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Classic Academia is a subgenre of Academia that involves the inclusion of broader interests, topics, and subject matter than its other, more well known aesthetics. It is the defining halfway point between Dark Academia and Light Academia, both thematically and in color palette. Like Dark and Light Academia, it borrows its visuals and music heavily from the 19th and 20th centuries as well as from antiquity.

Visuals[]

  • Universities
  • Libraries
  • Museums
  • Cafés
  • Statues from Ancient Greece, Rome, or the Renaissance era
  • Globes
  • Chess sets
  • Hardcover books
  • Newspapers
  • Pianos
  • Violins
  • Cursive writing
  • Fountain pens
  • Typewriters
  • Film cameras
  • Tweed or lace fabric
  • Wildflowers
  • Candles, matches and vintage lighters
  • Wire frame and tortoiseshell glasses
  • Coffee
  • Tea
  • Any other visual shown in other academia aesthetics

Fashion[]

Classic Academia fashion, like dark and light academia, takes inspiration primarily from Mid 20th Century and/or timeless preppy clothing. Outfits that give "professorial" vibes or look akin to a school uniform reign supreme.

  • Tops
    • Wool Sweaters
    • Button Down Shirts/Blouses
    • Lacey Camisoles
    • Turtlenecks and Mock Necks
  • Bottoms
    • Plaid Skirts
    • Trousers
  • Outerwear
    • Beige Trench Coats
    • Blazers
  • Shoes
    • Doc Martens
    • Black Pumps
    • Mary Janes
    • Oxfords
    • Loafers
    • Cute Flats
  • Accessories
    • Neutral Makeup
    • Minimalistic Gold or Silver Toned Jewelry
    • Ties
    • Messenger Bags
    • Glasses
    • Watches

Movies[]

  • Dead Poets Society (1989)
  • Good Will Hunting (1997)
  • Harry Potter and the Sorcerer Stone (2001)
  • A Beautiful Mind (2001)
  • The Dreamers (2003)
  • The Da Vinci Code (2007)
  • Black Swan (2010)
  • Hugo (2011)
  • Hannibal (2013)
  • Kill Your Darlings (2013)
  • The Theory of Everything (2014)
  • The Imitation Game (2014)
  • The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018)
  • Little Women (2019)
  • Enola Holmes (2020)

TV Shows[]

  • Peaky Blinders (2013)
  • Sherlock (2010)
  • The Magicians (2015)
  • A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017)
  • Anne with an E (2017)
  • Elite (2017)
  • A Discovery of Witches (2018)
  • The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
  • The Queen's Gambit (2020)

Books[]

  • Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
  • Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  • On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
  • The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
  • Paradise Lost by John Milton
  • Hamlet by William Shakespeare
  • In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust
  • The Secret History by Donna Tartt
  • If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio
  • Babel by R. F. Kuang

Music[]

Most classical music fits within the aesthetic, but indie rock and pop are often found on classic academia playlists, too.

Composers[]

  • Johann Sebastian Bach
  • Johannes Brahms
  • Frederic Chopin
  • Felix Mendelssohn
  • Mozart
  • Johann Pachelbel
  • Clara Schumann
  • Robert Schumann
  • Giuseppe Tartini
  • Germaine Tailleferre

Artists[]

  • Beth Orton
  • Aretha Franklin
  • Dusty Springfield
  • Ella Fitzgerald
  • Etta James
  • Everything but the Girl
  • Lisa Stansfield
  • Mary J Blige
  • Mumford & Sons
  • The Lumineers
  • Roberta Flack
  • Saint Etienne
  • Sinéad O'Connor
  • Terry Callier
  • Vampire Weekend

Activities[]

  • Reading books
  • Writing
  • Watching old movies
  • Acting
  • Baths
  • Learning new languages
  • Learning a musical instrument
  • Sketching
  • Calligraphy
  • Photography
  • Listening to Music
  • Painting
  • Journaling

Resources[]

External links to help get a better understanding of this aesthetic.

Playlists[]

Pinterest Boards[]

Gallery[]

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