You might have heard the term dark academia going around on different social media platforms lately. Still, you may not know what it actually means. In this blog post, you can find out everything about the new internet aesthetic, so let’s get learning!
What Exactly is Dark Academia?
Dark academia is the name given to an aesthetic based around classic literature, the pursuit of knowledge and learning, as well as a journey of self-discovery. Of course, like most aesthetics, there are plenty of other variations with a specific subject focus within this aesthetic (such as sidebar dark academia or light academia).
The visuals of dark academia stem mainly from the culture of the upper classes and higher education in 19th century Western Europe. This usually revolved around what was considered a liberal education which included teaching Latin, rhetoric, and classical literature.
In the present day, this creates curiosity due to those particular subjects not commonly being featured in contemporary teaching. This aesthetic aims to romanticise education, and pretentiousness is a celebrated characteristic within the community of dark academia fans. Academic successes are celebrated in the grandest of ways and announced widely by dark academics. However, there is another side to dark academia that focuses on education and includes mystery, crime, and danger. Think of Harry Potter, all centred around schooling in the wizarding world. Yet, it is packed with mysteries and adventure.
The 1930s and 40s are often associated with the dark academia aesthetic, especially items worn by students of British elite educational institutes such as Oxford and Cambridge in those periods. Standard dress includes blazers, plaid skirts, crisp dress shirts, sweater vests, trench coats, tweed fabrics, and Chelsea boots, Mary Janes, or Oxford shoes. The colour palette of this aesthetic consists of beige, black, white, dark brown, forest green, and occasionally navy blue and dark orange.
Moving away from the fashion to look at the overall aesthetics, things you will often see within dark academia images is:
- Antique books
- Libraries
- Long dark hallways
- Ornately framed paintings
- Statues
- Poetry
- Calligraphy
- Inkpots and fountain pens
- Gothic architecture
- Candlelight
- Cluttered desks
- Coffee shops
This aesthetic culture is usually described as a maximalist approach with nostalgic influences present.
Why is it Called Dark Academia?
You can probably figure why the academia part is included in the title of this aesthetic because of its association with universities and books. However, there is usually a dark twist to the aesthetics, such as the exploration of death and morbidity and the pursuit of knowledge – hence the term dark academia.
Is Dark Academia Still Popular?
This aesthetic blossomed from social media. Thousands of posts share romanticised education images such as the ideas mentioned above.
When Covid-29 struck, and the lockdown was put into place, schools and universities shut. That was when the popularity of this aesthetic went through the metaphorical roof. During the lockdown, the Google searches for dark academia increased by 4750%, which could have been for numerous reasons.
So many unknowns were occurring while the lockdown was happening. Students weren’t going to classes each day and didn’t know when they would be returning. Education became even more difficult for many people, while others thrived with at-home independent learning for a time. Some students were happy to not be in school, yet many changed their tune as time went on, and they began to miss their friends. The uncertainty posed by lockdown allowed the dark academia trend to blossom, with many influencers creating their own safe haven for education within their own home.
Knowledge and learning became more thrilling with the gothic edge that dark academia provided. Students (or anyone really) could throw themselves into stunning, smart clothing, pile books up high, ready to learn something new with all this free time on their hands and make a beautiful aesthetic out of it for the memories on social media.
Some people, just like with other aesthetics, have adopted the trend, and it has become a full-on lifestyle choice!
The History of Dark Academia
Dark academia is not a new concept; it is more of a continuation of artistic periods, literature, and mannerisms of the upper class of society in previous eras. The term is now associated with social media culture as a social media trend as it became better known to people on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.
Notable figures of the past that are often romanticised include Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, Mary Shelley and Edmund Burke. The prose of their work is often used online to display the intellect of historical imagination, privileged living, poetry and literature, art, and emotion.
The term of dark academia was reflected in Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. This is where people often say it originated and developed as an aesthetic. The Esquire article titled “The Secret Oral History of Bennington: The 1980s’ Most Decadent College,” that Tartt wrote drew even more respect for her within the community. She describes the aesthetic as “the baroque wickedness, the malignant glamour, the corruption so profound as to be exactly what is meant by the word decadence.”
Multiple other fandoms emerged with other books and films, such as Harry Potter or the Dead Poets Society. You can see clear links to dark academia in the Harry Potter series (both in the book and film), with the films’ set design based on Oxford University and the emphasis on whimsy surrounding studying. The mysteries present in the book are linked to the aesthetic, and there are certainly plenty of leather-bound books being carried around!
In 2020, The New York Times published an article called “Academia Lives — on TikTok.” This made the aesthetic known to a broader audience and spread like wildfire online.
Will Dark Academia Stay on Trend?
I, for one, certainly hope so! There are arguments and criticisms about dark academia as a lifestyle choice. Still, I think that we can agree that the aesthetics of this phenomenon is beautiful. I enjoy looking at the ornate images. As a bookworm, seeing libraries and piles of books, among other images, brings me great joy.
I hope you have learnt plenty about this aesthetic, and perhaps it has inspired you to include dark academia in your life.
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Appreciate this post. Will try it out.