While a lot of attention goes to women and their choice of perfumes, they’re not the only ones donning themselves with artificial scents.
Men also wear cologne.
Like women, there are tons of both cheap and luxury cologne brands.
Since not all guys wear cologne, you may wonder why those who do wear it make that choice.
From not having time to shower to simply enjoying the scent, here are a few reasons men wear cologne.
Why Do Men Wear Cologne? (10 Reasons)
1. They Didn’t Shower
An unfortunate reason some men wear cologne is that they didn’t have time to shower that morning or night.
Like women, men sometimes have a slow start getting out of bed.
They also follow a grooming ritual.
Even if the ritual isn’t as thorough as some women’s rituals, it takes time to clean bodies, hair, and even facial hair.
If the individual doesn’t feel as though they have enough time to do that and still make it to their appointment on time, then they might choose to skip their shower.
However, they don’t want their bodies to smell unclean.
To cover any sort of musk or body odor, they might don some cologne instead.
In most cases, the scent of the cologne is usually stronger than any body odor they might be producing, especially if they also put on deodorant.
Men who don’t shower regularly might also choose to wear cologne to cover any sort of unpleasant smell.
If a man is wearing cologne, then there’s a chance it’s because they didn’t shower that morning.
2. They’re Covering The Smell Of After Shave
While some men might be covering the smell of body odor, others might be trying to cover the smell of after shave.
Because a lot of men grow facial hair, they have to trim it down if they want to stay clean-shaven or have a trimmed beard.
The rate of growth of facial hair is different for each man.
Some might need to shave daily while others can get away with going a few days before needing to shave.
Regardless, at some point, men who are looking to remove facial hair or trim it end up shaving.
The problem with shaving is that it can be harsh on the skin.
A way to cope with the unpleasant sting is to use after shave.
It helps reduce skin irritation and can even moisturize the skin to keep it healthy.
The problem with aftershave is that it carries a strong scent.
Sometimes the scent is pleasant, but most times, the scent is too strong to be enjoyable.
It might even cause a migraine for both the man and anyone around him.
A way to make that scent more bearable is to wear cologne.
The slightly more pleasant-smelling cologne helps reduce the chance of getting a migraine since it masks the unpleasant scent of the aftershave.
3. They Feel More Masculine
Other men might choose to wear cologne because it makes them feel masculine.
You’ll often find that cologne brands lean heavily on using scents that appear masculine.
For example, they’ll use ingredients like gunmetal, leather, wood, and others to give their cologne a “manly” smell.
These scents tend to define what a man should smell like.
When a man wants to feel more masculine, then he might wear a cologne based on the scent that makes him feel more masculine.
For example, if the scent of leather mixed with something else makes him feel more masculine, then he’ll want to wear it.
Feeling masculine can make some men feel great about themselves.
They might feel more comfortable in their skin.
They might feel more attractive.
They might even feel more confident.
Since those are all great feelings, it makes sense that some men would do what they could to feel that way all the time.
As such, they don the cologne.
4. They Want To Be Like The Cologne’s Branding
A lot of the reason some men wear cologne has to do with the expert way in which cologne brands itself.
Packaging is everything in the world of fragrances.
Advertisements further sell the idea of what your life could be like if you wore that specific cologne.
Commercials will display muscled men with perfect hair driving fast cars and catching the eye of some beautiful celebrity.
They’ll display solitary men who get their hands dirty.
They’ll show successful men making important business deals and increasing their wealth.
The message the brand sends is that if you wear their cologne, then you’ll be more attractive, successful, and manly.
Some men want to achieve those goals.
They’ll buy into the idea that if they buy that cologne, then they’ll have a greater chance of accomplishing those goals.
It comes back to the idea of dressing for the role that you want to have.
If you want to be an executive, for example, then you need to dress the way executives dress.
In the case of cologne, if you wear a certain fragrance, then you can become what the brand advertises.
Some men wear cologne because they want to be just like the guy on the label or in the commercials.
5. They Work In A Smelly Environment
Some men are also aware that they work in smelly environments.
They may choose to wear cologne as a way to keep that smell from wafting off of them.
Farmers, for example, work in smelly conditions.
Whether they’re in the fields or with livestock, there are a lot of unpleasant scents in both.
The fields carry the scent of fertilizer, for example.
Animals have their own odors.
If a farmer doesn’t want to stink up others or make his car or home smelly, then he might put on cologne.
It helps cover the unpleasant smells of his job.
Sanitation workers might also wear cologne.
If they have to work in a sewer all day, then they’re going to smell unpleasant.
They might wear cologne to cover that smell.
Garbage truck workers know very well that the smell of garbage and the landfill will likely stay with them in their clothes.
By wearing cologne, they can mask the smell.
Even someone who works in a stressful environment might end up smelling because they’re sweating a lot.
The cologne helps reduce the stink.
It allows them to spend time with others outside of work or go home without worrying about taking the scents of their work along with them.
6. They Want To Dress Up Or Appear Formal
One of the most common reasons that men wear cologne is that they want to appear formal.
For example, if they’re attending a job interview, then they want to make sure they look as though they’re taking the interview seriously.
They’ll don cologne as a way to tell the interviewer that they see the event as formal.
They’re dressing up for it as a way to express that they’re serious about the job.
Others might choose to wear cologne when having an evening out with their partner.
Whether they’re going to a fancy restaurant or not, by putting on the cologne, they’re essentially dressing up for the event.
They’re trying to tell their partner that they are taking the event seriously.
Putting on cologne is just another step in the grooming process.
Not a lot of men want to take that step if wearing cologne isn’t already a habit.
By putting in that extra effort, they’re telling others that they are dressing for a formal or important event.
7. They’re Looking To Gain Attention
If a man is on the prowl and looking for a date, then he might also wear cologne.
Cologne is essentially a way to set yourself apart from others.
On the dating scene, it’s important to bring attention to yourself in a non-arrogant way.
Women aren’t looking for arrogant men in most cases.
You have to attract them to you in other ways.
One way is to wear a pleasant cologne that isn’t overpowering.
If the scent enhances your own natural scent, it might make a woman take notice.
You stand out to her.
There’s a higher chance that you’ll leave the party or bar with a date on your arm.
Wearing cologne is a great way to bring attention to yourself in a non-obnoxious way.
The last thing you want to do is try to gain attention by being loud.
That usually doesn’t attract a lot of women.
Wearing the right cologne can help you instead.
Some men wear cologne because it helps them gain the attention of a woman they have an interest in.
8. To Set Themselves Apart
Wearing cologne can also set you apart from others.
Whether you’re at a party, an interview, or in a business meeting, if you’re wearing a certain scent, then you’re making yourself stand apart.
This is especially true if you’re wearing a scent that belongs to an expensive brand.
If you’re rubbing elbows with executives, for example, then there’s a good chance that they all wear expensive cologne, too.
They understand the importance of wearing a good fragrance.
If they smell a certain brand on you, they might approve of your taste.
You end up standing apart from the rest because of that taste.
The same goes for the dating scene.
If a woman knows her fragrances, then she might realize that you’re wearing an expensive scent.
It tells her that you’re someone who cares a great deal about your own grooming.
You take the extra time to take care of yourself.
She might appreciate that in a man.
As a result, you’re able to gain her attention.
You stand apart from the others who are either wearing cheap cologne or no cologne at all.
There’s also the fact that if you’re in a room full of men who aren’t wearing cologne, then you’re going to stand apart from them.
You’re the only one who smells good.
Some men wear cologne because they want to stand apart from the rest.
9. They Want To Impress Someone
Cologne is also a useful tool for impressing someone.
This is particularly true in business environments.
If you’re planning to make a deal with another company or talk partnerships, then your speech or presentation is only one part of your performance.
You also need to care for your appearance and grooming.
Wearing cologne is a way to sell the idea that you care about yourself.
If you care about yourself, then you likely also care about your company.
That gives the individual you’re attempting to partner with some confidence in you.
They recognize that you’re willing to put in some hard work.
They’ll be more impressed by someone wearing expensive cologne than someone who isn’t wearing cologne at all.
Of course, that comes down to the cologne as well.
If you wear a cologne that’s overpowering, then it can come off as though you are trying too hard.
You also do not want to go too cheap on your cologne.
Certain executives can smell a fake from miles off.
That said, some men wear cologne as a way to impress others.
10. They Like The Scent
Some men also choose to wear cologne because they simply enjoy the scent of it.
There’s a large selection of different fragrances.
Some might enjoy the smell of vanilla and smoke.
Others might like gunmetal and leather.
Whatever the particular scent is, if they like how it smells, then they might want it on their bodies.
They are not the only ones who might enjoy the smell either.
Their partner might also like the scent on them.
They might find the cologne an attractive quality about them.
As such, some men will wear cologne because either they or their partners enjoy the scent.
Conclusion
Cologne is a powerful tool that some men might use to create a certain impression about themselves.
The reasons above are some of the factors that some men consider when choosing whether to wear cologne or not.
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