Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Fashion

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 19 Oct 2026 420 ratings analysed

4 wins

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,431 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

52%scent match

Some overlap

Fashion

Leonard

4.1163 votes

Rank #20,037 PowderyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Basic Black takes 4 of 7 categories.

Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.
Fashion
Choose it for a powdery and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Basic Black4/7

Fashion3/7

Ratings & consensus: Fashion
Community sentiment: Fashion
Longevity: Basic Black
Sillage & projection: Basic Black
Value for money: Basic Black
Versatility: Fashion
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Basic Black

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Basic BlackBill Blass

FashionLeonard

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

4.11/ 5 · 63 votes

Have 48%Had 14%Want 37%

Category winnerFashionRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

37%Love

41%Like

4%Ok

17%Dislike

1%Hate

313 votes

38%Love

46%Like

5%Ok

11%Dislike

0%Hate

63 votes

Category winnerFashionMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityBasic Black

SillageBasic Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value32

Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

powdery100%

woody92%

floral84%

sweet77%

aromatic69%

fruity61%

Scent match52%Some overlap · both woody, powdery and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

CarnationYlang-YlangPlumCardamomPeachMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

HoneyCorianderRoseTuberoseVioletJasmine

Base

OakmossPatchouliCivetAmberMuskBenzoinSandalwoodStyrax

Top20-30 mins

PeachGreen NotesVioletTarragonNeroliRaspberryLemonPlum

Heart3-4 hrs

IrisCarnationJasmineRoseYlang-YlangLilacOrchidLily-of-the-Valley

Base6-8+ hrs

MuskVetiverSandalwoodAmberTonka BeanBenzoinVanillaCedar

InformationalShared notesCarnation, Ylang-Ylang, Plum and Peach. Durations are only published for Fashion, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring53

Summer34

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring75

Summer67

Fall100

Winter58

Day100

Night47

Category winnerFashionMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men0

Unisex25

Women75

Work 35%Casual 32%Date 24%Party 9%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,431

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#20,037

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews15

Category winnerBasic BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Basic Black by Bill Blass is a spicy, mossy floral chypre with a vintage dressed-up attitude. Reviewers often notice carnation, coriander, oakmoss, musk and honeyed florals, with an opening that can feel sharp, soapy or animalic before it settles. It suits people who enjoy bold 80s and early 90s style perfumes, powder…

Reviews →

Fashion by Leonard opens with a tart flash of bergamot, ripe plum, and juicy peach that quickly gives way to dry tarragon. You smell crisp fruit rather than sugary syrup. Within twenty minutes, a dense bouquet of powdery iris, spicy carnation, and sweet tuberose blooms across the skin. The base anchors the composition…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Basic Black or Fashion?

Basic Black takes 4 of 7 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Fashion is rated 4.11/5 from 63 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter. Choose Fashion for a powdery and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Fashion?

Basic Black lasts longest (Basic Black 69/100, Fashion 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Fashion?

Basic Black projects furthest (Basic Black 62/100, Fashion 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and Fashion smell similar?

Some overlap: a 52% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, powdery and floral accords. Common notes include Carnation, Ylang-Ylang, Plum and Peach.

Is Basic Black or Fashion better for summer or winter?

For summer, Fashion is the stronger pick. For winter, Basic Black is the stronger pick. Fashion suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and Fashion?

Basic Black has top notes of Carnation, Ylang-Ylang, Plum and Cardamom, heart notes of Honey, Coriander, Rose and Tuberose, a base of Oakmoss, Patchouli, Civet and Amber. Fashion has top notes of Peach, Green Notes, Violet and Tarragon, heart notes of Iris, Carnation, Jasmine and Rose, a base of Musk, Vetiver, Sandalwood and Amber.