Here are some rules to help you on your path to becoming a Dark Academic! Make sure to check out The Shades of Academia's Guide to Dark Academia and The "Dark Academia Subculture": Everything You Need to Know for more information, and to get a detailed start into the subculture!
Maintain your mystique by speaking less about yourself. Even if you are a sociable person, make it a game to wrap oneself in mystery in social circumstances. If people express an interest in you, respond vaguely. Make only a few details about your background known. When you do communicate, use riddles or quotations. That's not to suggest you shouldn't speak out in class or discussions, have ideas, and be socially engaged; rather, keep people guessing most of the time, and, if you're really into it, only speak when spoken to.
Wear classic, vintage clothing, sophisticated accessories, and monotone hues. Sharp features should be highlighted with primarily dark or neutral colors. I suggest shopping at thrift stores. Maintain an open mind.
Jazz and classical music should be listened to. Listening to older, more refined music! It adds a touch of class to your life.
Light some candles. Writing, reading, and getting ready for bed by candlelight make everything appear three times as elegant and sophisticated, not to mention academic.
Maintain your academic standing. Read your textbooks ahead of time, and write essays about whatever you like for practice. If you're studying something in science, create experiments to help you understand the principles and remember them. If you're reading a book in English, read a few articles on the author ahead to prepare, jot down quotes from the book, create essay pitches, and write a criticism of the book, an analysis of the book, and an analysis of gender roles in the book to your heart's content. Find articles regarding the topic matter, annotate them, and write about them in history classes. If you're taking a math class, come up with your own applications and problems to tackle.
Visit libraries, museums, bookstores, and cafes. These are all excellent spots to curl up in a corner and read for hours. Not only do you receive Mysterious Points, but you also get attractive surroundings and (hopefully) some tranquility to read literature in. I know that throughout the forthcoming semester, I'll be in the library from opening to closing time every day.
Establish routines. Perhaps your life is chaotic, but you can achieve some sense of order and elegance by developing rituals for, possibly, everything. You may begin your day with a walk around the neighborhood or a local pond. Feel free to invent bizarre winding down practices, such as closing all your windows, stripping naked, and meditating for 20 minutes before going to bed. Almost anything.
Display items on your walls. Postcards, paintings, sketches, poems, book excerpts, mood boards, routines, lists (places you want to travel, people you want to meet, activities you want to do), playlists. Make it yourself, make it chaotic, and most importantly, make it aesthetically attractive.
READ. Read anything educational you can get your hands on. Carry it out. Simply ignore everything else for three days and don't pick up your phone; you shouldn't even be on your phone, because you're reading. (you get an exception if it's an ebook). Good books to read include feminist literature, nonfiction, mystery novels, and so on.
Join a book club or even begin a book club with your friends and select a book/short story to read and discuss together. We actually do have a book club where we host 2 meetings a month. We do have a meeting coming up on the 15th of November! You can click here: The Shades of Academia Book Club to learn more and potentially join us.
So, you may be thinking, there appear to be a lot of... Rules? Is it necessary for you to follow everything?
Absolutely not! Dark academia is focused on knowledge rather than aesthetics. You do you whether you want to dress in sweats and tank tops or pajamas every day! There is no such thing as a "true Dark Academia aesthetic": everyone interprets it differently! In the end, what counts is that you are wearing and doing what makes you happy and comfortable! Until next time my friends!
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