Dark academia

**Dark academia** is a literary and internet aesthetic and subculture focused on higher education, the arts, and literature, or a romanticized version of them. It features traditional educational clothing, interior design, activities like writing and poetry, ancient art, and classic literature, as well as classical Greek and Collegiate Gothic architecture.

The trend started on Tumblr in 2015 and became popular among young people in the late 2010s and early 2020s, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Aesthetic

Dark academia fashion draws from the styles of the 1930s and 1940s, especially clothing from Oxbridge, Ivy League schools, and prep schools. Common clothing items include cardigans, blazers, dress shirts, plaid skirts, Oxford shoes, and fabrics like houndstooth and tweed. The colors are usually black, white, beige, brown, dark green, and sometimes navy blue.

The aesthetic emphasizes libraries, books, calligraphy, museums, coffee shops, and late-night studying. Autumn imagery, Gothic and Collegiate Gothic buildings, candlelight, dark wood furniture, and cluttered rooms are common. The style is described as maximalist and nostalgic.

Popular universities in dark academia images include University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and Harvard University.

Dark academia is similar to the Goth subculture in its focus on finding beauty and poetry in dark themes. Experts describe it as involving "moody architecture and philosophical pessimism" and as a "melancholic aesthetic" that is like "boarding school meets goth enthusiast."

## History

Dark academia began on Tumblr in 2015, appealing to a generation that grew up with _Harry Potter_. Users shared Gothic revival interiors and architecture. Its popularity increased during the COVID-19 pandemic due to school closures.

### Works

Classic literature like Oscar Wilde’s _The Picture of Dorian Gray_, _Maurice_ by E. M. Forster, and works by Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley influence dark academia.

_The Secret History_ by Donna Tartt (1992) inspired the trend. Other novels include _Babel_ by R. F. Kuang, _If We Were Villains_ by M. L. Rio, _Piranesi_ by Susanna Clarke, and _Ninth House_ by Leigh Bardugo.

Films like _Dead Poets Society_ (1989) and _Kill Your Darlings_ (2013) are linked to the aesthetic. TV series including _Ares_, _The Umbrella Academy_, _A Series of Unfortunate Events_, _The Queen’s Gambit_, _Wednesday_ and _The Magicians_ also fit.

Playlists for dark academia feature nineteenth and early-twentieth-century Western classical music, often Romantic or Impressionist.

## Reception

The aesthetic has been praised for its romantic and nostalgic appeal, though some compare it to cottagecore but more practical. Some see it as a response to cuts in university funding and the corporatization of education.

### Criticism

Dark academia is criticized for being Eurocentric, lacking diversity, and glamorizing unhealthy habits. Critics argue that it focuses mainly on a white literary canon. Others point out it can seem elitist, but many fashion items are affordable from thrift stores.

Some also say it focuses on looking intellectual rather than learning, and it may glamorize sleep deprivation, overwork, or substance use.

## Related pages

- Bohemianism
- Campus novel
- Classicism
- Cottagecore
- Dark romanticism
- Goblincore
- Hauntology
- Light academia
- Neo-Victorian
- Romanticism
- Steampunk
- Whimsigoth
- Work ethic