HC at U Ottawa Style Dictionary: Dark Academia

Her Campus at U Ottawa is located on the unceded, unsurrendered land of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation. I recognize the valuable past and present contributions of all Indigenous peoples to this land, whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.

We’ve seen balletcore, cottagecore, and downtown girl, so now it’s time for—you guessed it!—dark academia fashion.

Although you probably know what “academia” means (according to Oxford Languages, it means “the environment or community concerned with the pursuit of research, education, and scholarship,” in case you weren’t sure), there’s a lot of confusion around what exactly is this dark academia we speak of.

If we think of academia-themed fashion, we might tend to picture college students in blazers and various tweed ensembles; the “dark” aspect of dark academia essentially means taking these cliché academic ‘fits and making them, well, darker.

We know school can be a bit of a drag sometimes, but that doesn’t mean your dark academia fashion has to be! Here are our recommendations for pieces you have to have in your wardrobe if you want to make the most of the dark academia aesthetic.

Colours

Now is the time to break out alllll the dark colours. We’re talking wine reds, navy blues, browns, and dark greens. If it’s a part of your fall wardrobe and you’d classify it as “dark,” you’re all set!

Tops

First of all, turtlenecks and blazers are a MUST. Not only are they actually super comfortable for studying (hence the academia component), but these pieces are also the backbone of the dark academia aesthetic. If turtlenecks make you feel a bit constricted (we’ve been there), try some blouses or sweaters instead! You also can’t go wrong with a dress shirt under a sweater vest or full sweater either.

Bottoms

The dark academia aesthetic offers a lot of freedom when it comes to bottoms, but we recommend opting for dark or plaid pants or skirts, or any trousers or slacks.

Shoes and Accessories

If you’ve ever needed an excuse to hit the thrift store, this is it. Vintage shoes and accessories are where it’s at with dark academia. For shoes, think Oxford shoes, flats, short heels, and combat boots. For accessories, look for leather bags and any and all vintage-looking jewelry. You can’t go wrong incorporating a belt either—after all, some dark trousers and a belt are *chef’s kiss.*

What’s Off Limits?

Now you know what to look for, but how do you know what to avoid? Well, ideally, try to avoid wearing sneakers, jeans, anything with a tight fit, anything with large logos, and sweats. We would also recommend avoiding buying brand-new clothes and instead shopping second-hand if you need any pieces you don’t already have in your wardrobe.

Now that you’ve got an A+ in dark academia, you’re all set to rock your dark academia ‘fits on and off campus! If you need some more inspo, check out our dark academia highlight on Pinterest. And if you use this article to inspire your own dark academia ‘fits, tag us (@hcuottawa) when you post your OOTDs on Instagram!

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