Page Standards

Wiki Policy: Page Standards

This page delineates the formatting and structural standards for all pages on the Aesthetics Wiki. For eligibility requirements, please see Allowed Pages.

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Page Titles • Page Structure • Required Sections • Optional Sections • Writing Style • Infobox Guide

Formatting Standards

Page Titles

Naming: Titles should be the most popular term used to describe the aesthetic. If the aesthetic lacks an "official" name, use a concise, recognizable name and tag it as wiki-coined terms.
Suffixes: A suffix is not usually necessary. However, if a name uses a suffix (like -core), do not add a space between it and the root word (e.g., use "Cottagecore", not "Cottage Core").
- Exception: Musical genres ending in "Wave" (e.g., Dark Wave, Cold Wave, Minimal Wave) may retain the space if that is the authentic spelling used by the subculture.
Capitalization: The first letter of the page title must be capitalized.

Section Headings

Headings should organize content in descending order. As a matter of style and technical stability, headings should not contain:

The name of the aesthetic (e.g., do not write "Cottagecore visuals", just write "Visuals").
Links, Images, Citations, or Footnotes.
Manual formatting (do not use bold, italics, or custom fonts/colors in a header).

Page Structure Articles should be organized logically to help readers find information quickly. The standard order for sections is:

Introduction (Definition & Summary)
History (Origins & Evolution)
Visuals (Key Motifs & Photography Style)
Fashion (Clothing & Makeup)
Philosophy, Politics, and/or Culture (Values & Lifestyle)
Media (Movies, Books) and/or Music (Characteristics, Artists, Songs/Albums)
Activities (Hobbies & Habits)
Criticism (Controversy or Social Impact)
Gallery (Image Collection)
References (Citations)

Required Elements Every page must contain the following elements to be considered complete:

The Infobox: Must be placed at the very top of the page (see code at bottom). It requires a Title Image and at least 3 filled data fields.
Introduction: A concise summary defining the aesthetic. Do not start with "X is an aesthetic..." as it is redundant. Instead, try: "Dark Academia is a subculture and visual style centered around higher education, writing, and classic Greek and Gothic architecture."
Visuals Section: A detailed breakdown of the aesthetic's imagery. This can be written in paragraphs or bullet points. Avoid vague terms like "nature"; be specific (e.g., "mossy rocks," "pine forests," "overcast skies").
Gallery: A collection of images at the bottom of the page. Art must be credited to the artist. Uncredited art or low-quality images may be subject to removal or copyright disputes.

Optional Sections While not mandatory for every single page, these sections are highly encouraged if relevant:

Fashion: Describe fabrics, silhouettes, clothing, accessories, and makeup.
Media: Lists of movies, books, or games that exemplify the aesthetic.
- Format: Use subheadings (e.g., ===Film===). Titles should be italicized (e.g., The Matrix) and include the release year.
- Note: Avoid "content dumps." Do not list every single piece of media that vaguely fits the genre (e.g., listing every childhood movie ever made on a Nostalgiacore page). Curate the list to include the most iconic and defining examples.
Music: Genres, artists, or specific albums.
Philosophy: The internal values or mood (e.g., "Punk values anti-authoritarianism and DIY ethics").
Criticism: If the aesthetic is controversial (e.g., involves cultural appropriation or romanticizes harmful behavior), this section is mandatory to provide a neutral overview of the discourse.

Writing Style

Objective Tone: Write like an encyclopedia, not a blog or opinion piece. The goal is to provide information neutrally to readers.
- Bad: "You don't have to wear these clothes if you don't want to! It's just a guide!"
- Good: "Common fashion staples include..."
- Bad: "Communism is terrible."
- Good: "This aesthetic has faced criticism for romanticizing authoritarian regimes."
No Self-Promotion: Do not list yourself as the "Creator" unless you invented the term and have proof of community adoption. Do not link to your own social media.
No Plagiarism: Write in your own words. Copy-pasting from Wikipedia or other wikis is forbidden.
No AI Writing: Articles written by ChatGPT or other AI tools will be deleted.

The Infobox Template
Copy and paste this code at the very top of your article. While not all of these fields will be applicable for every aesthetic, it is recommended to fill in as many fields as possible.

{{Aesthetic
|title1 = (Name of the Aesthetic)
|image1 = (Filename.jpg)
|caption1 = (Description of the image)
|other_names = (Synonyms)
|decade_of_origin = (e.g., late 2010s)
|location_of_origin = (e.g., a city, region, country, or ethno-cultural community)
|creator/s = (Name of creator if known)
|coined_by = (Who coined the term?)
|key_motifs = (e.g., VHS static, Greek statues, palm trees)
|key_colours = (e.g., Neon pink, cyan)
|key_values = (e.g., Nostalgia, consumerism)
|related_aesthetics = [[Aesthetic A]]<br>[[Aesthetic B]]
|subgenres = (Specific subtypes)
|primary_platform = (e.g., TikTok, Instagram)
|related_media = (Key movies/games)
|related_brands = (Key fashion brands)
|iconic_figures = (Key influencers/artists)
|preceded_by = (Aesthetics that came before)
|succeeded_by = (Aesthetics that came after)
|overlaps_with = (Aesthetics that share key elements or timeline)
}}