FRAGRANXE
Fragrance comparison

Fashion vs Basic Black

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

Updated 420 ratings analysed
Some overlap
Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Basic Black takes 4 of 7 categories.

  • Fashion

    Choose it for a powdery and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

  • Basic Black

    Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Fashion3/7
Basic Black4/7
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
FashionLeonard
Basic BlackBill Blass
Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split
4.11/ 5 · 63 votes
Have 48%Had 14%Want 37%
3.86/ 5 · 357 votes
Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%
Category winnerFashionRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate
38%Love
46%Like
5%Ok
11%Dislike
0%Hate

63 votes

37%Love
41%Like
4%Ok
17%Dislike
1%Hate

313 votes

Category winnerFashionMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores
⏱ Longevity66
〰 Sillage53
♥ Love / hate78
⏱ Longevity69
〰 Sillage62
♥ Love / hate74
Category winners

LongevityBasic Black

SillageBasic Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it
¤ Price value32
¤ Price value78
Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both
powdery100%
woody92%
floral84%
sweet77%
aromatic69%
fruity61%
warm spicy100%
woody92%
amber84%
floral77%
powdery69%
aromatic61%
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
Top20-30 mins
PeachGreen NotesVioletTarragonNeroliRaspberryLemonPlum
Heart3-4 hrs
IrisCarnationJasmineRoseYlang-YlangLilacOrchidLily-of-the-Valley
Base6-8+ hrs
MuskVetiverSandalwoodAmberTonka BeanBenzoinVanillaCedar
Top
CarnationYlang-YlangPlumCardamomPeachMandarin OrangeBergamot
Heart
HoneyCorianderRoseTuberoseVioletJasmine
Base
OakmossPatchouliCivetAmberMuskBenzoinSandalwoodStyrax
InformationalShared notesPeach, Violet, Plum and Carnation. Durations are only published for Fashion, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season
Spring75
Summer67
Fall100
Winter58
Day100
Night47
Spring53
Summer34
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Category winnerFashionMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes
Men0
Unisex25
Women75
Work 35%Casual 32%Date 24%Party 9%
Men2
Unisex40
Women58
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#20,037

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews15

Overall rank#3,431

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Category winnerBasic BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

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 →
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, Fashion or Basic Black?

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

Which lasts longer, Fashion or Basic Black?

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

Which projects more, Fashion or Basic Black?

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

Do Fashion and Basic Black smell similar?

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

Is Fashion or Basic Black 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 Fashion and Basic Black?

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. 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.

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