Classics vs. ingenues

These aren't light-and-fruity times. You can smell the gravitas in the air -- and on the wrists of stylish women all over. Serene florals and cheery citrus fragrances in the family of Prescriptives Calyx and Issey Miyake L'Eau d'Issey, which have been en mode since the 1990s, are giving way to headier scents -- classics such as Obsession by Calvin Klein and Opium by Yves Saint Laurent, as well as new concoctions that evoke the spritz-happy 1980s, when women didn't leave the house without bathing in Shalimar, choosing power scents to go with their power suits.

"I like sophisticated perfume," said Jeanna Bonello, a 29-year-old model booker for Wilhelmina in L.A. who rotates two classics, Poison by Dior and Boucheron, with two of the headiest new scents on the market, Tom Ford Black Orchid and Prada. "I have a really hard time when people smell like Victoria's Secret."

Amy Keith, a 25-year-old magazine writer who wears Angel by Thierry Mugler and Gucci Rush -- two unmistakable, potent fragrances -- likes the durability of a strong scent. "I'll suffer through the first two hours of a perfume being overbearing because I want it to last all day," she said. "It's like fashion. You either wear bright colors or you wear nude."

If you're looking to come on strong, here are some vintage fragrances -- and their modern counterparts -- that are guaranteed to leave an impression:

The Power Flowers

The Classic

Poison by Dior

Some perfume critics call the original Poison, a musky, fruity fragrance that debuted in 1985, a masterpiece, but others find it about as beguiling as hemlock. When I catch a whiff of Pure Poison, the updated blend, I still flash to '80s excess, a la "Wall Street" -- pure greedy genius. $82 for 3.4-ounce eau de toilette at Dillards.com.

The New

Love by Ralph Lauren

Bulgarian red rose, goji berry and Chinese magnolia mingle with amber, sandalwood and vanilla in this modern classic -- a rare commercial floral that could pass for a pricey custom fragrance. $90 for 1.6-ounce eau de parfum at Neiman Marcus.

The Spice Girls

The Classic

Opium by Yves Saint Laurent

This textbook Oriental scent, which debuted in 1977 and smells like cinnamon and black pepper floating in a pool of rose petals, is as aggressive as a samurai warrior but as slinky as a Halston jumpsuit. $50 for 1-ounce eau de toilette at Sephora.com.

The New

Strip by Agent Provocateur