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Generational Gap

post #1 of 6
9/28/07 at 11:11am
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Is it just me, or does it seem like there's a gap of appropriate fragrances for women between 25-35? There are a fair number of mainstream fragrances my friends wear-- almost all seem to have gone through a Lovely phase-- but many of the niche fragrances seem to cater to the heady, uncomplicated sweet scents a very young woman might like or the heavier, very rich and deep more mature scents? Perhaps it's because I'm wary of the gourmand fragrances-- many too sweet-- and that's the trend for my age? I don't know....
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post #2 of 6
9/28/07 at 2:08pm
I don't think it's an "age" thing or a "generaltional" thing. I think it has more to do with what's considered trendy or stylish at the time, and people thinking scent has to be the latest style. I'm 41 and many women my age and older were wearing Lovely when it first came out, too. I smelled it everywhere. And I had many teenage students who wore Angel, Prada, etc. It's hard for me to say, though, because in Southern California the culture stays very "youth" oriented. Women dress the same way as their teenage daughters and wear the same perfumes, etc. When I was growing up, in New York, you could guess reasonably a woman's age by her hairstyle and clothing, and certainly perfume. I think some of the "generation" differences are specific to some locales, maybe?
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post #3 of 6
9/28/07 at 3:53pm
I fall right in the middle of that age bracket and tend to shy away from most Gourmand fragrances as well - except for Angel.

For me, it's just a matter of taste and having to sniff a lot of fragrances to find the ones that are right for you.
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post #4 of 6
9/29/07 at 2:19am
I definitely think it has more to do with trends than age - although, age factors in from the point of view that something that was the 'latest' frag 20 or so years ago would be considered vintage to people in their 20s and 30s...so...there's an argument on both sides there. I always check out the new fragrances, but invariably I'm disappointed and tend to reach for my old favourites. And sometimes, I'll wear a frag I used to wear as a teenager and realise I've grown out of it, or it takes me back to a time I'd rather not remember for whatever reason. I love trying frags that are 'new to me' rather than just the 'latest' celebrity fragrance or whatever. But I'd never exclude trying one just because it's aligned to a celeb. One of my favourites is JLo Glow, and I hope they never discontinue that one, because it's become my daughter's signature fragrance. It's all about likes and dislikes really. And I'm waffling and talking utter nonsense, and my excuse is, it's early on a Saturday morning.
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post #5 of 6
9/29/07 at 3:53am
Clemmie and Tovah also make a very good case about trends. Certain fragrances really are of a time.

Think back to what you smelled in your environment in the 80s (I remember Giorgio and Obsession), 90s (spent too much time in college so I remember LOTS of patchouli oil and nag champa rather than Angel since no one I knew could afford it), and now (my environment went through a Cool Water phase, a Light Blue phase, a heavy vanilla phase (Jessica Simpson Dessert anyone?) and I'm now starting to smell fruity florals everywhere).

Like fashion, you have the choice of participating as each trend passes by. I'm with virgo and clemmie- what you decide to wear should be what makes you happy - trendy or not. Damn the "I wonder if this is appropriate for my age/lifestyle/haircolor etc." Heck - half of the fun (ok, for me MOST of the fun) is the adventure of trying stuff out.
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post #6 of 6
9/29/07 at 4:41am
This is a very interesting discussion. I thinks that the 25-35 is quite a big age span. I'm in my early 30s now and feel different, more mature than 5-6 years ago. I've certainly grown out of some fragrances I used to wear, but still there are moments when I want to wear Tommy Girl or something of the kind. Many 30 year olds are quite young, while others are definitely more mature women with a distinct sense of style. I'm sure that reflects in the choice of fragrances. So basically, I don't think that it is possible to label something as appropriate to that age group because it is difficult to define in the first place.
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