The Dark Academia Aesthetic
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With the uncertainty of when schooling will turn back to normal, the academia fashion trends began to rise regardless through social media platforms. Gaining popularity on Tumblr all the way back in 2014, dark academia is an aesthetic that is best described as a gothic twist on the normal preppy, English style, academic attire. This aesthetic places a heavy emphasis on the classics, writing, greek mythology and learning in general. When searching dark academia online, images of type writers, leather satchels filled to the brim with yellow paged novels and girls in blazers walking down cloudy, cobblestone side streets will fill your feed.
This aesthetic is for those who fell in love with the styles in films such as Dead Poet's Society, which was filled of brooding poetry and boarding school lifestyles. Most importantly, many flock to participate in this aesthetic to feel a sort of elegance and ominous style. As stated by The New York Times piece "Academia Lives- On TikTok", Dark Academia thrusts one into a world of, "....nostalgia and a world free of modern technology reign. Many of the community members focus on what life might have been like in the 19th century and early 20th century at private schools in England, boarding schools, prep schools, or Ivy League colleges in New England."
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To embody this idea with the clothing, there are dark academia wardrobe essentials that are needed. Tweed blazers, plaid pants, black turtlenecks, white collared shirts, elegant shoes and long coats. The color palette also is very muted and dark, to go along with the brooding energy given off by this aesthetic. These colors include rich creams, black, navy, chocolaty browns, moss greens and colors of that similar palette. The fabrics that are generally gravitated towards are knit, tweed and cashmere type clothing.
Finding these type of styles are not awfully hard. H&M has a variety of basics to begin your Dark Academia capsule collection. You can find basic turtlenecks, slacks and blazers for reasonable prices as well. Boutique 1861 places a heavy emphasis on the romantic side of the aesthetic. Thick, knit sweaters and unique styled blazers are found all over the site, a perfect way to quickly build up the aesthetic wardrobe.
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Those in love with the dark academia aesthetic and the community behind it dream of walking through Bodleian Library in Oxford University, analyzing sculptures such as the "Archaic Torso of Apollo" in their free time and writing poetry late at night. Dark academia is not only a fashion aesthetic, but a style that takes one to this world full of literature and the pursuit of knowledge.