Nicole:

I would definitely have to say that academia is the best aesthetic there is. Not only is it the most versatile, but literally anyone can live by it. In life, we are always in a state of learning no matter who we are. Why not dress the part?

Academia as an aesthetic that encompasses several different realms of dress and lifestyle. A few of its subsections are dark, light, soft, goth, punk and romantic academia. Each of these branches has its own style and hobbies. If someone prefers darker colors and intensity, they would fit nicely in the darker sides of this aesthetic. If another person prefers lighter colors and delicacy, they could live by the lighter sides. No matter what a person’s stylistic preference is, they can find a niche in the academia aesthetic that fits perfectly for them. 

Moreover, one of the main ideas behind this aesthetic is the beauty of learning. No matter what side of academia a person belongs to, there is a widespread appreciation for attaining knowledge. I believe that this ideal is shared by nearly everyone, regardless if they believe they fall into the academia aesthetic.

Now, it is important to note the difference between school and learning. Personally, I am not partial to being forced to wake up at a certain time to attend classes that I am uninterested in. That said, I absolutely adore learning. The idea of digging through a Shakespearean text and annotating it with my favorite highlighters and pens sounds divine. I know what I like to learn about, and I believe that if everyone thought about it we would all find something that we enjoy learning about. It could be video games, architecture, biology, et cetera. So, if we all enjoy learning to some degree, then we all share the key ideal behind the academia aesthetic. 

In both style and philosophy, the academia aesthetic has a place for everyone. I believe this is what makes it the most qualified for the title of “best aesthetic.”

Marissa:

Personally, I’d have to say a retro aesthetic is the best kind of aesthetic. The name for this would be nostalgiacore. Nostalgiacore allows for society to journey to the past and remember the timeless feels and favorites of our parents and our parents’ parents.

This aesthetic applies to any time in the last 120 years. The emphasis on this aesthetic really comes more through the past 50 years. But either way, there is a lot to work with when it comes to nostalgiacore.  

We constantly see things coming back into trend, whether it be fashion, games or music styles, history can tend to repeat itself. 

Nostalgiacore allows for so many different styles within itself. There’s colorful decades, like the disco 70s and 80s, more somber ones, like the 20s and 30s. By embracing this aesthetic, one gets to pick from a wide variety of things from the past and hold onto them. 

This aesthetic allows for us to not move too fast. Modern trends can get weird or even just plain ugly. Nostalgiacore allows for us to connect with older generations but by still keeping a sense of youth about us. There always seems to be a generational disconnect, and by allowing ourselves to embrace things of the past, we not only remember important events and eras, but we also create an opportunity to bridge the gap between young and old, past and present. 

Even though many people would like to move quickly and embrace change. While this may be a good thing, sometimes it is inversely good to embrace things of old. Some may say it is outdated, or not worth much anymore, and they may be, but these things meant so much back then, and can mean differently but be just as valuable now. 

This is why nostalgiacore is the best aesthetic.