Social media, especially TikTok, has popularized the term “aesthetic” in recent years. There are hundreds of aesthetics, and in her post, Blogger Sara Habibipour addresses one of the most popular ones.
By Sara Habibipour
Perhaps one of the most famous trending aesthetics on TikTok and Instagram is the “Academia” aesthetic, characterized by “…classic literature, the pursuit of self-discovery, and a general passion for knowledge and learning” (Aesthetics.Fandom.Com).
Some of the key motifs of this aesthetic are books, darkness, history, and old architecture.
But wait…there’s more.
There’s actually a never-ending list of sub-academia aesthetics. Anything you can think of, there’s probably an academia aesthetic for it. Theater Academia, Chaotic Academia, Fairy Academia…it all exists. Here’s a list of the most famous, and, in my opinion, the most pleasant-to-look-at academia aesthetics.
Dark Academia
The Dark Academia aesthetic is heavily centered around classic Greek and Gothic architecture. Imagine attending a prep school in Europe, spending late nights in a Gothic-style library while sipping a cup of coffee as you watch the rain pouring down outside; that would be a perfect example of the Dark Academia lifestyle.
Dark Academia is heavily characterized by its distinct fashion as well, with a color palette mostly consisting of earth tones (browns, dark greens, grays, etc.). As far as the style, it’s very “preppy”; brown cardigans, vintage plaid skirts/pants, and leather satchels are the staples of the Dark Academia look.
Not “dark” enough for your taste? Well, there’s actually a subcategory of Dark Academia. And can you guess what it’s called?
…Darkest Academia
Here’s a photo that pretty much sums up the Darkest Academia aesthetic.
Light Academia
For those of you who don’t particularly care for darker colors but still like the Academic style, maybe Light Academia is your aesthetic.
Characterized by beige, cream, white, and light brown shades, the Light Academia fashion still is “preppy” but definitely distinct from its counterpart, Dark Academia. The architecture preferences are also less Gothic and more classic Greek, and there’s more of an emphasis on the arts and romance.
Green and Blue Academia
There are also more color-specific academia aesthetics.
For example, there’s Green Academia which fosters things like reading books in nature surrounded by greenery and earthy-green colors. There’s Blue Academia which appreciates the beauty of the night sky and royal blue (a Ravenclaw aesthetic, if you will).
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Out of all the aesthetics mentioned above, I would have to say that Dark Academia is my personal favorite. What do you think of these aesthetics? Let us know in the comments!
Sources:
https://aesthetics.fandom.com/wiki/Dark_Academia
Image Sources:
https://images.app.goo.gl/Lmk2frB8aZv845tZA
https://images.app.goo.gl/uuSi8MTu3S7sGEeH7
https://images.app.goo.gl/hhMVC5FLBJ6DrzBm7
https://images.app.goo.gl/sPHdKyRyea6Hm3wW9
Aesthetic Editor: Elizabeth Shay
Bright, sunlit, morning coffee with patio humminbirds in the bougainvillea, is my favorite acadeimia.