People often joke that Father's Day is a Mother's Day nobody cares about, but that doesn't necessarily have to be true; sometimes, giving your dad a memorable celebration can be as simple as pulling together a barbecue or throwing back some drinks while parked in front of the telly. That being said, dads deserve a bit of luxury too, and those in search of a long-lasting present that tailors to your own father can step away from the artisanal shaving set or Fitbit that Dad will never use.
Take it from a man—luxury watches can be nice and a bottle of whiskey is always welcome, but nothing elevates the spirit like having a signature scent that matches who you are. Picking out the right cologne involves understanding your father figure and pairing him with notes he would appreciate; there isn't a lot of diversity in choices, but there definitely are enough options to pick the wrong scent. From gruff outdoorsmen to the suited businessman, there's a logic to diagnosing the best fragrance for the man in question, and before you plunge blindly into the nearest luxury store, we've come up with a guide to your strongest options in the market right now.
Contemporary stereotypes of fathers range from the dad joke-specialists to the overprotective saviour, but either way, musk is best saved for those who see themselves as conventionally masculine. Naturally derived musk is wildly different when influenced by different levels of body heat, and overheated men with understated personalities are easily taken over by a powerful musk—in short, don’t buy musk-based scents for men who don’t like colognes to begin with. What any successful fragrance needs is a bracing top note that will anchor the scent onto your father’s personality, or at least an undertone of a quieter note to keep headaches away from the wearer. Etat Libre d’Orange’s Tom of Finland ($102) is a masterclass in effortless seduction by cutting through leather and musk with pepper and lemon, while Cartier’s Pasha Édition Noire ($129) delivers a much more sedate amber balanced with mint and an intermediate cedar.
