Dark academia aesthetic

What is dark academia?

Dark academia romanticizes the life of a student at an old, elite university. It loves Greek and Latin, poetry, gothic buildings, handwritten notes and long talks about books. The "dark" part is the mood: moody colors, rainy weather and a hint of mystery.

The style took shape on Tumblr around 2014 and 2015, then grew fast on TikTok during the school closures of 2020. Two stories are named again and again as its inspiration: Donna Tartt's novel The Secret History (1992), about a group of classics students, and the film Dead Poets Society (1989), set at a boys' boarding school.

The dark academia color palette

The palette is the color of an old library: espresso and walnut browns, a deep forest green, oxblood red, black, and the cream of aged paper. Bright colors and pastels are almost never part of it.

A good rule is two dark colors and one light one per outfit or room. A brown blazer, a cream shirt and dark green trousers already reads as dark academia without a single extra accessory.

How to dress dark academia

The clothes borrow from old school uniforms and classic menswear, worn by everyone. Fabrics matter as much as shapes: wool, tweed, corduroy, cotton poplin and leather.

• Tops: Oxford shirts, turtlenecks, cable-knit sweaters and sweater vests.
• Outerwear: tweed or corduroy blazers, long wool coats and trench coats.
• Bottoms: pleated trousers, plaid or pleated skirts, wool shorts with tights.
• Shoes: leather loafers, brogues, Mary Janes or lace-up boots.
• Details: a leather satchel, wire-rim glasses, a vintage watch, a silk scarf.

Three easy outfits: a turtleneck under a tweed blazer with straight trousers and loafers; a collared shirt under a cable knit with a pleated skirt and knee socks; a long coat over all black with lace-up boots.

Thrift stores are the best place to shop for this style. Worn-in wool and real leather look more right than anything brand new.

Dark academia room ideas

A dark academia room looks like a corner of an old library. Start with books, the more the better, on dark wood shelves. Add warm light from a brass desk lamp and candles, and keep overhead lights off in the evening.

Framed oil paintings or botanical prints, a globe, a plaster bust, dried flowers and a heavy wool blanket finish the look. If your walls are white, you do not need to paint them. Dark furniture and warm light carry the mood on their own.

Dark academia vs light academia

Both styles love study, books and old buildings. Dark academia is moody: dark colors, rain, gothic arches and a bit of tragedy. Light academia is hopeful: cream, beige and white, sunny courtyards, poetry in a park. If the dark palette feels heavy on you, light academia keeps the same clothes in lighter colors.

Dark academia also sits close to old money. The difference is wear. Old money is crisp and well pressed. Dark academia is a little rumpled, with ink on the cuffs.

Is dark academia your aesthetic?

If you light a candle to read, prefer autumn to summer and own more books than shoes, it might be. To check, take the aesthetic quiz and see whether dark academia comes out on top or just in your mix.

Sources

• Dark academia, Wikipedia: origins on Tumblr, influences and rise during 2020.