By Emily Murray

When singer Meat Loaf wrote those infamous lyrics “I would do anything for love but I won’t do that,” maybe this is what he was talking about?

Would you go to a party that required bringing a worn t-shirt with you and then smelling other people’s worn t-shirts? Doesn’t sound like your typical Saturday night but if you are single, it might be worth a try. This is the new trend in matchmaking – pheromone parties.

Nothing is predictable when it comes to love, but when you have a scientific aspect added to the courtship, it may help people seek out the right mates. At least this is the theory that has spurred the rather unusual matchmaking style that has recently been in full swing in Los Angeles and New York.

Scientific backing 

It has been proven through research that humans rely partly on their sense of smell when finding a potential partner. It’s actually something we have evolved to do. Through our ability to pick up the scent of other’s pheromones we are typically attracted to mates that are the right genetic makeup for healthy offspring. What one person may identify as an appealing smell may actually repel another. This is nature’s way of genetically reducing out weaker offspring and limiting the amount of ill-suited match ups. Of course this all take place on a subconscious level that we are unaware of.

Still not believing it?

Think about your last (or current) partner. Even without cologne or perfume did the smell of their skin appeal to you? For most people, the answer will be “yes”.

The recently formed pheromone parties aim to speed up the process of picking a suitable mate but still it begs the question, is there more to romantic love than simple science can define? The idea is the brainchild of a matchmaker in California who wanted to test out this scientific aspect to see if it could apply to her clients. The concept has since spread to New York and there are plans in the works to roll out these soirees to other large cities across the states.

So what happens at these parties?

Well as you can imagine, the beginning of the night is not typically that glamorous. Participants pick up freezer bags with one t-shirt in them and begin smelling the shirts for scents which appeal to them. The singles are then able to meet their fragrance choices and so far, the experiment has been very successful.

So are you brave enough to try? Perhaps in the near future there will be a party headed to your area!