Perfume & Society: Fragrance and Femininity

Through a combination of historical analysis, sensory exploration, and cultural criticism, this course will unpack the complex interplay between fragrance, gender, and societal expectations in Western Europe and North America. 

In the early 20th Century, there was a seismic shift in women’s roles as they entered the workforce in unprecedented numbers. This period of social upheaval was accompanied by a transformation in fashion and beauty ideals, including fragrance. While the French perfume industry faced unprecedented challenges to resume production in the post-war period, the few fragrances that emerged became symbols of resilience, optimism, and a longing for a return to normalcy — bottling the hopes, fears, and aspirations of women at the time. 

From the austere war years to the glamorous allure of the 1950s and the sexual liberation of the 1960s, we will trace the evolution of perfume trends and their relationship to broader cultural and social shifts including:

• The role of perfume in the reconstruction of femininity after the war
• The relationship between economic prosperity and perfume consumption
• The counterculture movement and its challenge to traditional notions of femininity
• The rise of unisex fragrances and the blurring of gender lines in perfumery