 The black tie dress code is one of the more prescriptive dress codes for men and if you really want to adhere to the rules, there's really not much room for personal expression. It's kind of designed that way. Everyone is supposed to look uniform and you could argue that it's a platform for the women to shine. So there are very few opportunities within black tie to add some personality and individual touches to your outfit. One of the ways you can do it, however, is through the fragrance you wear. I'm Brian Sakawa. You're watching He Spoke Style and today we are taking a look at my seven favorite black tie or formal fragrances for men. If you've watched some of my fragrance videos in the past, you know that I like to say that fragrance is the final detail of any outfit. It finishes it off, it pulls everything together, and it projects something about you. All the fragrances I've selected today are from my personal collection. So again, if you have seen some of my previous fragrance videos, some of these will be familiar to you already. There are certain criteria that I look for when it comes to a black tie or formal fragrance. I want it to be distinctive, elegant, elevated, intriguing, and intoxicating. As I said, when it comes to black tie, there's not a whole lot you can do in terms of the outfit to stand out. That's why in my opinion, your fragrance choice is so important. It can make you feel a certain way, it's a great conversation starter. That's why I like it to be distinctive and intriguing, and it can really make you stand out. Let's get to it now with my first pick. This is Creed's Spice and Wood. If you've seen the video where I go through everything I wore on my wedding day, you will know that this is the fragrance that I actually wore when Robin and I got married. It's classified as a woody, fresh fragrance, and on the Creed website, they call it unexpected and tenacious. Top notes are apple, bergamot, and lemon. Heart notes, angelic root, pink berries, vetiver, patchouli, cloves, pimento, and birch. Base notes are iris, cedarwood, oak moss, and tonkin musk. It's very elegant and masculine with a very airy quality to it. It's not overpowering, just kind of sits there, and you notice it without actually noticing it, if you know what I mean. It's got a very dry kind of feel and scent to it, which is why I chose it for my wedding day, because it was humid, and this was a really nice counterpoint to that. It's got a modest projection. I get anywhere from four to eight hours of longevity. It's a great year-round pick. You can never go wrong with it in a black tie situation. Creed's spice and wood. Next is honestly an all-time favorite, Tom Ford's oud fleur. It's so good, it's classy, it's elegant, and I would say kind of surprising. It's hard to pin down the notes here. We looked around, and the best we could find was from base notes. They have a huge list, including pimento, ginger, cardamom, rose, oud, sandalwood, patchouli, osmanthus, divana, date, cinnamon, leather, ambergris, castorium, incense, styrax, and cystus. Lot to digest there. What I can tell you is that what I smell primarily is the rose, first and foremost, oud, and from a distance you get the incense. There's almost like a mild, churchy kind of spicy quality to it. If you've ever been interested in rose fragrances, but maybe a little worried that they might seem too feminine, give this one a try. It's just so unique and sexy. Big projection, solid six to eight hours. This one is great in the spring and summer, though I could also see wearing it in the winter time as well. Next we have Danger, Parfum Cologne by Roger Parfum. Classified as an oriental, top notes are lemon, bergamot, lavender, and terragon. Heart notes, Lily of the Valley, Jasmine de Grasse, and violet. Bass notes include rhubarb, clove, patchouli, oakmoss, cedarwood, vanilla, tonka bean, leather, ambergris, and musk. Personally, I feel the top notes and the heart notes are a bit misleading. Bass notes, I think, speak more to the fragrance. It's got a very deep and sexy kind of scent, very masculine. Although this is a modern fragrance, I feel like it has a very transcendent quality to it. I would almost consider it an under the radar kind of modern classic. This is a really interesting fragrance because I think it's really big, but it's also subtle at the same time, which I think really adds to the overall sex appeal of it. It's perfect for a black tie event. This is one I would reserve for the fall or winter, and possibly early spring as well. Next, another favorite of mine, Nanban by Arquist. It's a woody oriental fragrance that is meant to evoke the exotic cargo in the hull of a 17th century ship, and that is honestly exactly how the notes for this one read. On the top, you've got Malabar black pepper, Persian saffron, black tiacord, and Chinese osmanthus. Heart notes, coffee absolute, Spanish leather, sandalwood, and myrrh. And bass notes, we have frankincense, styrax, copaibo balsam, and cade. It has a very churchy, incense-y quality to it from the frankincense. This is a very interesting, sensual, and seductive fragrance. Huge projection, very long-lasting, sexy, completely intoxicating, and statement-making. This is one you're going to want to reserve for the colder months. As soon as it gets crisp in the fall and throughout the winter, this is an absolutely amazing black tie option. Doing a bit of a 180 here as we move to Zinnia's Italian bergamot from the Essenze collection. Might be weird to think of putting a citrus fragrance in an elevated black tie category, but this is one, in my opinion, that absolutely belongs there. Let's get to the notes. Very simple. Top note of bergamot. Heart note is rosemary. And bass notes are neroli and vetiver. That's it. I think part of the reason this one works in an elevated setting is that the citrus is not overpowering. I feel like there's a really great balance between all the elements here. It's got a freshness plus a refinement and elegance to it, which makes it appropriate for wearing with a tuxedo as opposed to on a beach vacation or something. In my head, it kind of evokes scenes from To Catch a Thief with Kerry Grant and Grace Kelly. Very classy, moderate projection, much longer-lasting than you might expect from a citrus fragrance, would totally get you through an evening. Obviously, it bests in the spring and summer and would work perfectly for an outdoor event. And now, swinging a completely different way back again, we have Black Afgano by Nassimato. This is maybe one of the most intense fragrances I've ever smelled, so let's just get to the notes here. Top notes are cannabis and green notes. Heart notes are tobacco, woody notes and resin. And bass notes, frankincense and agarwood. I was introduced to this fragrance by one of the coolest guys I've ever met, Gianpaolo Alliata. Robin and I were visiting Milan and, of course, as a fan of all things sartorial, I wanted to stop in Al Bazar, which was where Gianpaolo was working at the time. So he had this fragrance on, and I could not help but ask him what it was and where he got it. So he pointed down the street and said, there's a little boutique down the street where you can grab it. I did, and this is like the third bottle I think I've had since then. So this is extremely sexy, but beware that it is extremely powerful. One spray is more than enough, huge projection. It will stay on your skin for a very long time and also your clothes, too, so just be aware. This will make a statement and people will talk. Finally, I wanted to throw in one that I included in my 10 most classic fragrances video, and that is Keneche 10, the Gentleman's Fragrance. Introduced in 1924 and considered very old school and very elegant. Notes for this one include lemon, bergamot, pettigrain, rosemary, geranium, rose, cedar, carnation, sandalwood, leather, musk, patchouli, and ambergris. Keneche 10 is light, it's elegant, it's very distinct, it's very different. This is not what I would call a modern masculine scent. It's kind of old school gentlemen. That's what it smells like. It's spicy, it's floral, it's got a little bit of citrus and some pepper. Drives down with a little bit of sweetness. It's not overpowering, it's subtle and elegant and it's distinctive. You don't smell things like this nowadays, which is why I think it's a really interesting choice for a black tie event. Links to all the fragrances mentioned in this video are down below in the description. Chime in in the comments with your favorite black tie fragrances. You know, I'm always looking for recommendations. Please give this video a thumbs up if you like my picks. Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell for notifications every time we publish a new video. Until next time, thanks for watching and stay tailored.