Old School, New Cool: 10 Classic Men's Scents Making a Comeback

Sometimes it's a good thing to be stuck in the past. At least, when it comes to fragrances. Hundreds of new fragrances come out every year, and many of them are brilliantly innovative, pushing the boundaries of what a modern scent can smell like. The world of men's fragrances, especially, seems to be blurring and expanding in the most exciting way possible. However... sometimes it is nice to stick to the classics.

A good fragrance has a timeless appeal, and can be popular for decades on end: we've chosen 10 fragrances that have been around for a long time that we think are about to make a comeback this year.

In 1985, Calvin Klein launched Obsession, its first truly blockbuster fragrance, and it became so successful that the brand launched the men's version just a year later. With its intensity and warmth, it became a defining scent of the 1980s.

Spicy, sweet warmth lead this, with notes of cinnamon and myrrh, so it definitely isn't a scent to be worn in the daytime. Ironically, an individual bottle of Obsession also ages very well, darkening and becoming smoother over time.

On the complete other end of the spectrum, we think the time for Davidoff's Cool Water has finally come back around. For some, this distinct scent never went out of style: it's affordable, has mass appeal and a timelessly clean smell that blends sea water, mint and lavender.

As far as aquatic fragrances go, it's one of the most iconic in history, and has had a lasting nostalgic appeal for good reason.

Similarly fresh in nature, Acqua Di Gio perhaps doesn't feel as vintage as some of the other scents in this selection, likely because its popularity has been pretty consistent since it launched. It never really dropped off.

It's a classic citrus scent that mixes marine notes with bergamot, jasmine, cedarwood and rosemary, before settling into a musky base. Traditionally masculine, but light enough to be gentle, it's the perfect mass-market fragrance for men.

On the more citrussy side, Issey Miyake's legendary L'Eau D'Issey Pour Homme has been pretty consistently popular since its launch in 1994. It's woody and fresh but characterized by the bold, bright and juicy yuzu note that opens it. It's bitter, but quiet. An icon of the 1990s.

Though Givenchy's beloved Gentleman fragrance has been reworked and reformulated many times over the years, the house has since reissued the original DNA as 'Givenchy Gentleman Original'.

More for the evenings than the daytime, it's a classy, spicy patchouli-forward scent, a sophisticated mix of tarragon, vetiver and leather. It's a little heavy for the sunshine, but definitely one you could get away with at a nighttime summer party.

A distinctive scent in a bottle that's become an icon in its own right. Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male is, has been, and always will be, the perfect gateway fragrance for men looking to try something a little more experimental with their scents.

Mint at the opening, a soapy lavender at the heart and vanilla at the base. It's an aromatic and inviting fragrance that sweetens and warms as it dries down; perhaps one to wear during the afternoon into the evening.

Maybe this one's cheating a little – Dolce & Gabbana's Light Blue has been a major success since it launched in 2007, but a couple of years ago the scent was reformulated and it's better than ever.

A zesty Sicilian lemon gives this a fresh opening, before it mellows into a sweet and soft patchouli and rosemary. Summer in a bottle.

If you could bottle up 1990s minimalism and transform it into a simple, unisex scent, CK One would be the result. Stories of couples fighting over a single bottle shared between them are legendary.

Refreshing with bergamot and violet at the top and heat, before settling into a gently musky and ambery base, you can't get a scent more emblematic of the '90s, yet still wearable today, as this.

Launched in 1994, Versace Blue Jeans was long the face of affordable, accessible aromatic fragrances for men. It's a little bit of everything: a bit sweet, a bit spicy and a bit woody. Actually, it's a classic masculine fresh and green fragrance, swirling through bergamot, juniper, lavender, rose and geranium before softening into a sweet base. Some love it, some hate it – but no one can deny that it's a classic.

Floris' fragrances are quintessentially British, but perhaps not quite as universally known as some of the other nostalgic scents that we picked out. That being said, if you know you know. And Ian Fleming, the writer of the James Bond series did – he was known to be a big fan of No. 89.

This story originally appeared on Esquire.com/uk. Minor edits have been made by the Esquiremag.ph editors.

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