I’ve read so many magazine articles about the building blocks of the classic wardrobe. Usually the list includes a white, button-up blouse, a trench coat, a string of pearls, and a little black dress. Except for the little black dress, my dream basic wardrobe looks a lot different: try for starters 10 cotton sundresses from the 1950s, four 1940s suits, enough vintage cocktail dresses to last a few seasons in Monte Carlo, and an armload of dressing gowns. But I do believe in a basic wardrobe of fragrances. A type of fragrance I think everyone should have is a warm, spicy, slightly gourmand scent. If you haven’t yet filled this hole in your perfume collection, you might want to try Laura Mercier Minuit Enchanté.

Warm, spicy orientals are perfect when it’s cold out and you want a scent that will stand up to the season’s thick sweaters and woolen skirts. They blend well with roaring fireplaces, counteract the damp, musty smell of the bus on a rainy morning, and bloom on skin coddled by coats. Some orientals, like Chopard Casmir, are heavily gourmand and call for a light hand and a big personality. Others, like the brand new Natori, are more light and feminine. Minuit Enchanté takes a middle course…

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