I have a confession to make today I have always felt that youtube algorithms are secretly monitoring my moods because duh! what about these, numerous unsolicited recommendations of cringe-worthy content on the platform, right when I am confused about what to watch. Although to my surprise, the algorithms decided to take a turn in my favour and introduce me to my new favourite form of aesthetic; dark academia. Now, I am sure you must have learned about it even remotely in any of your socials. Dark academia is in vogue this era pals!! Let us go through the what, when, how, and where of this new Gen-Z’s obsession for the pre-digital concept of academics.
Aesthetics is a part of philosophy that deals with the appreciation of beauty and art. The aesthetic of dark academia deals with the pursuit of knowledge and self-discovery. Dark academia is romanticizing education in a way that can be very rewarding. It is a sub-culture that has its branches of more optional aesthetics.
Once upon a time…..
In March 2020, humankind was exposed to a virus that changed their lives forever. Schools were closed and students were stuck in their dorms and house with no means to reach out. The uncertainty of formal education left everyone baffled. Right when the possibility of normalcy started to look dull, Dark academia made its debut with tik-tok. Well, there is no textbook definition of dark academia. It is all about embracing pretentiousness and conventionally practising an unconventional lifestyle.
Caffeine overdose, scribbling mindlessly on parchment paper with a fountain pen, wearing oversized sweaters with earthy tones, obsessing over-ambition, finding the reason behind everything that exists and everything that does not exists, fingers stained with black ink, ancient books stacked in your living room, playing Mozart while working, finishing a book in a day, chaotic thought-process taking over schedule, writing a lot, discovering a new love for greek mythology, poetry and digging deep in philosophy… phew.. My fondness for this aesthetic almost distracted me from getting to the point.
The Bible of Dark Academics
The literature that encouraged this aesthetic – The Secret History by Donna Tart was published in 1922, portrays a story about a group of elite students who murder one of their own classmates. The book and characters are obsessed with the idea of romanticizing knowledge to an extent, that it brings chaos and destruction in their already gloomy life. Tart’s text in this book and character development set off as a foundation for aspiring dark academics.
Major Highlights that sets the tone of this Sub-culture
Certain prerequisites represent this aesthetic in a fair fashion. Peculiarity, existentialism, intellect, sagacity are some keywords that revolve around this aesthetic. Pressing old flowers in journals, writing a letter to future-self and keeping it in a sealed envelope, novels, history, literature, writing, reading, mystery, ancient buildings, vintage manuscripts, and vintage ambience are some themes of this aesthetic. Earthy tones, caramel, brunette, umber, are some key colours that revolve around this theme.
A guide for Inculcating this aesthetic in your lifestyle….
Be a mystery, the lesser you reveal the better it is
In a gathering, make it a habit, even if you are an extrovert be an enigma to others. Give vague answers to questions asked by people who are interested in you. Speak in riddles and quotes (A potential guilty pleasure), limit your availability to everyone and anyone. Although, this is not suggestive to not speaking in classes and intellectual discussions, being opinionated and remaining socially active when required. The idea is to keep people guessing and confused about your personality
Vintage Attire
The first impression is the most important impression. The color tones need to revolve around light-shaded fabrics. A black turtle neck with moonstone necklace, trenchcoat with plaid bottoms, converse, over knee socks. mom jeans, neutral makeup etc. A little pro tip! (Thrifting can be a surprise at times!) Keep your options open.
Music is a must
A good genre of music is like the salt and pepper of any aesthetic. Listening to some good old classic jazz stirs things up in a more elegant manner. it is an interesting choice of music to add to your playlist. Classic music to people from every time zone was their own version of pop music. Dark academia music is all about understanding what tones and symphonies appeal to you the most. It is all about highbrows and light brows. Music really adds up to the intensity of this aesthetic’s feel.
Bring out those candles from your emergency stack
Day-to-day activities like reading, writing, and eating by candlelight make the whole experience even more beautiful and elegant, and academically enticing. The phrase “ Burning the midnight candle ” gets complete justice in this aesthetic. So… what are you waiting for?, grab that candle stand, light some candles, and read the classic Greek History!
Be a Prodigy in your academics
Stay ahead of your time. Read the topic to be discussed in your next class in advance, write essays about any topic that interests you Come up with experiments to illustrate the concepts that are taught to you in classrooms; That makes the learning experience interesting. If you are reading a book, try and get some articles on the writer; understand his genre, and get to know about him a little bit before proceeding with the book. Note down your favorite excerpts from your favourite books. Immerse your heart and soul completely in any topic that you are learning about. Annotate your books and search about the subject in more depth to understand it much better and have a wider view of the same. Write your heart out. That is the beauty of dark academia, the mindless scribbling and volumes of write-ups get even better with time.
Switch your experiences in a shopping mall with museums and visit old bookshops and cafe’s
The visit to these places adds up a lot to your reading and learning experience. There is a sense of enlightenment one feels after spending endless hours sitting in a coffee shop and reading without caring about the world. The same goes for people who choose museums. The enriching experience of visuals and information can quench anyone’s thirst for knowledge. Don’t forget to buy that single dollar torn-out and annotated novel that you discover in old bookshops; It adds up to the mystery and curiosity of understanding the motivation of the previous reader behind those marked quotes and scribbled notes in that novel.
Read
Read everything and anything enriching. Chuck the technology and hide away your phone and read for days. Ignore everything else and make words your new best friends.
I hope this helped you a bit in learning everything that you need to know about Dark Academia. Did I make it look all vibrant and joyous? It would be unfair on my part to not address the gloomy side of it. This trend that took everyone by storm fails to cater to the needs of anyone who does not favour the Eurocentric ideal of lifestyles. This aesthetic historically and literally favours white male portrayal. Having said that, the new observation on the popularity of this trend shows more diversity than ever before. People from all colors, cultures, and regions are embracing this aesthetic in their own version. Dark Academia is a lifestyle for a lot of people now. It is adding more value and knowledge in the world of academics.
Hey… Don’t you go away yet.. I know there are a lot of references and sources you still need to understand this aesthetic well. Here are some books and film suggestions that you can refer to in order to learn for yourself the reason behind the craze for this vogue.
Movies
– Dead Poets Society (1989)
– Kill Your Darlings (2013)
– Mary Shelley (2017)
– Sherlock Holmes (2009)
– Maurice (1987)
BOOKS
– The Secret History by Donna Tartt.
– Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
– These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever
– A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee
– Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
Voila! Here you go !! let us know your opinions in the comment section. Let the learning begin !!
(Courtesy – Trending Tik-Tok & Tags on Tumbler)
By Manjari Gupta
