What are /r/DarkAcademia's favorite Products & Services?

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Pen: go for the Pentel Energel. The barrel is not the most DA ever or anything, but it writes smoothly, the ink output is great, and you can use highlighters over it. A fountain pen with black ink is great too of course, but what you write with those usually cannot handle highlighters.

Notebooks: Paperblanks are very pretty and very DA, but also very expensive. I would personally go for cheaper simply black notebooks. You could always use stickers on those, or just keep them as they are. Go for the cheap ones, and actually use them, and they will be supremely DA. I have great experiences with the Oxford notebooks.

Highlighters: those can be great for notes to light up certain parts. I'm not sure if there are any really DA colours though, unless you count grey. What I often do is rewriting my notes (D&D-notes in my current situation, but I did the same when I studied) and write some words in another colour. If you go for these Pentel Energels anyway, they have loads of colours, including ones like brown, darker green, dark blue, red.

As for note taking in class, I have the experience that those notes will never be pretty, and that fountain pens do not work as great as I often wished. You can take a regular notebook and f.i. a gel pen and rewrite your notes.

Thank you! The walls are ceramic tile that mimics brick (because I live in a modern house and the construction brick of the building itself was bleh). I’ve debated between doing plaster imitation brick, MDF panelling and ceramic tile, and finally settled on tile, because it’s the most sturdy)

ALL the furniture is IKEA. The tall bedside units is a PAX unit with dark wood-like rustic door, and the cabinet units are MALSJO. The wall lights are like these: https://www.amazon.com/Industrial-Bedroom-Corridor-Restaurant-Basement/dp/B07V293WFH

Can you change the colours of your computer tower's lights? It might help to turn them to either some kind of green or red if that's possible.

Perhaps you can throw some kind of fabric over your gaming chair, like this thing, at least when you're not using it - and when you're not using it, you can put a pillow on there too or something. Get a nice DA screensaver for your monitors too - when they're off they will always be this black squares, if you'd put something on them you couldn't use them, but then at least they'll blend in a little more when you have them on. If I search for 'books' on Pixabay, there are quite some great DA pictures you could use for that.

As you move into spring/summer, you may want to transition to r/LightAcademia. Of course, you can go dark all year 'round, but summer is known for lighter colors and thinner fabrics. And for good reason: It's hot out!!!

In any case, move away from wool tweed, knitted sweaters, and long sleeves in favor of thinner materials and lighter layers. Think: What would the Ivy League boys be wearing in the summer as they vacation in the Hamptons (That's a U.S. reference, I know...), set sail on their family's yacht, play croquet and badminton, and lounge by the pool with a good book? My mind goes to lightweight chinos, linen pants, loafers or boat shoes, polo shirts, lightweight button ups with the sleeves rolled up and a cricket vest thrown over top or a preppy sweater around the shoulders. If you still really want to wear dark colors, you can do so of course. Just look for clothing items with lighter weight materials.
Good luck, and post some OOTD photos as you move through the season!

Wholeheartedly agree with your point regarding notebooks, I wouldn’t waste your money on the likes of moleskin or paperblanks for uni notes. I used Oxford notebooks myself actually, and I also got myself a nice sturdy slim binder/folder like this for my lose pages.

For highlighters I’d recommend the Zebra Mildliners, they have different sets and some of the colours they include are grey, brown and the likes but I really liked using the deep yellow, oranges and greens.

I usually go for Zebra pens too, they’ve some really lovely smooth ones.

I also have the same advice that notes taken during class will never be pretty, so don’t bum yourself out. It was usually when I was studying and rewriting my notes that I got to experiment with making them pretty :) best of luck!!

Thanks, I got the coat off of Amazon, Here's the link; https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K9NVZ7Q?pf_rd_r=XZ1B98HYK8PH3CVKKW7J&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee

I used Aesthetic-kit https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aesthetic.kit.icons.theme.chnager

The launcher I also use is Nova just incase default android launcher won't let you change the icons https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teslacoilsw.launcher

I got them off amazon a couple months ago they’re awesome:)

GenSwin Flameless Ivory Taper Candles Flickering with 10-Key Remote, Battery Operated Led Warm 3D Wick Light Window Candles Real Wax Pack of 6, Christmas Home Wedding Decor(0.78 X 9.64 Inch) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YHPRWSF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_2WB637A946QY9RWAVKDG?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Not sure if they have A4 (their sizes seem to be slightly different and my European metric head cannot compute inches somehow), but Amazon carries Paperblanks notebooks. Those are amazing. From what I can see this one at least is pretty close to A4:

https://www.amazon.com/Yeats-Easter-Ultra-Journal-Paperblanks/dp/1439734801/ref=sr\_1\_21?dchild=1&keywords=paperblanks+A4&qid=1625680813&rnid=2941120011&s=office-products&sr=1-21

thanks! you can find them on amazon!

EzPosterPrints - Vintage Style Travel Poster Series- Poster Printing - Wall Art Print for Home Office Decor - Rome - 12X18 inches https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QX9DNQD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_T0MCFbWGGYM6X

I prefer a gender neutral-to-femme aesthetic so I have a few pair of fabric shorts in black, grey, and brown. I pair those with lightweight shirts like tank tops, thin blouses, even crop tops that have the detailing/colors/and styling I'm looking for. From there it's usually sandals or flats and a few accessories.

I'll also pair sundresses or skirts/tops with parasols to give me the shade I need to stay cool. Fans also help with ventilation, and a hip flask or something similar is a good way to keep water on-hand. (I can't find a good Amazon link for the parasol style I have, but it's not lace. It's essentially a fabric umbrella with a wooden handle)

Thank you! Every one of them came from a garage sale or Goodwill. I just spray painted them brass to match one another. Gold was too light a spray paint, and picture frames already the color I wanted were $30+ each.

Ya it’s hard to put given the small space, perhaps pick one wall and add something like these

https://www.amazon.ca/Amada-Floating-Shelves-Mounted-Bamboo/dp/B088ZHD3XC/ref=mp_s_a_1_28?qid=1667236739&refinements=p_n_feature_twenty_browse-bin%3A6827012011&s=kitchen&sr=1-28

I recently received this glass pen and ink calligraphy set for my birthday and used it today to design greetings cards. I’m a huge fan! Would recommend.

Link to the neat watch I found!

A Lesson in Love and Death by WH Lockwood is just out. It hits all the right buttons. It’s set at a gothic university but they’re studying literature so they talk about other DA classics like Frankenstein in the middle of a DA book. It’s perfect. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B77BV5J7?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420

I found these on Amazon for £20, I don't know if it's the sort of thing you're looking for.

Top Collection 14-Inch Greek God Pluto and Proserpina Statue by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680). Premium Cold Cast Marble. Museum-Grade Masterpiece Replica.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001A07T3U/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_AS6QVV6MYCYC4K65NA3Z

I have one I created, although it's not very /student/ based:
https://www.notion.so/j10ilys/dark-academia-template-4e516d5a4a1a4bd4843ef5463cef54c9

For PJs I think dark jewel colours in satin or silk are very DA! Cotton striped PJs are as well, in navy or red. A velvet robe is quite DA. I would look at Harry Potter scenes where they’re sitting around the common room in their PJs for inspo.

For loungewear…I mean, it’s hard to make loungewear look like anything but loungewear, but adding cardigans might help? I know that my default “around the house” outfit tends to be black leggings, a t-shirt, socks and a chunky cardigan (kind of like this). You could go DA with the socks too, by choosing argyle patterns etc.

Good luck with your stay!

As far as those online courses you may be in luck! I remember at the beginning of covid someone put together a list of online Ivy-league courses you can take for free. I signed up and did the first half of classic Greek philosophy — it was super interesting (I just got busy with life lol I am also 23 and working)

Some you can pay for an official “certificate” but not sure what those are actually worth, but if you just want to take a class because you’re curious on the subjects I’d def recommend. (Unfortunately too I don’t think they would count for credit either :/)

https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/ivy-league-free-online-courses-a0d7ae675869/

Anyway, cheers and welcome ☕️

Here's the link to the skirt if anyone is interested, I got the color coffee brown in long! https://www.amazon.com/IDEALSANXUN-Womens-Winter-Skirts-Medium/dp/B09GS9BBB6/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?keywords=Wool%2BSkirts&qid=1636579076&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFYN004MFlKV1pQNVcmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTEwMDU4NTQ4...

Trying to decide what other color would be most versatile in my wardrobe. I want to buy them all but I really shouldn't 😭

Nvm I found it again lol.

DEALSANXUN Womens High Elastic Waist Maxi Skirt A-line Plaid Winter Warm Flare Long Skirt https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HRJQ655/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_CXGZY177FSRDJY7VBKET?psc=1

No, certainly not extinct.

Have you read Tobacco? It’s really informative. It has everything from the Indians cultivating it, the fermentation process, the chemical structure of nicotine, European technologies improving upon production. It even gets into social aspects such as why cigarettes became the symbol of the working class, while pipes became the symbol of the upper-middle class.

Thank you! I'm kind of a fan of my own handwriting tbh - been working at it since roughly middle school lol

Here's a link for the mug - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G8HW7L2/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_ANRMPA9GE6PM4AFPT8F2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

It's definitely my favorite tea/coffee mug rn, and I've had it for close to a year I think. Real nice quality, and very pretty. ❤

Julian was based on Claude Fredericks and he left detailed journals about his schooling at Harvard however which volume contains those precise years I can’t remember. These are like the super secret gems of da. idk, you look like someone who actually likes to read. Tom O’Neal, aka Henry, called them the next step after Proust.

Thank you 🥰🥰

Ofc! The skirt was super affordable - lol I actually got it off of Amazon and it’s legit a girls uniform skirt:

French Toast Girls' Pleated Skirt https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XBBSEZI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_A2HJBJN4PDYWVS2K6AAJ

The top I got from banana republic a while ago so I don’t think it’s being sold anymore :(

Sizing is a full size small. So order a size up from what you normally wear. Blown away by the quality. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0998BHCP9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_E2FFSKJ96ST09PJ44RXY?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

They are I actually got them from Amazon!

All American Collection New 4 Piece Drape Set with Attached Valance and Sheer with 2 Tie Backs Included (84" Length, Black) https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B073YJ63N7/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_7JSQZ1NFKKBCMNX6SCSS?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Duolingo is pretty shit for Latin bro imma be real w u. The grammar system in Latin is so formulaic that just learning vocab (what Duolingo does) won’t get you anywhere, even if you can figure out some of the grammar by doing different modules. I recommend buying Wheelock’s Latin https://www.amazon.com/Wheelocks-Latin-7th/dp/0061997226

It's the Iron Annie Amazonas 5976-5 it cost 230€ new but i got a deal and got it for 190€ instead on a french retail website, but you can get it on amazon (us link) if you want.

And yes the band looks way darker irl than in the ad pictures lol

Found it on amazon!

https://www.amazon.com/Caradise-Womens-Chunky-Patent-Uniform/dp/B086ZF2TLJ?hcb=1

If you like these type of shoes, you can google “Mary Janes” and find a lot of similar ones btw (:

If you can’t paint, there’s removable vinyl wallpaper that looks just as nice. Some of them have really nice flocking - I got excited and looked it up myself, check this one out! York Wallcoverings Tres Chic Graphic Damask Removable Wallpaper, Blacks https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B001VFX3NO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_JDVHEFZTP937359BNEJF

i got this wax on amazon! this one definitely doesn’t seem metallic. only con is there’s no wick so i melt it over a spoon like in the video

FQL 5Pcs Sealing Wax Sticks... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076K7TL8J?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

As for binders, consider buying a faux leather one. The reality of contemporary university life means computers and technology are essentials. Dark academia isn't about denying current tech items, but rather its about incorporating lost elements of the past into the modern world. I would learn how to incorporate it into the DA aesthetic.

https://www.amazon.com/2Fold-Supply-Binder-Vintage-Leather/dp/B083V775DK/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=Vintage+Binder&qid=1607107084&sr=8-5

I'm a guy so I'm not sure about women's watches, but I've always thought something simple like the Timex Weekender or The Timex Chronograph would go decent in a DA type outfit. Something with a tan face and maybe a leather strap. Perhaps a skeleton or open heart watch Go for brands like Orient, Seiko, Timex, Citizen as they have relatively affordable options while still being of quality. Avoid Fossil.

Oh my god, that sounds like such a painful place to be, I'm so sorry..! You know, this makes complete sense to me. Perhaps your brain now also associates writing with this strict structure and those regulations, and now that they are gone, that you are more free about it all, your creative energy doesn't get triggered. Do you think you could possibly trigger it by creating your own system and your own rules? Like a writing routine that you follow?

I also would like to recommend this book, it is really quite remarkable and I have found it to be very useful for writer's block in the past:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blocks-Enlightened-Clear-Writers-Creative/dp/190543071X/ref=mp_s_a_1_30?dchild=1&keywords=writer%27s+block&qid=1600813314&sr=8-30

Shakespeare journal:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shakespeare-Sir-Thomas-More-Journal/dp/1439729093/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=journal+shakespeare&qid=1600175286&sr=8-1

I think it you can definitely have a da aesthetic with white furniture too. You could just buy some cheap vintage decorations online or in a thrift shop. I actually feel like it would keep things looking overall neat and nice. Another option you have is to buy one of those big stickers that have a wood pattern on them, and cover your furniture with it (I'm thinking about something like this)

Here's the link, it was 25$ for one statue: https://www.amazon.com/KIKITOY-Mythology-Goddess-Aphrodite-Decorations/dp/B07KWLZWB5/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=porcelain+greek+statue&qid=1596527351&sprefix=porcain+greek+&sr=8-3

It is true, often at least. It is the most glorious place. Interesting question regarding city or town, I personally would go with town, but it probably is something entirely different to be honest, if that makes sense. Brideshead Revisited has a post in this sub, it is magnificent, and the novel on which it is based is wonderful, too. The cast of the show is unreal, you get the box set quite cheap on Amazon. The show from the 80s though, not the modern movie, that is quite different and not true to the original. Take a look at the cast:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brideshead-Revisited-Collection-Anniversary-Remastered/dp/B0055CF9N6/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=brideshead+revisited&qid=1600525304&sprefix=brides&sr=8-3

The novel is by Evelyn Waugh. If you are into beautiful language and a little more sophisticated things, you are likely to enjoy it.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brideshead-Revisited-Profane-Memories-Captain/dp/0141182482/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=brideshead+revisited+book&qid=1600525405&sprefix=bridesh&sr=8-1

I was having a hard time finding shoes that I liked that were also comfortable, so I went to Amazon for these and am eternally grateful I did! You can find them here. I bought these, then broke down the pleather on them with some alcohol rub then stained and resealed them to give them a bit more character.

I recently bought a Parker fountain pen on Amazon, it works pretty good compared to the ones I used before but have eonly had it for a month but the reviews are pretty good.

Parker Vector Fountain Pen | Black with Chrome Trim | Medium Nib | Blue Ink | Hangtab https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00C2OUQ8I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_tVq5EbMTQ89GD

Hello! I was wondering if you guys could hit me with some blazer recommendations? I'm on a budget and need a new blazer but I keep finding those super bright and synthetic ones. I just don't vibe. I want something dark and with variety... best I've found so far is this blazer. I'd appreciate any help! Also, please send over any idea/wish lists on Amazon that you have for DA. I'd love to see your guy's ideas for products and also add some to mine!

Well there are five volumes total with the last two being the 2nd season of comics named Gotham Academy Second Semester. I’ve included a link to amazon to buy the first volume of the five. If digital is more your vibe you could subscribe to DC Universe the streaming service for the free trial and read the entire series there.

Amazon - Gotham Academy Vol. 1: Welcome to Gotham Academy (The New 52)