I’ve always liked the idea of putting on a specific fragrance to make me feel a little bit stronger when facing a challenge, and have certainly reached for perfumed armor on more than one occasion. A closely related motivation is to avoid making negative associations with everyday favorite perfumes in case the occasion takes a nosedive.

However, recent experiences have made me wonder:

• Have any of you gotten the time-worn advice to wear “daring” underwear for added confidence in situations where no one but you would know?
• Did that ever work?

Personally, the last thing that comes to mind at any time during a stressful situation is what I am wearing (visibly or not)—or what anyone else might be wearing, for that matter.

Not sure if I’d be bursting any bubbles by saying this, but the same goes for perfume. If I anticipate a demanding interaction in a given day, I will likely select a perfume accordingly. However, having been through several (for a good cause, so no complaints), I can attest that during those interactions, I never once paused to think about what perfume I was wearing and how it smelled or made me feel.

The scent—and its intent—serves as a portal to get me to the event (time has a marvelous way of doing that, too). Just like that, it’s done its job perfectly.

Donnez-moi le même (Give me the same)
Donnez-moi le même (Give me the same)
Donnez-moi le même, le même (Give me the same, the same)

—Sandrine Kiberlain, “Placebo”