At a sleek launch event in New York, industry insiders gather around testing strips of a new fragrance—a complex blend of smoky vetiver, crisp bergamot, and warm amber. The room buzzes with appreciation, discussions of sillage and dry-down. No one asks the question that would have been inevitable a decade ago: "But is it for men or women?"
This scene, playing out increasingly across the fragrance world, represents a quiet revolution. Traditional gender boundaries in perfumery—those rigid delineations between "masculine" fougères and "feminine" florals—are dissolving like top notes in summer air.
The Scent of Freedom
The modern fragrance landscape barely resembles the pink-and-blue divided counters of department stores past. Today's most innovative perfume houses are championing scents that exist beyond the binary, creations that speak to the individual rather than to notions of masculinity or femininity.
Perfumer Linda Sivrican of Capsule Parfums puts it simply: "Scent doesn't have gender. It never did. It was marketing that created those distinctions."
Indeed, the historical record supports this view. The concept of gendered fragrance is relatively recent—emerging primarily in the early 20th century as brands sought to segment markets and boost sales. Before that pivot, perfume was perfume, appreciated for its complexity and character rather than its perceived gender alignment.
Breaking the Bottle
The current unisex fragrance movement isn't merely about marketing neutrality—it's about consciously rejecting unnecessary limitations. Brands like Le Labo, Byredo, Parfums Les Vides Anges and D.S. & Durga have built their identities around scents that refuse categorization, presented in minimalist bottles that quietly rebuke traditional gender signifiers.
"What's interesting isn't that we're creating 'unisex' fragrances," notes Ben Gorham, founder of Byredo. "It's that we never considered gender in the first place. The fragrance itself—its story, its emotional resonance—that's what matters."
This philosophy resonates with younger consumers especially, who increasingly view prescribed gender roles as antiquated constraints rather than natural divisions. For Gen Z and millennials, the freedom to choose scents based purely on personal preference rather than societal expectation represents a small but significant liberation.
Chemical Attraction
The industry shift toward genderless fragrances also reflects a deeper understanding of how scent actually works. The chemistry of attraction is fantastically complex, influenced by individual body chemistry, personal history, and cultural context far more than by adherence to gendered fragrance families.
Dr. Avery Gilbert, sensory psychologist and author of "What the Nose Knows," explains: "The idea that certain scents are inherently masculine or feminine is pure cultural construction. There's nothing intrinsically 'manly' about sandalwood or 'womanly' about jasmine. These associations are learned, not innate."
This understanding has freed perfumers to create more nuanced compositions. Today's standout scents often feature unexpected combinations that would have been considered transgressive just years ago—florals darkened with leather, sweet gourmands cut with smoke and spice.
Beyond the Binary
The rise of genderless perfumery parallels broader cultural shifts around gender expression. As society increasingly recognizes gender as a spectrum rather than a binary, these fragrances offer a small but tangible way to express that fluidity.
"Choosing a fragrance based on personal preference rather than gender expectation is a quiet act of authenticity," observes culture writer Jacob Gallagher. "It's about saying, 'This is what pleases me' rather than 'This is what someone like me should wear.'"
This movement toward authenticity extends beyond the bottle. Many fragrance houses now present their scents on models spanning the gender spectrum, or simply focus on the fragrance itself, letting the scent story take center stage rather than the gendered body wearing it.
The Future Smells Different
As we move deeper into this new era of fragrance, the question isn't whether genderless perfumery will continue to grow—it's whether gendered fragrance as a concept will eventually disappear entirely.
The answer likely lies somewhere in between. While the rigid gender distinctions of the past are fading, personal identity—including gender identity—remains an important facet of how we express ourselves. What's emerging isn't the absence of gender in fragrance, but rather the freedom to engage with it on one's own terms.
In the end, that may be the most revolutionary aspect of all—not that we've created a new category of "unisex" fragrances, but that we're slowly returning to a world where fragrance is simply fragrance, chosen not because of who we're supposed to be, but because of who we actually are.
