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What is Dark academia?
"Dark academia is just hipster goth"
Dozier, P., 2020. Dark Academia Tiktoks. online YouTube. Available at:
Rando: It's 100 degrees right now, why is she wearing a turtleneck, a flowy blouse, a wool blazer, AND.... a cloak???
Genevieve probably: Oh, she's dark academia. Don't worry about it.
Dark academia - video
Dark academia - what is it?
Dark academia is the unofficial term for a genre of fiction with stories that revolve around an academic campus. In literature, it’s recognized with the title campus or academic novel. Film has no term for it yet.
Dark academia works contain elements of satire, tragedy, and philosophy. They tend to promote humanities and liberal arts as passions for their protagonists to pursue. Since dark academia centers around an academic environment with young adults, most of the stories are coming-of-age.
Dark academia criticizes static social attitudes by encouraging new and unique social perspectives represented with its protagonists. Simultaneously, the genre emphasizes how students never truly get prepared for the turbulent reality they face outside their campus, despite a school’s claims to do so.
Dead Poets Society screams dark academia vibes
What does "Dark academia" mean?
An aesthetic that is inspired by old and classic literature/philosophy, as well as themes of existentialism and death (essentially a knowledgeable, vintage emo). It revolves around a dark color scheme as the name implies, with hints of earthy tones as well, such as navy green, burgundy, cream, and brown/beige. This whole aesthetic is about looking like a wise-cracking, pretentious scholar, so you'd usually see one wearing plaid or suede dress pants, knitted turtlenecks, black belts, blazers, baggy overcoats, dress shoes/black heels, and pocket watches/gold vintage watches. You will occasionally find one lounging around in a used bookstore, reading old classics and writing poetry, or in a vintage coffee shop, ordering a black coffee or a green tea with no sugar.
"Wow, look at her blazer. And those Oxford flats! She's totally emulating the Dark Academia aesthetic!"