We're all about the nostalgia factor when it comes to fashion and beauty right now, which means pulling out our favorite trends from the last few decades and choosing fragrances to match. Even if you're not so much into the y2k style themes, you're almost definitely onboard with heritage fragrance brands.
Ready to take a trip back in time? Read on for all of our favorite heritage fragrance brands.
At a Glance: 10 Heritage Perfume Brands
| Brand | Founded | Known For |
|---|---|---|
| Chanel | 1910 | Iconic aldehydic florals |
| Creed | 1760 | Luxury natural ingredients |
| Guerlain | 1828 | The "Guerlinade" signature |
| Christian Dior | 1947 | Elegant femininity |
| Penhaligon's | 1860 | British bespoke perfumery |
| Caron | 1904 | Artful floral compositions |
| Floris | 1730 | Oldest English perfumer |
| Hermes | 1837 | Sophisticated, earthy elegance |
| Yves Saint Laurent | 1961 | Bold, rule-breaking scents |
| Jean Patou | 1925 | Joy, "the costliest perfume" |
CHANEL
There's a good reason why Chanel features so heavily in movies, TV series, and all other kinds of pop culture: it really is that influential. Chanel was founded by Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel, a visionary fashion designer who collaborated with Ernest Beaux, a French-Russian perfumer in 1921 to create her first fragrance: Chanel No. 5.
This iconic scent was the first perfume to use such a high concentration of aldehydes and has become world famous for its glamorous notes.
Best scents: Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel, Gabrielle by Chanel, Chance by Chanel
Creed
Creed is one of the most luxurious heritage perfume brands and is renowned for its classy scents and iconic bottles. Its long and prestigious history mostly focuses around creating fragrances for royalty and celebrities, and has a tradition of using natural and rare ingredients like ambergris, iris, jasmine, rose, and bergamot.
Creed also uses an ancient technique of infusion, which involves steeping the ingredients in alcohol for weeks or months to extract their essence. The result? A fragrance that's unmistakably Creed.
Best scents: Virgin Island Water by Creed, Green Irish Tweed by Creed, Love In White by Creed
Guerlain
Sure, Guerlain may have stepped into the fashion and beauty world. But we'll always adore the brand for its impact and influence on the fragrance world. Guerlain was a family-owned business for over 150 years and was led by four generations of master perfumers: Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain, Aimé Guerlain, Jacques Guerlain, and Jean-Paul Guerlain.
One of the oldest and most influential fragrance houses in the world, its legacy dates back almost two centuries. And, if you've ever heard of the "Guerlinade" note, this is where it originated. This secret blend of ingredients gives Guerlain's fragrances a recognizable signature and its harmonious balance, something you'll appreciate when breathing in the delicious notes of its top scents.
Best scents: Shalimar by Guerlain, Samsara by Guerlain, Mon Guerlain by Guerlain
Christian Dior
Christian Dior had a passion for perfume and wanted to create scents that would reflect his personality and vision. He launched his first fragrance, Miss Dior, in 1947, a scent that was inspired by his sister Catherine, who was a member of the French Resistance during World War II. Miss Dior quickly became known as a symbol of elegance, femininity, and freedom and, still to this day, is one of the most iconic perfumes around.
Best scents: Miss Dior (Miss Dior Cherie) by Christian Dior, Hypnotic Poison by Christian Dior, Jadore by Christian Dior
Penhaligon's
If you know a thing or two about perfume, you'll recognise Penhaligon's as soon as you see its brightly coloured packaging. This British perfume house has a long and fascinating history, including multiple master perfumers and plenty of unusual and hard-to-source ingredients.
Launched by William Penhaligon back in 1860, the brand has retained many of its original characteristics. Those gorgeous bow-adorned bottles you see in-store nowadays? Those are a direct echo of William's original design.
Best scents: Juniper Sling by Penhaligon's, The Revenge Of Lady Blanche by Penhaligon's, Ellenisia by Penhaligon's
Caron is one of the First Heritage Brands
French perfume brand Caron has an especially interesting history in that its founder, Ernest Daltroff, was a self-taught perfumer who had a passion for flowers and a desire to make beautiful scents from them.
As one of the oldest and most respected French perfume houses, you'll find Caron bottles considered works of art and displayed in museums around the world. While many of Caron's scents focus on floral notes, the brand is renowned for taking some of the first steps to champion female independence back in its early days.
Best scents:, Royal Bain De Caron Champagne by Caron, Nocturnes D'caron by Caron
Floris
Floris has a long list of impressive previous customers, including the likes of King George IV, Florence Nightingale, Winston Churchill, Ian Fleming, and Marilyn Monroe. How's that for a reason to try out this heritage fragrance brand? A British family-owned perfumery that's been creating fragrances since 1730, Floris was one of the first perfumers to introduce synthetic ingredients in the 19th century and also opened the idea of bespoke fragrances.
The coolest part? Floris is still run by the descendants of its founder, Juan Famenias Floris. The shop still contains many original features, like the Spanish mahogany cabinets and the leather-bound book where Juan recorded his first formulas.
Best scents: Floris Lily Of The Valley by Floris, Floris Chypress by Floris, Floris Cherry Blossom by Floris
Hermes
While Hermes is best known for its leather goods and silk scarves, the house's fragrance division has quietly produced some of the most sophisticated scents in modern perfumery. The brand's in-house perfumer, Jean-Claude Ellena (and now Christine Nagel), created Terre d'Hermes, a masterpiece that blends orange, flint, and vetiver into something earthy and refined. Unlike many luxury brands that chase trends, Hermes fragrances tend to be understated and intellectual — designed for people who appreciate subtlety over projection.
Best scents: Terre d'Hermes, 24 Faubourg, Twilly d'Hermes
Yves Saint Laurent
YSL has always been the rebel of French fashion, and that spirit extends to its fragrances. When Opium launched in 1977, it was genuinely controversial — a rich, spicy oriental that broke every rule of what women's perfume was "supposed" to smell like. That willingness to provoke has defined YSL's fragrance house ever since. Today, Black Opium carries that tradition forward with its addictive coffee-vanilla formula, proving that the brand's instinct for bold, memorable scents is alive and well.
Best scents: Opium, Black Opium, Libre
Jean Patou
Jean Patou may not be the first name most people think of, but the brand is responsible for one of the most legendary perfumes ever created: Joy. Launched in 1930 during the Great Depression, Joy was marketed as "the costliest perfume in the world" and used over 10,000 jasmine flowers and 336 roses per ounce. It held the title of world's best-selling perfume for decades. The house was acquired by LVMH in 2018, but Joy remains a benchmark for what heritage perfumery means — craftsmanship without compromise.
What Makes a Perfume Brand "Heritage"?
A heritage brand isn't just an old brand. Plenty of perfume houses have been around for decades without earning the label. What sets heritage brands apart is a combination of factors:
- Continuity of craft. Heritage houses maintain perfumery traditions across generations. Guerlain's "Guerlinade" base, Floris's original Spanish mahogany shop, Creed's infusion technique — these aren't marketing stories, they're living practices.
- Signature DNA. You can blind-smell a Guerlain and know it's a Guerlain. Heritage brands have a recognizable house style that connects their fragrances across decades.
- Cultural impact. Chanel No. 5 didn't just sell perfume — it changed what perfume could be. Opium challenged social norms. Joy set a standard for luxury. Heritage brands shape the industry, not just participate in it.
- Quality ingredients. Heritage houses typically use higher concentrations of natural ingredients, which is partly why their fragrances tend to be more complex and longer-lasting than mass-market options.
Want to explore more? See all perfume brands at Perfume.com
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the oldest perfume brand in the world?
Floris, founded in 1730 in London, is one of the oldest continuously operating perfume houses. Creed claims a founding date of 1760, though some historians debate the exact origins. Both have been creating fragrances for nearly three centuries.
Are heritage perfumes worth the price?
Generally, yes. Heritage brands use higher concentrations of natural ingredients, invest in master perfumers, and their fragrances tend to have better longevity and complexity than mass-market alternatives. At Perfume.com, many heritage fragrances are available at great prices below retail.
Which heritage perfume brand is best for beginners?
Christian Dior is the most accessible heritage house. Fragrances like Miss Dior and J'adore are crowd-pleasers that are easy to wear, while still delivering the quality and complexity you'd expect from a heritage house.
What's the difference between heritage and niche perfume brands?
Heritage brands (Chanel, Dior, Guerlain) have decades or centuries of history and often operate as part of larger fashion houses. Niche brands (like Byredo or Le Labo) are typically newer, independent, and focused exclusively on fragrance. Both prioritize quality, but heritage brands bring historical pedigree while niche brands offer avant-garde creativity.
Explore Heritage Fragrances
These 10 heritage brands represent the best of what centuries of perfumery tradition has to offer. Whether you're drawn to the classic elegance of Chanel, the earthy sophistication of Hermes, or the bold spirit of YSL, there's a heritage fragrance that fits your style.
Shop all women's perfumes or shop all men's colognes at Perfume.com — 100% authentic, great prices, free shipping on orders over $49.
More to explore: Best Estee Lauder Perfumes, the sexiest perfumes for women, and cologne vs perfume explained.
Looking for a specific brand? Browse all perfume brands at Perfume.com →
Georgie Darling is a freelance lifestyle and travel writer from London, England. Her work has been published in ELLE, Yahoo, Red, Grazia, and Tripadvisor, amongst others. When she’s not writing, Georgie spends most of her time travelling to new countries and scuba diving. She’s been an avid fragrance lover since a young age and considers Alaïa by Alaïa Paris to be her signature scent.
