Dark academia, in definition, is an internet subculture that aestheticises higher education, the arts, and classical literature. It involves wearing dark or colourless tweed or plaid clothing, as well as reading the Brontë sisters, Emily Dickinson, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and William Shakespeare in a gothic or Greek-styled library at twilight. At times, it also involves a murder and a secret society, but that usually only happens in fiction.
Though this aesthetic had existed beforehand, it made its first social media appearance on Tumblr circa 2015, where it cemented itself as an internet subculture. In 2017, the aesthetic saw a rise in popularity on Instagram – a rise led by Ryan Taylor and Maria Teresa Negro. That popularity grew exponentially during the worst of Covid-19 restrictions and has been attributed to lockdown and the shut down of schools, trapping teenagers and young adults inside with online schooling. Being cooped up inside with technology as the only path to the outside world, coupled with losing the experience of being a university student, led to some nostalgic feelings about pre-21st century academia. People became sick of their phones and laptops, and they started missing school, or at least an idealised version of school. An article in The New York Times explains, “In the halls of Dark Academia, nostalgia and a world free of modern technology reign.”
Another reason for dark academia’s rise in popularity is the growing yearning for a past, non-corporatised education where seeking knowledge in the arts or classical literature was more respected. In a Bookish Brews article titled “Dark Academia: The Truth About the Genre & Subculture”, the author notes how dark academia as a subculture “is the study of calligraphy and art with a vague sense of being ‘in the past’ where there was more value on these studies”. The author further mentions that there has been a devaluing of higher education through credentialism. People no longer seek to study for the sake of gaining more knowledge, mainly because it has become too expensive for people to simply study whatever they wish. Today, degrees focused on humanities and the arts tend to be shunned and generally viewed as useless. People are more focused on receiving a tertiary education in more “useful” fields.
Dark academia recalls a time in which a liberal arts degree was a lot more respected and philosophical studies were more valued. This has garnered the subculture a large following. The timeline of its aesthetic also follows the timeline of when there was more respect put upon the studies that are at the core of Dark Academia.
Although its fashion sense is mostly “preppy meets goth”, the clothing is reminiscent of styles in the 19th to early 20th century. Dark or dim colours like beige, brown, dark green, navy blue, black and white are all popular in clothing. The unofficial ensemble can include plaid skirts, slacks, knit sweaters, blazers, Doc Martens, penny loafers, oxford shoes, ankle boots, and trench coats with the occasional tie, scarf or pair of leather gloves.
The subculture has also begun to amass various forms of media that fall within the perimeters of its aesthetic. The Secret History by Donna Tart, for example, is lauded as the inspiration for the trend. Although dark academia fiction typically involves a sombre tone set within the dark shadowy halls of an esteemed school where the main characters are often on a hunt for knowledge, there is at times a divergence in the formula.
Dark academia is a young, yet intriguing aesthetic, and for the curious, there are many books, movies, and shows that fit within the aesthetic. Taken from lists made by Barnes & Nobles and Penguin Random House, here are some book recommendations: Bunny by Mona Awad, Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake, The Will of the Many by James Islington, and These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever. Collider and Screen Rant also identify movies and TV shows that fall into the genre. Movies: Black Swan, Cruel Intentions, Dead Poets Society, Dorian Gray, and The Skulls. Shows: Sherlock, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, The Haunting of Bly Manor, The Magicians, and The Queen’s Gambit.
