5 Best Places to Shop for Dark Academia Clothing

It's almost autumn, which means my dark academia outfits that have been withering away in the summer months are ready for showtime.

It has taken me *years* to develop my style. For a long time, I didn't dress in a dark academia style because I was afraid of what people would say. I'm so glad I'm not in that place anymore & that I fully embrace my love of the dark academia style. I feel like I've truly found my style in dark academia and I'm able to live my life as my fully authentic self.

I often get asked questions on IG of where I get my clothing items from, so I wanted to put together a list of my favorite places to shop for dark academia clothing.

5. Uniqlo

In the summer/fall transition months, they actually have a back to school section where you can pick up some dark academia pieces. I've learned that dark academia style is all about mixing basic pieces in neutral colors with pops of prints every so often, and Uniqlo offers both! You can expect to pay anywhere from $20-30+ on each piece here. They offer $10 off your first order of $75 or more when you sign up for their emails. Uniqlo is great because you're getting high quality basics at a pretty affordable price point.

4. Bohme

Most of their pieces are more bohemian than dark academia, but if you're willing to do some creative searching, you can find quite a few pieces that fit the DA aesthetic! While some pieces are on the pricier side, they often have sales, and they do have a 15% off discount code for your first order if you sign up for their emails. Again, a lot of their pieces fit more of a boho aesthetic, but some of the prints they utilize can be repurposed to fit the dark academia aesthetic.

3. Clad & Cloth

While they are on the pricier side, they have high quality pieces, many of which fit the DA aesthetic. You do have to spend some time looking through their website to get to the dark academia style items, but they're well worth the effort! I got this super cute sweater vest on sale. Most of their items are themed more for spring and summer — at least at the time I'm writing this — which is great because a lot of DA fashion sites are themed for fall and winter. Again, C&C is on the pricier side of the sites on this list, but all of the reviews suggest that the pieces are high quality and worth the money.

2. H&M

H&M is great because they have a ton of basic pieces to compliment your statement pieces. Their solid tops & cozy sweaters will make the perfect additions to your dark academia wardrobe! The best part is that they run sales pretty often, and that they are for the most part pretty affordable. I love getting my basics from H&M. The dark academia aesthetic is all about layering neutral, basic pieces over items that have patterns on them. I understand that there are some people who prefer not to shop fromm H&M because they are a proponent of fast fashion, but if you are looking for affordable clothing pieces in the DA aesthetic, they are a really good option. Additionally, they pretty much ship worldwide, which is great!

1. SHEIN

I know fast fashion is not for everyone, but I felt the need to mention them here because of how affordable they are. I pretty much redid my entire wardrobe to fit the dark academia aesthetic for less than $150 using SHEIN. Because they're based out of China, shipping can take 2-3 weeks, but I promise it's worth the wait. As long as you read the reviews before purchasing, you should be fine. I personally have never had any sizing issues; I will say I pretty much always size up from my usual size, and so far that strategy has worked in my favor! If you search "dark academia fashion" on SHEIN, over 400 pieces pop up. It's an amazing place to get started with your dark academia search!