The men's side of the shelf is small but tidy. Coach For Men comes as both an Eau de Toilette and an Eau de Parfum, which gives you a light and a slightly stronger version of the same idea. Blue Eau de Toilette is the fresher-sounding option of the three.

I like having a gendered label here and ignoring it. The eau de toilette version is the one I would give to a brother, a partner or a friend who does not wear fragrance yet. It is easy to like and not a big statement. The Eau de Parfum is for someone who already knows they like a scent and wants it to last through a long workday.

If you are buying a first fragrance for someone, this is the sort of shelf I would start from. None of these are demanding, none need a lot of explanation, and all of them look tidy on a dresser. They also pair well with whatever you are wearing, because none of them clash with a fresh shirt or a wool coat. The size of the spray is also forgiving: two sprays on the chest and one on the neck is plenty.

A small test I use before gifting anything: spray it on a card, then on my own wrist, and check that I still like it after three hours. If I do, it goes in the box. If I do not, it goes back.

If the Coach bottles are the tidy handbag version, this group is the bag you actually throw a lot into. Fruity florals are the easiest kind of fragrance to like, since they smell like something familiar and cheerful.

KAYALI's Eden Juicy Apple is the crisp one, pure fruit and easy to spot across a room. Anecdotes by Artists' Painted Petals combines jasmine and strawberry for something more delicate. Marc Jacobs Beauty's Just Perfect with strawberry and vanilla is soft and sweet, the friendliest bottle on the list. Rabanne's Fame, with fruity bergamot and mango, is the brighter and more glamorous one. The 7 Virtues' Strawberry Jam has vanilla marshmallow in the name and does exactly what that promises. Yves Saint Laurent's Black Opium Pink Glaze is the flashiest of the six.

All of them share one trait: they are friendly. You can wear them to class or to work without anyone asking you to turn it down. Strawberry shows up three times here, so if you prefer apple, mango or a pink glaze, look at the others.

What I would skip: buying a fruity fragrance based on the name alone. A strawberry in the title can smell like a real fruit or like a candy shop, and the only way to know is to try it. Also skip the very sweet ones on hot, humid days, when sugar tends to feel heavier than you expect.

My rule for the bag: one small perfume, one lip product and nothing else that could leak. A rollerball or travel spray is more useful than a full bottle, and a floral or a fruit is easier to wear in a hurry than something dark.

At home, keep the bigger bottle on a dresser, away from the window, since sun and warmth are hard on any fragrance. Spray it on clean skin once in the morning, and add a small touch in the afternoon if the day is long. If a bottle fades in an hour on you, try the Parfum strength next, and if it feels too much, go back to the Eau de Toilette. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Coach Bags Quietly Became the Leather Goods Everyone Actually Uses and Coach Cherry Perfume.