I Found the Cashmere Sweater of Fragrance—It’s Cozy, Chic, and Perfect for Fall

Key Notes: Lily of the Valley, Moroccan Jasmine, Sandalwood

A classic. An icon. A Legend. Donna Karan’s Cashmere Mist debuted in 1994. Ever since, it’s been the epitome of New York elegance. Interestingly, it doesn’t feature a specific note of “Cashmeran” or “cashmere woods,” both of which refer to a synthetic fragrance molecule that often lends this category its smooth, warm, and amber-like quality. Instead, it features a “satiny” blend of Moroccan jasmine, lily of the valley, and sandalwood. The latter gives it a creamy, cozy quality. I think my colleague and Who What Wear’s senior beauty editor, Jamie, put it best when she described it as “a warm hug in a bottle.”

Key Notes: Cashmeran, White Amber Crystals, Pepper

I could wear Fugazzi’s Angel Dust Eau de Parfum every day for the rest of my life, and that’s saying something, considering I’ve tested hundreds, if not thousands, of fragrances over my decade of tenure as a beauty editor. With notes of Cashmeran, white amber crystals, and black pepper, it’s equally warm, sheer, and spicy. It’s not cloying or overbearing. Instead, it has a chic, skin-like quality to it that diffuses into the air, leaving a subtle, stylish aura in my wake. I’m not the only one who’s obsessed with it. Who What Wear’s beauty director, Erin, is also a fervent fan. She can attest that this sultry scent is a total compliment magnet.

Key Notes: Sweet Violet, Palo Santo, Ambrox

If you prefer your cashmere sweaters extra fluffy and your dessert extra sweet, I suggest spritzing Glossier’s You Doux Eau de Parfum before stepping out the door. “Doux” means “soft” in French. As such, it evokes images of clouds, marshmallows, and spun sugar with a blend of sweet violet, palo santo, and ambrox (a warm, woody, and velvety note). However, don’t think it veers into juvenile or syrupy-sweet territory. Thanks to musky frankincense and smoky myrrh, it maintains an air of maturity and sophistication.

Key Notes: Aldehyde, peony, musks, cashmere wood

If you love the scent of clean laundry or freshly showered skin, let me introduce you to Byredo’s Blanche Absolu. A top note of aldehyde (a compound that mimics the scent of rainwater or crisp linen) gives it a light, sparkling freshness. Meanwhile, spicy black pepper, warm neroli, and a trio of classic florals (rose, violet, and jasmine) form the heart. It’s anchored by an indulgent base of white musk, ambroxan, and cashmere wood. To me, it smells like a loved one’s signature cashmere sweater, recently washed and folded neatly on a closet shelf.

Key Notes: Almond, Vanilla, Ambrette

Gourmand perfumes are hit or miss for me. The best ones use vanilla, almond, and other food-inspired notes to create a sophisticated and mouthwatering scent. Put simply, they give “beguiling” rather than “bakery.”

Phlur’s Cashmere Skin Hair & Body Mist is an all-time favorite. A delectable blend of vanilla, almond, and ambrette envelops the senses, creating a warm, creamy, and comforting aura. I rarely let a week pass without spritzing it into my hair. Since hair is more porous than skin, it hangs onto fragrance longer. I love catching the scent of cashmere when my hair blows in the breeze.

Key Notes: Vanilla milk musk, toasted coconut, passionflower, plumeria, cashmeran wood

I recently fell in love with Iggywoo, a fine fragrance brand that creates “storytelling” scents, AKA transportive perfumes that drop me into a specific scene, whether real or imagined, with a single sniff. This one, called Cashmere Show Pony, is one of my top picks. Not just a memorable moniker, this perfume is warm, alluring, and a unique take on a classic skin scent. It blends undulating notes of toasted coconut, passionflower, plumeria, and cashmeran wood. Sheer, slightly sweet, and almost animalic, it’s subtle and sexy all at once.

Key notes: Jasmine, orange blossom, musk, cashmeran, amber, patchouli.

Let me present a perfume that’s a total compliment magnet. Narciso Rodriguez’s For Her Pure Musc Eau de Parfum seems to be almost universally loved, judging by the sheer number of “You smell incredible!” remarks I hear when I wear it.

Floral notes (jasmine and orange blossom) mix with warm, grounding ones (musk, amber, and patchouli). Meanwhile, a base note of cashmeran wraps the scent in familiar warmth. In my humble opinion, it’s understated, stylish, and vastly underrated.

Key notes: Raspberry, rose, ambery woods, cashmeran

This perfume is well worth the designer price tag. It’s so good that we crowned it with a coveted Who What Wear 100 Beauty Award. In the words of Who What Wear’s associate beauty editor, Alyssa, “To walk past someone in Chloé L’Eau de Parfum Intense is to whip your head and wonder all day long what that mysterious stranger was wearing.” The raspberry, rose, and ambrette elixir rests on a subtle base of woody cashmeran, hence its timeless, impression-setting sophistication.

Key Notes: Cashmere wood, vanilla, bergamot

While cashmere wood might not receive top billing in this scent (that goes to santal), it’s easy to detect. Rich, creamy, and cozy, it melts into vanilla, bergamot, and velvet musk. It’s pretty much my ideal (expensive-smelling!) autumnal perfume, and I feel so chic pulling the amber-colored roll-on bottle out of my suede bag when it’s time to reapply.