Anchored in nostalgia for classic collegiate and prep school culture, dark academia is a TikTok subculture that embraces scholarly pursuits with a gothic, somber flair. It's all about cultivating your intellect—activities like reading and writing are seen as mysterious, alluring, and, dare we say it, hot.
As the name implies, there’s a darkness to it. It's hiding in a corner of a spooky library reading broody classic poetry, not enjoying a swoony Emily Henry novel on a beach chair.
So, where does dark academia come from, and what does it look like in practice? Grab your tweed jackets and come along with us as we give you the basics of Dark Academia 101.
If we base its history on its often-referenced figures, dark academia’s origins can be traced back to as early as the Romantic era in the early 19th century. Works by authors like Mary Shelley, Charlotte Brontë, Lord Byron, and John Keats defined this moody era in literary history. A reaction to the logic-steeped Enlightenment, the Romantic era revolved around emotion, imagination, and nature.
Sometimes considered a subset of Romanticism, the Gothic movement, another reaction to the Enlightenment era, specifically focused on matters of terror, mystery, and the supernatural, giving us the "dark" in dark academia. Many Romanticists were also considered Gothic writers—think Mary Shelley and the Brontë sisters. Needless to say, your favorite dark academic on BookTok probably has very strong opinions about the new Wuthering Heights adaptation!
We also can’t talk about dark academia without considering prestigious university and preparatory school culture. Besides looking at works that are just dark in general, it's worth specifically considering dark works set in collegiate environments. It's no surprise that the definitive text of dark academia is Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, which follows a group of students at a small liberal arts college who get caught up with cultish affairs.
With that context in mind, let's flash forward to dark academia as a modern-day aesthetic. While the subculture first emerged on Tumblr in the mid-2010s, it really took off around the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to writers like Jacobin’s Amelia Horgan, dark academia emerged as a response to students leaving campuses during the early days of the pandemic. During periods of social isolation, students stuck at home romanticized in-person learning and fantasized about on-campus life.
Style plays a major role in presenting dark academics as proper scholars. Dark academia as a fashion aesthetic is formal — after all, it takes inspiration from classic collegiate outfits. Think structured blazers, pleated skirts, and slouchy knit turtleneck sweaters — if they’re made from wool or tweed, even better. For more sartorial inspiration, you can reference canonical dark academia films such as Kill Your Darlings and Dead Poets Society.
As its name implies, the color palette in this aesthetic is dark. Jewel tones, like burgundy, are acceptable, but most in the subculture don severe colors like gray, dark brown, and black. Dominating patterns include traditional plaid and houndstooth. Given all the layers and somber colors involved, the most prominent time of year for dark academia is, naturally, autumn.
The dark academia lifestyle revolves around learned activities such as frequenting libraries, wandering around museums, and engaging in artistic pursuits such as painting. You get bonus points if any of the places you visit feature Gothic or classical architecture. If you’re an actual student, pulling all-nighters and drinking copious amounts of coffee are also common (albeit less healthy) activities.
The ideal dark academic lifestyle looks a little like this:
@co.nfused autumn is coming closer ???????????????? #cambridge #london #england #visitengland #darkacademia #darkacademiaaesthetic #hogwarts #harrypotter ♬ Solas - Gibran Alcocer
In contrast with dark academia, its sister aesthetic, light academia, is a much airier aesthetic. Where dark academia is autumn, light academia is spring. While still romanticizing education, the light academia has an opposite feel. It’s joyful, open, and yes, defined by a creamier, softer color palette—as depicted below.
@classicalmusicart “Light Academia” aesthetic ????????️ #classicalmusic #music #art #lightacademia #lightacademiaaesthetic #vangelis #lapetitefilledelamer #fyp #fypシ #fypシ゚viral #fypage #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #fypp #foryou #lucky #777 ♬ Tranquil Dreams - Madayha
Dwelling on the less savory side of higher education, dark academia’s glamorization of mental illness, addiction, and overworking has certainly raised eyebrows. But the major critique against this aesthetic is its overwhelmingly white and Eurocentric focus when it comes to its celebrated artists and writers. The TikTok aesthetic has also drawn criticism for being somewhat elitist, given its emphasis on academic institutions. In order to make dark academia more inclusive, those in the community have pushed for more diverse voices and texts.
However you feel about it, dark academia is undeniably an extravagant and stylish aesthetic. If you want to see what it looks like in practice, here are a few examples to give you a feel for its vibe.
@anlgx ???????? #darkacademia #aesthetic #darkacademiaaesthetic ♬ оригінальний звук - <3
@wynndb just started babbel how about you? #darkacademia #darkacademiaoutfits #darkacademiaaesthetic #ootd #acadamia #booktok #babbel ♬ original sound - Babble_Brooke
@atmosreads ☕️????????️ dark academia outfits since it’s the middle of november. get 5% discount on using code Mikhail5 on Ecosusi bags until 31 of december #fy #fyp #fypシ #darkacademia #darkademiaaesthetic #ootd #darkacademiaaesthetic #foryoupage ♬ оригинальный звук - _mercalova_
@sittingontheedge Im all for the aesthetic I suppose ???? #darkacademia ———————————#darkacademiaaesthetic #study #roominspo #pinterest #literature #reading #candles #darkaesthetic #vintage #vintagevibes ♬ original sound - mianne.chan
@sittingontheedge Pinterest has ruined me ????‼️ #fashion #darkacademiaoutfits #sweaters #pinterest #darkacademiaaesthetic #outfits ♬ SCARY TOPS - Mia Salinas
@mrsmckennabarry Whenever I post a cozy, rainy day video like this, I get so many people commenting asking me to make it longer. So, here you go! Cozy up and stay awhile ???????? #cozy #darkacademia #darkacademiaaesthetic #cottagecore #cottagecoreaesthetic #rainy #rainyday #rainydayvibes #autumn #autumnaesthetic #fall #fallvibes #fallaesthetic #cozyathome #cozyvibes #asmr #asmrsounds #asmrvideo #asmrtiktoks #cozytok ♬ Rosyln by Bon Iver rainy day edit - McKenna Barry
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