Somewhere along the way, fragrance became part of the project.

It was perfect timing. One of my longtime signature scents had been reformulated, so I was already on the hunt. And if I was going to look good, I might as well smell good too.

I started collecting scents the way I collected clothes. Different ones for different moods. Different ones for different “vibes.” Office. Date. Rainy day. Intellectual in a bookstore. Mysterious but approachable.

Niche fragrance houses are especially seductive because they carry the same lore as niche clothing brands. Small batch, concept-driven and artisanal. A perfume isn’t just a smell. It’s a narrative. It’s semiotics in vapor form.

To be fair though, some of it makes practical sense. Heavier scents feel better in cold weather. Citrusy notes carry in the heat. There are real sensory variables at play.

But I did not need almost 20 bottles to manage that.

What I really had was scent as identity management. If I wear this, I’ll feel sharper. Softer. More interesting. More something.

The shift occurred similarly to how it did with clothing. I noticed which ones I actually reached for. The soft, low-profile scents. The vanillas and the skin scents. A few clean citrusy ones.

The others were concept pieces. Beautiful and interesting, but very semiotic.

I ended up selling most of my collection on Mercari. I kept five.

Which I think is a good balance. Not minimal and not maximal. Just enough.