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What cologne makes a man seem like a snob?

post #1 of 51
2/24/13 at 11:57am
Thread Starter 
Judging purely by smell, not reputation of the house or label.
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post #2 of 51
2/24/13 at 12:01pm
I don't think this question has any conceivable answer.
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post #3 of 51
2/24/13 at 12:12pm
Isn't everyone who wears Aventus a snob?
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post #4 of 51
2/24/13 at 12:18pm
Back in the day anything by Ralph Lauren was considered upscale preppy. I was in junior high school at the time and the polo shirts were $50 to $80 bucks apiece back in the 80's. I think that's about what they sell at today's prices so that'd be like paying $300 for a shirt today. Flare up the collar and you were GTG. The only thing you would be missing was the smell of Ralph Lauren which was POLO. If you looked the part and smelled the part there was no doubt about it that your parents had money. Ahhh...the memories..
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post #5 of 51
2/24/13 at 12:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by barclaydetolly View Post

I don't think this question has any conceivable answer.

Agree.
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post #6 of 51
2/24/13 at 12:35pm
Not one I can think of.
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post #7 of 51
2/24/13 at 12:41pm
Cannot think of any specific fragrance.
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post #8 of 51
2/24/13 at 12:45pm
Please read through the reviews of Blenheim Bouquet. I think you'll find that several of the reviewers address this idea.
I'm not sure I'd agree with them. I think that the historical background of Blenheim influences the way reviewers smell it. But that's a hard thing to prove. Blenheim is a very good fragrance by the way.
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post #9 of 51
2/24/13 at 1:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by barclaydetolly View Post

I don't think this question has any conceivable answer.

This.
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post #10 of 51
2/24/13 at 1:25pm
See #2

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post #11 of 51
2/24/13 at 1:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by barclaydetolly View Post

I don't think this question has any conceivable answer.

I actually think it does... buuuuuuuuut ...the answer will vary from person to person.

Wearing something that smells too upscale can come off as snobbish. It has nothing to do with the price of the scent though. Interlude Man by Amouage costs $280 a bottle. GIT can be had for closer to half of that price. I have samples of each and have been told by pretty much every one of my friends (not perfume heads, btw) that GIT smells either snobbish or conservative and that Interlude Man smells playful or weird, but in a good way. Keep in mind, I live in a very urban downtown and my friends are city dwellers too. Back when I lived in the deep south, GIT would have probably been a big hit there since folks tend to be conservative, and Interlude Man would have been miles over the top.

So... the answer to the original question is, you have to know your audience. For me, the answer is GIT. I don't think it smells snobbish, but I totally understand why my friends think it does.
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post #12 of 51
2/24/13 at 1:55pm
Chanel PM
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post #13 of 51
2/24/13 at 1:55pm
smelling like really expensive/exotic wood??? LOL
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post #14 of 51
2/24/13 at 2:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by barclaydetolly View Post

I don't think this question has any conceivable answer.

Depends on if you think people who: drive Bentley's, smoke cigars and drink wine that costs thousands of dollars, or in this case wear fragrances that costs more than some people's automobiles (Clive Christian), are snobs. I would say the likely hood is pretty good that they would be if they're full of themselves. So yes the question does have an answer, but to stereotype people is also wrong.
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post #15 of 51
2/24/13 at 2:29pm
You'd think that snobbery comes mostly from attitude and not scent. I mean, a person can smell like a million bucks, but once they open their mouth, it's then the association of snob or not starts.

At least that's my opinion.

But more than likely, if it's scent only then I'd say it's probably one of the more beloved scents that are touted here at BN for exclusivity or something another. Take your pick.
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post #16 of 51
2/24/13 at 2:52pm
Every cologne. And no cologne. Inceptioned!

The real answer is that being considered a snob is entirely subjective to others. In my opinion, I'd prefer that the people I know and love who know I like fragrances understand that my hobby comes from a position of appreciation and humility for this under-appreciated art, and not so much from a position of snobbiness. I couldn't give less of a fuck about people I don't know thinking I'm a snob.
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post #17 of 51
2/24/13 at 3:20pm
I don't know about snob, but I do know a big douche. I'm looking at you, Av***us.
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post #18 of 51
2/24/13 at 3:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by silentrich View Post

Depends on if you think people who: drive Bentley's, smoke cigars and drink wine that costs thousands of dollars, or in this case wear fragrances that costs more than some people's automobiles (Clive Christian), are snobs. I would say the likely hood is pretty good that they would be if they're full of themselves. So yes the question does have an answer, but to stereotype people is also wrong.

The op specifically said not to consider the house, just the smell. Clive Christian immediately sprang to mind for obvious reasons, but the op said to go by just the smell alone.

In each of your examples, you say that some people presume that that cost equals snobbiness, though that's a stereotype. But you don't know the cost without knowing the brand, which the op said not to consider.

I still think the original question has no answer. But if we're talking about whether I judge people, rightly or wrongly, as snobs based on the brand of cologne they wear (or even the specific cologne), that would have a longer response.
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post #19 of 51
2/24/13 at 3:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by barclaydetolly View Post

The op specifically said not to consider the house, just the smell. Clive Christian immediately sprang to mind for obvious reasons, but the op said to go by just the smell alone.

In each of your examples, you say that some people presume that that cost equals snobbiness, though that's a stereotype. But you don't know the cost without knowing the brand, which the op said not to consider.

I still think the original question has no answer. But if we're talking about whether I judge people, rightly or wrongly, as snobs based on the brand of cologne they wear (or even the specific cologne), that would have a longer response.

Lol..yeah I missed the part about the house and label and just read the title of the thread. I'll stick with my original answer of RL Polo because it reminds me of guys with flared collars driving 944 Porsche's, rich bitch high school girls driving VW convertibles, Ted Knight in Caddyshack, and what the inside of those country club locker rooms would smell like.
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post #20 of 51
2/24/13 at 3:53pm
Save in terms of examples which might change from moment to moment your question can't really be answered. How a fragrance actually smells and whether or not they like it is probably the least important element when it comes to whether or not a snobbish individual would desire it.
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post #21 of 51
2/24/13 at 4:51pm
A cologne by itself is not going to make anyone seem like a snob. Only a person's behavior, possessions, and attitude can do that. I suppose if this hypothetical snob wore a certain cologne all the time, those around him might associate that cologne with snobbishness. But that could be *any* cologne.
So, the question is sort of dumb, actually.
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post #22 of 51
2/24/13 at 5:20pm
I echo the sentiments that how the person acts and talks about fragrances make them a snob, not the fragrance itself.
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post #23 of 51
2/24/13 at 6:00pm
You lowly serfs are not worthy of my opinion.

Snobby enough?
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post #24 of 51
2/24/13 at 6:18pm
This is probably down to the perceptions and prejudices of the person smelling it/perceiving it as snobby, rather than any inherent characteristic of the scent.

Alternatively it may be because of the attitude of the wearer.
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post #25 of 51
2/24/13 at 6:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Incontinent View Post

Every cologne. And no cologne. Inceptioned!

A cologne within a cologne that is embedded deeply within the recesses of another cologne (the upside is that the third level cologne has a longevity of like 6 months).
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post #26 of 51
2/24/13 at 7:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Darjeeling View Post

This is probably down to the perceptions and prejudices of the person smelling it/perceiving it as snobby, rather than any inherent characteristic of the scent.

Absolutely. And it goes back to my comment about the importance of knowing your audience. Asking what scent makes a man seem like a snob is a lot like asking what clothes make a man seem like a snob. It's about giving off a vibe that says "I'm better than you" or maybe even "I look down on people like you." It all comes down to the perceptions and prejudices of the observer, not those of the wearer, but hopefully someone who is into perfumes is smart enough to know how different scents can lead to different perceptions.

Choose what fits the occasion. I wouldn't show up to poker night in a tuxedo. Likewise, I wouldn't wear a scent that is more formal or elegant than the occasion calls for (unless I were intentionally going overboard).

Granted, some people don't think about that stuff when choosing a scent to wear. Then again, we all know someone who doesn't think about what clothes they wear either. They wear whatever they like even if it doesn't look good or fit the occasion.
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post #27 of 51
2/25/13 at 12:06am
Snobbish smell is obviously a social construction. When enough people wear certain fragrance and acts snobbish - voilÃ* - that fragrance becomes snobbish. But to be honest, there isn't such fragrance: snobs can wear anything or nothing, so such social construction doesn't exist, atleast not world wide. For example teenagers are much more like-minded when it comes to choosing a fragrance, and also probably apply more liberally, so we have an idea what smells like a teenager.
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post #28 of 51
2/25/13 at 7:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by chili_willi View Post

A cologne within a cologne that is embedded deeply within the recesses of another cologne (the upside is that the third level cologne has a longevity of like 6 months).

Haha nice! Leo spins a bottle of Pure Malt to make sure he's not in a dream...
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post #29 of 51
2/25/13 at 7:49am
Smell itself is not snobbish. The snob is someone who wears something expensive/hyped and look down on others as well as behaving like Mr.Knowitall
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post #30 of 51
2/27/13 at 4:38am
Anything ever worn by anyone on this forum.

The 'one-up-manship' is quite staggering and THAT is my definition of a snob.

Even some people who haven't got a pot to piss in will lord it over others because they've spent £200 on a bottle of coloured water / alcohol / chemicals.

Get over yourselves, give your heads a wobble and rethink your priorities.

Boomshanka.

X
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post #31 of 51
2/27/13 at 5:58am
It's all in the person's mindset. Don't feel scents would give that impression.
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post #32 of 51
2/27/13 at 6:34am
Naming your first born son Aventus would qualify you as one LOL
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post #33 of 51
2/27/13 at 6:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigsteve View Post

A cologne by itself is not going to make anyone seem like a snob. Only a person's behavior, possessions, and attitude can do that. I suppose if this hypothetical snob wore a certain cologne all the time, those around him might associate that cologne with snobbishness. But that could be *any* cologne.
So, the question is sort of dumb, actually.

This^^.. Seem like a knob would have been better
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post #34 of 51
2/27/13 at 7:12am
Miss Balmain, Habit Rouge.
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post #35 of 51
2/27/13 at 7:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by RedRaider430 View Post

Isn't everyone who wears Aventus a snob?

It depends on the batch. If its batch number AU79065 then it's cool.
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post #36 of 51
2/27/13 at 9:02am
In principle, there's nothing that says wearing a certain fragrance couldn't make you come off as snobbish. It's all about scent memory.

The problem is that fragrances aren't, at least traditionally, segmented by class or attitude. If every snob for some reason used fragrance X and everyone else avoided it, then that scent would probably be associated with snobbishness after a while.

However, most people wear anything. So the only distinctions that seem to have any broader validity are masculine/feminine (because of historic gender marketing) and old/young (because the style of fragrances have changed over the years). Anything else is either purely personal experience (e.g. "this snob I knew always wore fragrance Y") or pure fabrication.
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post #37 of 51
2/27/13 at 9:35am
anyone wearing a fragrance with an outragious price tag over $200.00
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post #38 of 51
2/28/13 at 8:34pm
I personally find Marc from Robes08 to be a perfect example of a snob. No offence.
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post #39 of 51
2/28/13 at 9:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by silentrich View Post

Back in the day anything by Ralph Lauren was considered upscale preppy. I was in junior high school at the time and the polo shirts were $50 to $80 bucks apiece back in the 80's. I think that's about what they sell at today's prices so that'd be like paying $300 for a shirt today. Flare up the collar and you were GTG. The only thing you would be missing was the smell of Ralph Lauren which was POLO. If you looked the part and smelled the part there was no doubt about it that your parents had money. Ahhh...the memories..

Avoiding all the philosophical angles / societial discourse people are taking, RL Polo (at least at one time) would have come closest to being the answer to the question IMO.
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post #40 of 51
2/28/13 at 9:32pm
there's NO correlation between scent and snob
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post #41 of 51
2/28/13 at 9:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skyline View Post

I personally find Marc from Robes08 to be a perfect example of a snob. No offence.

Ohhhhh dang. Better lock your doors at night, buddy.
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post #42 of 51
2/28/13 at 9:50pm
I think that if you're wearing something that was blatantly not created to be a crowd pleaser, by smelling slightly off to the average schmo you're communicating that you're no mainstreamer and you have a more refined nose than others. I'd bet money that this has been JCE's game plan for years now.
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post #43 of 51
2/28/13 at 10:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by treeman5823 View Post

Ohhhhh dang. Better lock your doors at night, buddy.

Why? I live in Canada.
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post #44 of 51
2/28/13 at 10:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skyline View Post

Why? I live in Canada.

Marc lives in Canada, man. Seriously, he mentions this quite often in his videos.
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post #45 of 51
2/28/13 at 10:24pm
Almost anything when applied too heavily.
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post #46 of 51
2/28/13 at 10:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by treeman5823 View Post

Marc lives in Canada, man. Seriously, he mentions this quite often in his videos.

That doesn't change the fact that I will still leave my door unlocked lol.
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post #47 of 51
2/28/13 at 10:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Buzzlepuff View Post

Almost anything when applied too heavily.

I agree as long as its trendy
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post #48 of 51
2/28/13 at 10:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Buzzlepuff View Post

Almost anything when applied too heavily.

I agree as long as its trendy
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post #49 of 51
3/1/13 at 12:18am
Cut to the chase and just play the game; When I'm heading out to a stuffy affair, I can see reaching for Van Cleef & Arpels ph or Charles Street , all the while eyeing Gendarme.
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post #50 of 51
3/1/13 at 3:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skyline View Post

I personally find Marc from Robes08 to be a perfect example of a snob. No offence.

Why? If anything he seems to like rather not so great mainstream fragrances, e.g. Calvin Klein, a bit too much. Was just watching his 100 top designer frags video the other day.

Not trying to sound snobby lol.
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post #51 of 51
3/1/13 at 9:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rüssel View Post

Why? If anything he seems to like rather not so great mainstream fragrances, e.g. Calvin Klein, a bit too much. Was just watching his 100 top designer frags video the other day.

Not trying to sound snobby lol.

I agree, Marc is very much not a snob. Almost anti-snob. That's why I like him. No pretense, he has 500 bottles and Le Male is his favorite. Suck it up.
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