Everything You Need to Know About the “Academia” Fashion Aesthetic

Tiktok is responsible for several of the fashion trends observed in recent years. The resurgence of the Y2K era was defined by playful accessories such as platform heels, baguette bags, and low-rise denim.

Then there was the cottagecore aesthetic, which inspired us to wear prairie-like smocked dresses and long, flowy skirts. And in case you haven’t noticed, the new fashion trend that has dominated our FYPs this year is none other than the “academic aesthetic.”

The “academic” trend, popularized by Generation Z, is exactly as its name suggests. It denotes a style influenced by European academia. Imagine a preppy boarding school in England, but with a chicer twist.

This aesthetic is characterized by items with a plaid pattern, woolen knits, neutral tones, plaid skirts, turtleneck sweaters, and similar items. Instagram accessories would typically include a stack of books or possibly a cup of coffee to emphasize the “academic” component of the style.

There are numerous subgenres of the academia style, including romantic academia, chaotic academia, and even art academia, but light and dark academia are the most frequent.

Their primary distinction rests on their color palettes. Both use neutral tones of browns, blacks, and grays, but light academia uses creams and beiges for a brighter appearance. Dark academia, on the other hand, sits somewhere on the range of gloomier colors, with black and espresso tones predominating.