let us know in the comments at which level on the fragrance hierarchy you like to shop, or if you prefer to employ different tiers.

And on the sartorial content hierarchy, we hope you’ll rank today’s article in the artisanal category!