Fashion can be a tool of knowledge
Sometimes looking at clothing styles may lead you to discover something different.
So there you are looking at the latest Vogue magazine or you are just checking out your Tik Tok “for you page” just mindlessly scrolling. Either way you are viewing some type of material and doing your usual content digestion on your social media app of choice.
Trends come and go. We all know that, but sometimes there are fashion collections or fashion aesthetics that do more than just appeal to the eye. They introduce you to a whole new world that you didn’t know was there.
That’s just what happened to me a while back when I first heard of the academia aesthetic. This aesthetic is defined as “a group of aesthetics that involve learning, particularly through study, research, and reading.” You can view all of the different types of academia subgenres here.
Sometimes we forget that we can learn things just by looking at fashion. We often get lost in the cuts of the fabric and hues that we miss messages that fashion can transcend beyond its design because we are too occupied admiring the work. Who would have thought that I would discover the academia style through appealing Tik Tok videos and find the immense world of academic literature through it while at the exact time I can romanticize my university life as well.
Coming across new content to read that is different from what you usually read is an elating feeling. Especially when its something that you knew was there, but now you are seeing it in a different light. Never in my life I thought I would be interested in books with settings set in schools such as The Secret History by Donna Tartt, The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake, Dead Poets Society by N.H Kleinbaum, and Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo.
Let’s not forget some literature classics such as The Illiad and The Oddyssey by Homer, works from Plato, Victor Hugo, and Shakespeare. Normally, I relish books with supernatural beings such as vampires and witches and creatures along those lines and would safely stay within that lane, but why not try something different?
Think about students at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter movies who study in the library who are dressed in their magical ivy league school uniform that is in color with their Hogwarts house. Or students that attend ivy league universities such as Yale, Dartmouth, or Oxford who sport the classic apparel essentials such as turtleneck long sleeve tops, fitted pleated pants, tweed skirts or plaid skirts, long trench coats, vests, and comfortable loafers that provide a timeless and effortless look to trek across a massive campus with utmost comfort.
The academia aesthetic was primarily popularized by Tik Tok users who displayed the trend with their catchy Tik Tok videos showcasing ivy league university settings which usually display Collegiate Gothic architecture with their massive castle-like libraries in where one can find a cozy nook and study to one’s content alongside a nice cup of coffee. You can often see dedicated Tumblr, Pinterest, and Instagram accounts that focus on these type of styles as well.
Some favoured TV shows and movies are Gilmore Girls and Dead Poets Society where you can see the preferred type of vetements in what you would expect the usual private school student would wear. Gilmore Girls in particular has the cult classic catchphrase in where the lead character Rory Gilmore says “Who cares if I’m pretty if I fail my finals?” that is beloved by many academia enthusiasts. In where Rory places academia as her top priority over looking attractive.
A very popular academia aesthetic tune known in all social media platforms is Waltz №2 by Cihat Aşkin. If one song has the academia essence I would say this is the one.
The main academia aesthetics that I will focus on are light academia, classic academia, and dark academia.
Light academia is the light variation of this style. It typically consists of colors like white, ivory, beige, cafe au lait brown. This type of color scheme is what I would envision people wearing these colors during the spring time while you are resting outside enjoying the spring’s gleaming sun and admiring the blooming flora and fauna at your university’s serene lush garden while studying for your next exam.
Coloring in classic academia primarily includes beige, cinnamon brown, ivory, sepia brown, and olive green. For this in-between color palette, I can see people sport these colors during autumn time when the foliage on the trees are slowly tumbling down while you are taking a stroll across campus on your day off enjoying the chilly weather outside.
Dark academia of course has a much more darker color palette in comparison to both light academia and classic academia. This aesthetic’s colors feature black, grey, forest green, navy blue, and chocolate brown. This color scheme’s colors are what I would envision people to wear during the winter season to compliment the shadowy grey wintry hues. I can picture someone with a cup of steaming hot coffee on one hand while trying to swiftly get to class as the powdery snow slowly descends down upon them.
The accessories for this aesthetic overall remain the same for each type. Vintage watches, wire frame glasses, leather messenger bags, suspenders, Oxford shoes, Mary Jane shoes, socks either knee high or crew socks, leather belts, scarfs, and simple dainty jewelry. Your typical private school uniform with a more refined palette.
If this trend wouldn’t have ever become popular I most likely wouldn’t have ever gotten hooked with the fascination what the academia style has to offer. Imagine discovering a newfound type of lifestyle and knowledge just by looking at a new trend.
Sometimes looking at interesting clothes can pay off.
