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

 References 

Category:2010s fads and trends
Category:2020s fads and trends
Category:Academic culture
Category:Fashion aesthetics
Category:Internet aesthetics
Category:Subcultures
Category:Youth culture
Category:Internet memes introduced in 2015
Category:Tumblr