“That smells like an old lady.” Nearly everyone who wears perfume has heard it said — and maybe even said it — at one time or another. Usually it’s said with disdain. It’s time to give it a rest, people.

First, let’s deal with the term “old lady.” Most older people I know Skype with their grandchildren, get involved with political movements, and plan trips to Turkey. Clearly, the idea of blue-haired ladies who sit around drinking sherry with the vicar is a thing of the past.

Some of you might rebut, “By ‘old lady’ I mean ‘old fashioned.’ You know, perfumes that were popular in the past.” Perfumes that were popular in the past include Guerlain Shalimar, Robert Piguet Fracas, Jean Patou Joy, Bourjois Evening in Paris, Prince Matchabelli Wind Song, Chanel No. 5 — you get the point. They’re diverse. If they’re old fashioned, then so is everything except laundry musk fragrances, aquatic fragrances, and fruity florals with patchouli…

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Kevin attached a note to a perfume sample he sent me this week. “Angie: this smells like a skunk eating a donut!” it said. Without Kevin’s suggestion, I might have simply written the perfume off as a funky orange blossom. Now I’ll never be able to smell this fragrance without picturing Pepé Le Pew tucking into a cruller.

Then there was Robin’s review of L’Artisan Parfumeur Nuit de Tubéreuse. She cannily pointed out a Juicy Fruit note in the fragrance. When I read the review, I already had a bottle of the fragrance and already loved it. But from then on I’ve never been able to shake the association with foil-wrapped strips of gum…

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