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- Kathryn Houghton
Embracing the Light Academia Aesthetic
Many of us have heard about the social phenomenon that is Dark Academia - a romanticized lifestyle for those who thirst for knowledge - but, as its name suggests, it can sometimes have a darker effect on our mentality.
With strong themes involving memento mori and a diet that seems to only consist of endless coffee and late nights of little sleep and intense study, many have found this aesthetic hard to keep up with and quite conforming. However, several of us romantics have taken the core of this aesthetic without all the problematic themes and created Light Academia!
It’s about more than just wearing creams and whites; Light Academia takes on a much softer approach to study. Even though it is still romanticized, there are incorporations of nature, eating enough to keep your mind sharp, and taking care of yourself. Not so much the mindset of endless studying.
Think of reading in the afternoon and dancing in the streets. Roaming through museums and mimicking the art. Studying in coffee shops with friends eating your second croissant. Finding abandoned buildings amongst fields of flowers. This aesthetic may have its class, but it’s all about embracing a calm spirit and peaceful approach to life!
That’s what I wanted to embody through this series of photos: that lighthearted flare to sophistication mixed with the fire we have for learning as much as we can. Maybe we’re not students. Maybe we just want to learn about life, about love and literature and beauty, and I think this aesthetic leaves room for all of that. It’s wonderful for any eclectic souls out there who can’t decide between cottages and a city flat or a dress and a flowy shirt.
So go ahead and let your perfectly curled hair get tousled by the wind, sleep in those few extra minutes, and take a breather when reading and studying feels all too much. Let your life be exhilarated by your mind and thoughts, and take in the beauty that seems to surround us every day.
