The Best Designer Deodorants: Because Breaking a Sweat Can Be Stylish

When better than fashion month to test-drive designer deodorant? Granted, antiperspirant sticks are not the most glamorous topic of conversation this time of year, but you’d be surprised by how many fashion editors want to hear about them. “Wait, what does that mean?” asks one when I tell her about the weeklong assignment. “Oh, tell me what you find out,” says another.

First of all, it means exactly what it sounds like: deodorant with designer labels. Who knew brands even make them? But they do, as a pretty standard component of their beauty businesses. In this case, we’re talking Donna Karan Cashmere Mist, Acqua di Parma Colonia spray, Valentino Uomo, Carven Le Parfum, and Tom Ford Neroli Portofino—each arriving beautifully packaged and surprisingly gender neutral fragrances. As for whether or not they work, well, I hate to spoil the surprise, but the deodorants function basically as deodorants. I guess that’s the good news. They could leave me stinking up Spring Studios. But they don’t. They all do their job, and so, in the same way there are hundreds of red lipsticks but you swear by only one, partiality in designer deodorant comes down to personal preference.

There are, however, some nuanced differences. Karan’s Cashmere Mist, for instance, is white and chalky and rubs off on my cherry red Creatures of the Wind tank top. When I tell this to a friend who regularly heads to the gym with Cashmere Mist in her bag, she shares that besides genuinely liking its powdery scent, using it makes her feel “like the kind of person who really has her shit together.” So there you go. Tomayto tomahto.

Carven’s version comes in a pale pink bottle and, like the Acqua di Parma, is a spray, which I find a little awkward. I accidentally spritz it into my eye. Once I perfect my aim, its smell is so overtly floral that wonder if I’m just misting perfume under my arms and in an hour, I’ll be scrambling to reapply. But after a 12-hour day and a hot, steamy, jam-packed Alexander Wang after-party, I’m happy to report I’ve yet to sweat through my silk Crippen top.

My favorite is Tom Ford, primarily because I covet the Neroli Portofino scent. It makes me feel a) like one of Ford’s Glamazons and b) like I’m on the Amalfi coast, not waiting for the A train. Luckily, like the others, it too keeps me dry and odor free and, even better, because it’s transparent, it poses no danger to my Dries van Noten blouse.

Of course the big question here is, Yeah but what do they cost? That’s fair. Ford’s version is $50. Which is a little much considering I’m used to shelling out less than three bucks for Tom’s of Maine at Trader Joe’s. The others hover around $25 to $35—still more expensive than my go-to but not nearly as prohibitive as I feared. In fact, when you think about it, it’s about the cost of a fancy tube of lipstick.

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