21 Classic Dark Academia Wardrobe Essentials that Make Your Dark Academia Outfit Impressive

Blazer

Blazer is the symbol of a formal and professional image, which fits the concept of dark academia fashion perfectly.

If you choose a black blazer, the look could be too formal or seem cold. If you choose a blazer with warmer color like brown, khaki, or a lighter color like gray, it could look more casual and softer.

If you want to make your look more classic or less boring, you can wear a plaid blazer or a houndstooth blazer.

Shirt or Blouse

Shirt and blouse are clothes that you can wear all year round, which is incredibly practical.

In spring and summer, you can simply wear a shirt or blouse, and pair it with a skirt or pants. In fall and winter, you can pair it with a sweater, sweater vest, cardigan, or dress which I will mention later.

If you want to look more mannish or chicer, I recommend getting a collared shirt. If you want to look more girly and have a romantic look, you can get a vintage style ruffled blouse.

Knit Top

Knit top is for the women who want to have a chic dark academia look.

Not only is it so chic and stylish but also it almost can match every type of clothes. Even just pair it with a necklace, earrings, bracelets, or a watch, it’s gonna be a very attractive look.

I recommend choosing a black or neutral color (beige, khaki, brown, etc.) knit top for your dark academia outfit. You can have the one with a crew neck or turtle neck or both.

Here is the tip to choose the best shorts and pants for your dark academia outfit:

In addition to dark tone solid shorts and pants, you can also try corduroy, wool, plaid shorts and pants.

And for the pants, it’s better to choose the slacks which are relatively loose-fit pants instead of skinny pants.

Mini Skirt

Same as shorts and pants, solid, corduroy, wool, plaid, and also pleated mini skirt will be great for a dark academia look.

Especially the pleated mini skirt is one of the best fashion items for dark academia outfits because it resembles a school uniform.

A-line Midi Skirt

A-line midi skirt is the item that can make your dark academia outfit extremely feminine.

If you pair an A-line midi skirt with a collared shirt, you can have a vintage dark academia look.

And if you pair the skirt with a knit top, then you will have a modest and elegant dark academia look!

Dress

Although dresses relatively have less dark academia vibes, we still can create lovely dark academia looks with them.

If you have a sleeveless plaid mini dress, try pairing it with a collared blouse and a crossbody bag, it’s gonna make you extra cute!

Two-Piece Set

Having a two-piece set will make your life a lot easier. It’s like half of your outfit is already completed!

All you need to do is think about what type of top you’re going to match. And to be honest, I believe most of the tops will fit the two-piece set whether it’s a shirt, knit top, or even a t-shirt!

Newsboy Cap

Honestly, I couldn’t think of any other hat that can fit dark academia outfits better than a newsboy cap.

Look at the color, the fabric, and the vibe of the newsboy cap, it just perfectly matches any dark academia outfit you can imagine.

Glasses

Glasses have magic that not only do they can make the person who wears glasses look stylish but also look more intelligent.

Even if you have good vision and don’t have a chance to wear glasses, there are many non-prescription glasses you can wear for having a different dark academia look!

Jewelry

It’s nice to match common jewelry like gold or silver earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, etc. But if you want to make your dark academia outfit perfect, I recommend wearing jewelry made of brass or bronze, which has a darker tone and looks more vintage and mysterious.

Suspender

Suspender is an accessory that can help you easily create a boyish dark academia look.

Especially, if you wear a collared shirt, a pair of slacks, a suspender, and a newsboy cap, you will have a classic vintage look, just like a newsboy.

Or replace the shirt with a blouse, and try wearing a suspender with a mini skirt, then your outfit will look a lot more feminine and lovely.

Leather Belt

A dark academia outfit with and without a leather belt has a huge difference.

It’s like there’s something missing or the look is incomplete when there is no leather belt.

However, when you add a leather belt to your dark academia outfit, especially when there is a color contrast between the belt and your pants or skirt, the overall look will instantly get chicer.

Satchel Bag

Satchel bag is a type of bag that is used to carry books and it’s a common bag for students who go to school, which is literally the perfect bag for dark academia outfits.

There are a lot of variations of a satchel bag for now. You can either get a classic satchel bag for a classic dark academia look or get a casual satchel bag that you can carry daily!

Classic Watch

Although a lot of people are using smartphones and digital watches instead of classic watches (and there is nothing wrong with that), to be honest, classic watches are way more stylish and if you wear the right watch, it shows that you have good taste in fashion. You can simply wear a classic watch and upgrade your entire look.

It is said that oxford shoes were named after Oxford University in the UK because the students there used to wear oxford shoes on campus. And I believe that tells us why oxford shoes are undoubtedly suitable for dark academia fashion.