Dark Academia - anyone who loves this style?

[highlandcoo]

And where to find it?

This is how I want to dress this winter. More skirts and dresses rather than trousers as my waist is not the best and the trousers can look bulky unless you have a good waistline I think.

I love tweed and wool and flannel and autumn colours. Not black! Although brown is sometimes hard to find. Love brown leather for boots and bags. I really want to get away from jeans and chunky boots for a change.

I think I can knit some jumpers and cardigans. But I would love a big tweedy coat. I have a couple of really nice brown tweed hats from a shop in Edinburgh who made the hats for Peaky Blinders. But I need the right sort of coat to go with them. My long cosy puffy coat is cosy but totally wrong.

Any aficionados out there?

This all sounds lovely. I think Etsy is the place to shop.

I like it too and reckon that you’ll be able to pick stuff up easily enough in the charity shops that fit the aesthetic.

Try TOAST (look on Vinted, v pricey but well made).
Also some plain pieces from Cos and similar.

Thanks all. I will have a look at Etsy and another look at Vinted where I've found the occasional good buy. I wish we had a Toast shop near here. I do like their clothes although they tend to drown me rather whereby some pinafores etc make me look like a very old little girl .. so have to choose carefully.

Charity shops round here are not too promising; there's blingy stuff by the barrowload but lovely, classic, good quality vintage clothes are vanishingly rare.

I do like Cos. I tend to have to search through every rail to find one item I want to buy, however when I do find something it always becomes a much-loved, much-worn part of my wardrobe. I probably wouldn't describe it as Dark Academia though.

Any further ideas, especially links to websites, would be very welcome

I've found a Barber jacket works surprisingly well style-wise with the bonus of actually being waterproof. It depends if you want to look like US or British 1960s academic though! Most of my heavy wool stuff comes from a second hand shop aimed at older women with tops from normal shops.

Have you looked at Pinterest, OP?

Lots of inspo on there.

I had no idea this was a thing, yet it sounds (or some of it sounds) like the kind of thing I wear -- lots of dark colours, slouchy shapes, wool, big coats, scarves, leather boots, satchels, plus I'm an academic, which has to get me some points.

Most of my clothes are ancient and well-preserved, but some brands I've bought from recently are Margaret Howell, Cos, The Knotty Ones. I often wear men's cashmere jumpers over narrow wool skirts with big boots. My shoes and bags are all old and much-repaired.

What is your preferred version of 'Dark Academia', though, OP?

Reading with intrigue

Massimo Dutti and Esprit, but you'll have to wait until they release their new season

Everyday is a school day on the Style & Beauty board! Did a quick google and it looks like the moody cousin to the luxe/Italian grandparent aesthetic (which, funnily, I have just been explaining to another poster on a different thread)! Does the New Yorker article I have linked describe it well?
Think I could fall in love with it and will also be reading with intrigue.

Also, look at the new A/W Oska pages - you can search by colour.
Whilst it's not very form fitting, there are some beautiful (£££££) trousers and preppy coats to wear with boots.
Might be a little dark academic.

I've always had a soft spot for Oska Ischiko but some of their stuff was (whisper) a bit shapeles. Someone has given their A/W range a real makeover. It's still recognisably Oska Ischiko but the design is sharper and colours are richer. It looks elegant.

@StamppotAndGravy I think I'm going almost more for an Edwardian/Victorian look but not so fussy if that makes sense. Like a long full - or slim but flaring at the hem - tweed skirt or flannel skirt and a hand-knit jumper or cardigan. Which sounds a bit 30s/40s too? I fancy a long tweed coat but not too formal in shape. I also like the shape of a long riding jacket, maybe in cord or velvet. Maybe lace-up boots. I think brogues could work too but I'm more of a boot person.

@Lookingoutside yes loads of good photos on Pinterest. It's just actually finding where to buy the stuff that's tricky. I've seen some skirts that look OK but when you look closely I suspect the quality is not too great. Time to brush up my sewing skills perhaps.

@Paperclipped I like the sound of your wardrobe! Yes Margaret Howell is a good shout. I hadn't heard of The Knotty Ones so thanks for that. Not cheap though! I might be able to knit similar jumpers myself, so a great website for ideas.
Men's cashmere jumpers also a good thought.
I prefer skirt and dresses to trousers in the winter and I love boots and also partial to a brown leather belt. I have a couple of nice leather satchel type bags already.
I have a nice kilted skirt from Celtic and Co and just thinking that some dark tartan could be a good part of the look, but in a less traditional version.
I'm picturing something a bit Edwardian/Victorian rather than the more American preppy look I think.

@MandyFl0ss I'll look out for your suggestions thank you

@Mumsanetta that New Yorker article was very interesting, thank you. I am decades away from the 14-25 year olds they mention as adopting the aesthetic! However thinking back, when I was that age as an English Lit student my style wasn't that far off from what I'm aiming for now. I wonder if we always hanker back to how we loved to dress when we were younger .. or just find our favourite style when we're quite young and don't essentially change?
I really like the tweed jackets in the photo and I love those dark colours. Love autumn and winter clothes in general. They help make up for the rubbish weather in this country.

I think Celtic and co could have some good pieces that would work well with this look. Their skirts seem perfect for this style and quite a few of their chunkier jumpers and cardigans would work if you styled them up in the dark academia style. Expensive though

@Helpwhatwouldyoudonext and @NatashaDancing yes, I've liked the llok of Oska on the hanger and then once I've tried something on I've felt a bit drowned by the shapelessness .. of the dresses and tops especially. I don't mind loose clothes but I think they need to not be baggy around the neck and shoulders and Oska hasn't worked for me so far.
That boiled wool coat is excellent though (I just wish not was in brown).

@bluesky45 yes I've had a couple of nice pieces from Celtic and Co. I agree they're not cheap but what I've bought from them I've worn loads so worth the money.

Checkout Brora, House of Bruar also country huntin shootin websites for tweed jackets, brown boots etc. (Or find them second hand on eBay).

Definitely Brora. You won’t need to look anywhere else - as long as you can afford the £££

I'd love to see some pics of what this look is like... I like the sound of it!

And Walker Slater https://www.walkerslater.com/

I haven't deliberately gone after this look but a lot of my winter clothes would fit it e.g
Cabbages and Roses dress
Laura Ashley riding coat (that's not my one but very similar)
Cabbages and Roses drill coat

I have a navy velvet dress bought from Lillith in Paris which is very similar to the Cabbages and Roses dress but buttons down the back,
various &Daughter dresses, like these
& Daughter 1
& Daughter 2
& Daughter 3
A long sleeved black linen button through dress with masses of pin tucking on the front and back and turn back cuffs
Couple of long Max Mara coats
Some Eponine dresses which would fit the remit (one example -black and pink below) and Edina Ronay ( one example green and red below)

3 Harris Tweed jackets
This Mackintosh
Mackintosh
Also a plain, straight navy Mackintosh