A Secret Society's Guide To Dark Academia

A Secret Society's Guide to Dark Academia

Definition: an aesthetic that revolves around classic literature and poetry

Style Guide:

Choose dark, muted colours: navy blues, deep reds, emerald greens, caramel browns, plaids & tweeds

Top-half: Blazers, polo shirts, turtlenecks, jumpers and blouses

Bottom-half: Plaid skirts, dress trousers, knee-high socks

Shoes: Ballet flats, dress shoes, low heels

Accessories: Good vintage, timeless jewellery like simple watches or pearls, wire-frame glasses, match your belts and bags to your shoes, short neat fingernails and minimal makeup

Activities Guide:

Badminton

Chess/Checkers

Card games

Debate club

Archery

Ballroom dancing

Music or Theatre (this doesn't have to be in-person, you can also watch online with National Theatre At Home or Digital Theatre!)

Embroidery

Painting/Drawing

Calligraphy and letter-writting (bonus points for wax seals!)

Reading, annotating or writing (prose or poetry)

Watching classic cinema from the early 20th century

Thrift-shopping

Visiting museums

Journaling

Strolls around the park or long city walks (rain or sunshine!)

Baking

Visiting coffee shops

Language-learning

Lifestyle Guide:

Take Polaroids in coffee shops or pretty meadows with your friends

Get ice cream inbetween lectures or during study breaks

Go on spontaneous train rides to places you've never visited

Try to identify beauty in simple, seemingly tedious everyday life circumstances or running errands

Go on digital detoxes and try to live life to its fullest (carpe diem!)

Study neoclassic poetry and great heroes from the past

Wear thrifted and vintage, elegant, classic clothing

Be passionate about literature and all forms of knowledge (don't despair but find it exciting when you come across a word you don't know, look it up and add it to your vocabulary!)

Take time to appreciate art: visit history museums, art galleries, libraries, bookstores, operas, ballets, orchestras, live theatre, churches, castles, photography collections and coffee houses

Learn to make different types of coffee/tea at home and enjoy whilst curling up with a book you love

Familiarise yourself with your favourite authors and compose your ideas as they would

Have deep, existential discussions with friends and perform dramatic readings of poetry or classic plays by candlelight

Read articles, write essays and always be prepared, have everything in order to stay ahead in school and/or work

Resist over-consumption: Read all of the books you've bought and still haven't read before buying more and donate to charities when finished

Take action to inspire otthers to read, study ardently and seek knowledge