The aesthetics playground: The Romantic and Light Academias

I think there comes a point in many student’s academic careers when, as a coping mechanism, they start romanticising their degree. If you are one such student, then I have great news for you: there are many academic-inspired aesthetics to help you with this quest. Now, if you’ve been on the internet at all, you’ve probably heard of Dark Academia. Associated with rebellion, decadence, and a hint of existentialism, dark academia hit its peak of popularity on social media a few years ago. However, you might not have heard of its lesser-known cousins: Light Academia and Romantic Academia.

Philosophically, both aesthetics value compassion, curiosity, and optimism. However, Romantic Academia is directly inspired by the Romanticism movement of the late eighteenth century, holding values like individuality, the celebration of beauty and nature, and emotional awareness. Light academia is less grounded in philosophy; rather it acts as the optimistic side of the coin to the moodiness of dark academia.

Clothing in Light Academia tends to be bright and optimistic, whereas Romantic Academia can lean towards darker colours

Stylistically, Light and Romantic Academia are similar, although Romantic Academia is more feminine with an emphasis on lace, silk, and satin. If you want to combine the looks of both aesthetics, their similarities make it very easy to do so whilst keeping it cohesive.

Both aesthetics value beige, browns, and creams in their colour palette; however Romantic Academia also favours blacks, soft pinks, reds, gold, forest greens, and blues.

If you want to lean on the side of Romantic Academia, lace with satin makes for an airy combination, such as this black lacy top and yellow satin skirt. In terms of footwear, you could pair it with Doc Martins to counteract the delicate look; if you want to go all-in on the romance, kitten heels are a great option. If you don’t like wearing skirts, flowy wide-leg trousers also work well.

If you love Dark Academia but want a lighter look for summer, look no further than these aesthetics

If you wish to gravitate more towards Light Academia, consider wearing pieces that are sophisticated like Romantic Academia, yet are perhaps more comfortable. Clothing in Light Academia tends to be bright and optimistic, whereas Romantic Academia can lean towards darker colours as well as light. Peter Pan collared shirts are a favourite of this trend – even better if you layer it with a turtleneck sweater vest or a waistcoat over the top. You can pair this with wide-leg, high-waisted trousers, like these pleated double button trousers from Bershka. Light Academia favours very similar footwear to Romantic Academia (minus the kitten heels, but if you wished to combine the two aesthetics they would work well with this outfit). If you want a more casual look, Mary Janes fit this aesthetic very well.

In terms of accessories, both aesthetics favour delicate vintage-style jewellery, especially a gold and pearl combination, like this hand chain from Bohomoon. Ribbons, headbands, and lockets are also very central to a Romantic Academia look. Alternatively, lean more towards Light Academia with watches and leather belts.

So, if you love Dark Academia but want a lighter look for summer, look no further than these aesthetics. Academics is likely the last thing anyone wants to think about in the height of the summer holidays, but I’m personally all for it if it’s in the context of a fashion trend.