Modern Academia.

Summer Dark Academia Fashion

The forecast says it’s going to be almost 80 degrees this weekend. It is time to leave your cave. You go to your closet and open it to find racks of wool sweaters you have collected over the past eight months. There is a single t-shirt balled up in the corner. You are me. 

Tops

Turtlenecks are no longer an option.

Suit vests. You don’t need the oppressive heat of a button down to wear suit vests. If your vests are a little more low-necked then you’d like, wear a tank top or something with short sleeves underneath. I’m wearing a suit vest in this post, if you want to see styling ideas. 

Silk button downs. Obviously short sleeves are preferred, but long sleeves are still possible in the summer. With a material like silk especially, because it feels cool and also helps to keep your skin safe. You just need loose sleeves. That is the theme with this post: loose. If you want to continue dressing long sleeves or long pants in the summer, tight clothing is not an option. You need to be able to get airflow to your skin. 

Cotton. Cotton is a great material for heat; tops or bottoms. If you have a long sleeve button down, you can roll up the sleeves and tuck it into something high waisted. Add suspenders (optional, but highly recommended), and that’s summer dark academia right there you mad lad. Short sleeves or no sleeves work just as well.

T-shirt or tank top. Yes, even a basic t-shirt can be “dark academia” if styled right. Granted, you’re likely going to end up looking more like a “Milo Thatch from Atlantis” kind of academia, that’s hardly a bad thing. (Look up Cole Sprouse dressed as him and thank me later) A simple white top in black bottoms is reminiscent of a suit, while tan bottoms looks more “Lara Croft on an archaeology dig”, which is fun. 

Camisoles. If you want as little fabric on you as possible, silk camis are the way to go. Plus, you can find tons for super cheap in the pajamas/underwear section of most thrift stores. Is it weird to wear shirts people probably had sex in? Kind of. But if you’re cheap like me, you move past that quickly. Tuck into a pair of high waisted, loose pants that are black or tan, and you remain dark academia and without heatstroke (drink water). 

Bottoms

Unfortunately, they must be worn.

Shorts. Best material is linen, and you can find a lot of options and styles on Etsy and more high-end online stores. However, they’re also more expensive, so here are some other keywords for shorts: pleated, high waisted, paper bag. Look at ASOS, Express, or SHEIN for cheaper options. Jean shorts can also work, but they should be dark and definitely not cutoffs. A belt can also help to make the outfit seem more together. And, as always: high waisted, unless you want a more masculine fit, in which case avoid high waists.

Trousers. It’s trouser time baby. Suit pants are out. Skinny jeans are (unfortunately) out. We want loose, flowy material. Pleats are excellent. Actually, pants like these are pretty easy to find these days, and not just on the internet. Straight leg trousers look more streamlined and put together, whereas wide-leg are a bit more roguish. Tuck in a white top of your preference, add some suspenders, and drink water. You’re set.

Skirts/Dresses. Oh to be a wandering poet, running through fields and wildflowers in a flowing linen dress as the sun casts a crown above your head, and the wind gives you countless kisses on cheeks and hair. Wait! That can be you! Stop fantasizing and start doing- get a pale dress, linen or cotton is best. Pale colors are preferred for summer. Find a field. Frolic.

Shoes

Please put away your oxfords.

Mary Jane sandals. Mary Janes are pretty much the oxfords of summer shoes. Especially if you can get them in leather with low heels, it looks very classy.

Gladiator sandals. When in Rome. Or, when you’re into an aesthetic that really likes latin. Either way, these shoes are pretty much string and a sole, so they’re about as cool as you can get, temperature wise. 

Ballet sandals. I mentioned these in my unique dark academia fashion post, but I’ll do it again for summer. They’re similar to gladiator sandals in style, but I think they look fancier. Plus, you can tie them in little bows, which is adorable.

Accessories 

You know what I’m going to say. Say it. Out loud. 

SUSPENDERS. Ten bucks on amazon, and I promise they’re the best investment into your wardrobe you could make. They’re magic- take your boring shorts and shirt, add suspenders, and POOF. It’s dark academia. So classy. 

Sun hat. Cottage core and dark academia have pretty much moved from distant cousins to siblings at this point, might as well embrace it. Get something with a black bow out in. Have a picnic and read Keats.

Watch. I feel like a nice classy watch would be a great accessory that doesn’t involve adding fabric to your body. I mean, I don’t have one, but I feel like it would. 

Hair. If you have long hair, do yourself a favor, buy a french comb, and learn how to do a french twist. It takes a few tries to get right, but there are youtube videos and it is one of the easiest hairstyles that looks like it takes so much effort. I have pretty much switched ponytails out completely for french twists, and especially for the summer it’s great to get all your hair up and off your neck. If you have short hair, feel free to gloat. 

Feel free to add your own in the tags, and stay hydrated! 

Even more dark academia outfits for any gender!

Types of Dark Academia characters, according to their outfits

The narcissist with lots of secrets: Black turtleneck, with a gold coin necklace over top. A tartan mini skirt, or checked trousers. Trench coat. Red lips and dark eyes. Books in languages no-one else understands. Thinks they’re better than you, and probably are.

The messy researcher: Cosy jumpers with shirt collars poking out. Slouchy tartan trousers. Dark socks and oxfords. Old-school messenger bag bursting with various notes and journals. Has started about 30 projects or books in the past week, and hasn’t finished any of them.

The garden party prep: Sweater vests. Pale khaki trousers/chinos, or a traditional white midi dress. Socks pulled up. Boat shoes. Expensive watch. Might play some cricket or croquet later.

The student dreamer: Knit cardigans over knee-length skirts or pinafores. Mary-Janes or ballet flats. Bouncy hair and wide eyes. Sometimes a beret. Likes autumn, and writing long letters.

The aspiring professor: Tweed. Wears suits to class. Coats and blazers waistcoats and undershirts and trousers/skirts, all in tweed or tartan, browns and greys. Kind of intense. Secretly on the verge of a nervous breakdown, but at least they have great notes.

The edgy poet: Oversized, unbuttoned plaid shirts or blazers over turtlenecks. Cigarette trousers. Combat boots. Black coffee. Actually very sentimental, but also might have accidentally killed someone with their classmates.

part 2 coming soon

the dark academia boy

walks around in battered oxford shoes every day of every season

cannot stand paperback books

has a frightening amount of candles in his house/room

sighs a lot

drinks his coffee black but secretly likes it better with milk

is very strict about table etiquette

wears everything monogrammed (he embroiders them himself)

actually doesn't mind audiobooks

has a large umbrella with a wooden handle

kisses his friends but will never catch feelings

does dramatic reading of cheesy tragedies to his pets

types faster than you can imagine but there's a typo every two words

his hands are always stained with some sort of ink

cuts his own hair

will curl up in every armchair

secretly wants to smoke the pipe

cannot shave without cutting himself somehow

Chaotic Academia Things I Do (That You Might Do Too!)

leaving sticky notes everywhere. they just show up sometimes, can’t be too mad about it

having four different water cups at different levels of emptiness (or fullness?) on your desk for some reason

wearing classy button-downs and black trousers with yellow polka dot socks and sandals (vibe check™)

wearing plastic bead jewelry from your childhood that you still have for some reason with aforementioned outfit

adding worm on a string to any outfit

playing a piano piece at both a break-neck speed and ridiculously slow tempo just for the heck of it

quoting memes and vines regularly while studying

either typing with perfect grammar or none at all

doing dramatic reenactments of literally everything as a studying technique 

having basically illegible notes

piggybacking off that last point: writing in half-assed cursive because you can’t commit to writing fully in print or cursive so you do a mixture of both as a result of being forced to write in cursive early on in your formative years

waking up early to do *~~*nothing*~~*

having cake to celebrate small victories *in moderation*

wanting to reform the education system because its extremely flawed while loving learning and school

hating standardized exams but having to study for them anyways as to not sacrifice any more of precious time or money paying/prepping for them

screeching at any given moment

realizing that intelligence, academia, being an academic, and education does not equal suffering for your studies, unhealthy work/lifestyle habits, toxic mindsets, or gate-keeping

making aesthetic posts about chaotic/dark academia on tumblr to fully embrace the aesthetic™ while knowing that this is all for fun and really shouldn’t be taken so seriously that you completely change your lifestyle and outlook on life while degrading others’ life choices/styles with a degree of snobbishness because they don’t fit the “”aesthetic”” that you envisioned were necessary for all academics to have .

How to feel like an androgynous oxbridge lit student

Fashion: invest in a tweed blazer, a secondhand slightly ratty one is better, one with elbow patches is best of all. A white or ivory fisherman’s sweater for days lounging in the common room/library/your lover’s lap while punting down the river, this should be paired with soft brown or light tweed trousers and brown oxfords for the best effect. Invest also in a grey or black blazer and trousers in black/brown/grey. These are your wardrobe staples now, you want to look like you’ve slept in the library and revived yourself with some sort of narcotic at all times. Some good waistcoats in the same colours won’t go amiss. Cardigans and sweater vests in muted colours like green, burgundy and caramel. Find some ties in secondhand shops with whimsical patterns on them, preferably in colours like mustard, heritage green and blood red. You’re going to need a long black or camel coat and a decent long scarf you can wrap several times around your neck in the perpetual autumn chill. You may also need a dinner suit for a) college balls or b) secret meetings of a literary and murder club you and your friends form in the first term.

Details: battered leather satchel is a must. You can also carry around stacks of old books - preferably poetry or classics. Get a fountain pen and practice writing in cursive. If you don’t actually need glasses you can get yourself a false pair, preferably ones with a tortoiseshell frame or else a black 50’s style frame. Your hair should be artfully tousled, some good medium hold hair wax is good for this. If you’re going to wear makeup then stick to a natural look, brown mascara, boyish brows, a little bit of pink blusher to simulate a flush brought on by a chill wind, clear or rose coloured lip balm.

Perfume: Habit Rouge - Guerlain. Chergui - Serge Lutens. Élixir Charnel Gourmand Coquin - Guerlain. Hypnotic Poison - Dior. Black Opium - YSL.

Character details: you should quote a lot of poetry from dead authors, especially Oscar Wilde, Byron, Keats and any of the Greek poets and playwrights. You should also write your own prose or poetry in a battered old notebook and then show this to your friends from the literary and murder club. Listen to artists like the Smiths, the National and Radiohead. Drink coffee frequently and try to do it in small but comfortable cafés or else the library at night. Don’t forget to also be as hedonistic as possible, drink champagne at all opportunities, host or attend elaborate dinner parties with several courses and copious amounts of alcohol. Form an unrequited and idolatrous passion for your best friend. You should try and be as analog as possible, reject modern technology in favour of letter writing, wrist watches, wind up alarm clocks and plays on the radio. Your main form of entertainment should be reflecting on the fleeting nature of youth and happiness with your friends in the literary and murder club.

dark science

okay i’m starting a new aesthetic, mashing together dark academia and sciencecore / mysterycore, i call it...

dark science

some dark science stuff:

so like. dark academia but instead of literature (which is pretty good) it focuses on the sciences

biology

chemistry

the natural sciences

forensic science!!

anatomy and physiology

a dash of psychology for good measure

studying the human body inside and out

staying in a lab until the early morning light, distraught and fascinated over your most recent discovery

thinking about science ethics and morality

frankenstein!!

the strange case of dr jekyll and mr hyde

mad scientists in general

spending hours at a time engulfed in a subject

preserved specimens, bones, pinned insects

trips to science museums

bundling up in warm coats outside, cold air chilling you still

wearing colors just as cold, hues of blue and deep forest green and the gamut of grey to black

having lab gloves or goggles available at all times

messy hair, perhaps pulled back into a bun or ponytail if it’s too long

a fascination with bunsen burners, candles, etc

beakers, graduated cylinders, evaporating dishes, all sorts of science equipment

curious things trapped behind glass, drenched in formaldehyde

mock crime scenes

investigating real crimes, solved or unsolved

hastily written notes written in the fervor of discovery

retracing your steps when an experiment goes awry

glancing behind your back as you walk home from the lab, books under your arm

“All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.”

— Edgar Allan Poe, A Dream Within a Dream