Dark Academia Causes the Death of Southern Prep
Studying a fashion subculture surrounding classic preppy silhouettes with a gothic somber twist.
By: Sydney Gale
When thinking of southern prep fashion, one tends to think about brighter colors, the Kentucky Derby, and ivy league schools with parties at the country club. Thanks to social media like Instagram and Tiktok, a new aesthetic has surfaced; dark academia. The style blends classic preppy silhouettes like pleated skirts, blazers, thigh socks, etc. with neutral/earth tones like beige, brown, and forest green. Comparing southern prep to dark academia, they look quite similar, however, the key difference is the personality and themes surrounding each. Southern prep is very light and airy, but professional. Dark academia has a cynical morbid approach to life and focuses on philosophy and literature. Urban dictionary described the vibe as, “a wise cracking pretentious scholar.” Embracing an aesthetic can change someone’s lifestyle and personality, so what aspects of the aesthetic do they embrace when it comes to dress? Does this aesthetic have negative connotations? Let’s explore.
Lotte is a 21 year old from Germany (Instagram: @childofthenight_), she identifies herself with dark academia. Over Instagram she explains her style and dress, “My style is still evolving. I love to wear skirts, mostly black or plaid with over the knee socks or tights. Sometimes I wear slacks or jeans, but not that often. For tops, I love wearing shirts with dark tones or cool patterns or plain white tees with flowing sleeves. One of my favorites is a red one with Greek architecture.” Like many people in this subculture, people will embrace aspects that they like. For Lotte, she enjoys the look of skirts with knee socks, but there are so many other options for bottoms. This aesthetic allows you to pick and choose clothing pieces that you are comfortable in. Lotte also talks about how her personality shifted, “I’d say my lifestyle has changed, it has really motivated me to read more and experience more joy in new things, also now I tend to be a bit more eccentric.” A common practice in dark academia is the motivation to study and learn new things, so by embracing that element, it can have a positive impact on someone's habits. She wrapped up by saying, “dark academia has changed my life in a good way. I’m more open to learning, I got more confident. Also I found a way to combine dark, kinda gloomy aesthetic, with something practical.”
Reikon is a 29 year old from Switzerland (Instagram: @reikondevore). They described their style as “boho goth since I include a lot of bohemian elements with the dark and macabre, which is not really far from what dark academia represents in my opinion.” Dark academia has subcultures within the subculture, making it a diverse community. Reikon continues to explain their typical looks, “I tend to serve more simple and dandy looks with lots of black and earth tones mixed into the entire ensemble. I love an oversized blazer and flat caps.” Aside from looking the part, they continue to explain how embracing the aesthetic has affected them, “I always was a little goth at heart so this aesthetic just came in super handy to include it a bit more in my daily wear that is also work approved.” Dark academia has allowed people who feel connection to gothic fashion to have wearable pieces of clothing for everyday life. Even when dressing in a neutral toned sweater vest, one can still feel dark and mysterious due to the vibe of the aesthetic.
Dark Academia is an aesthetic with many layers. On the surface, it is neutral toned preppy outfits with a focus on education, but as you go deeper, you realize it is a gothic style with negative aspects. According to WikiFandom, habits like lack of sleep and using drugs like adderall to study, are a part of this aesthetic. But, Lotte and Reikon have chosen to stay clear of those activities, and it has allowed people to express themselves with dark themes without being self destructing. Reikon explained why people like dark academia, “it let’s us indulge a little, for chic styles, but also for the mystery that might lurk in our daily lives, it is definitely something romantic.”