Light Academia Summer Outfits (13+ Must-Haves List 2024)

The Light Academia aesthetic is a sub-genre of the academia aesthetic. The summer outfit style is based around traditional boarding school or university school uniforms with a softer and more romantic vibe. The neutral, cream, pastel, muted, light pink and blue color scheme is very popular in light academia visuals. The outfit style is rich in textures: knit, cotton, satin, silk or linen are common materials.

The aesthetic also has roots in minimalism and preppy fashion. The light academia aesthetic is often confused with the cottagecore aesthetic(which is more nature-based) or soft girl aesthetic(which is more kawaii, cute and colorful).

I like to think that light academia outfits are a great way to transition into hot summers. The cozy outfits remind us of the fall but can still be worn in warmer weather.

The possibilities are endless when creating light academia summer outfits. You can go for a chic look or even a casual streetwear style look. If you want to create your own look then try using these light academia aesthetic clothing pieces and accessories!

Light Academia Summer Shirt

Light Academia Satin Blouse

Light Academia Jewelry

Light Academia Summer Top

Light Academia Summer Maxi Dress

Light Academia Summer Linen Dress

Classic Tennis Skirt

High Waist Vintage Plaid Skirt

Light Academia Summer Shorts

Light Academia Thin Summer Vest

Light Academia Summer Blazer

Light Academia Summer Outfits For Male

Light Academia Summer Shoes

What is the difference between light and dark academia outfits?

While both light and dark academia aesthetics are stereotypically associated with traditional boarding school, college and university students, the light academia aesthetic has more of a focus on lighter colors (such as white, beige and light brown) and pastels, while dark academia aesthetic outfits prefer dark colors. You can always layer light academia clothes with a darker color jacket, blazer, vest, cardigan or sweater to be converted to a dark academia fashion diva.

What should you wear to look light academia?

For the top, a light academia summer outfit can include a clean white button-up with a loose fit, a flowing linen gown in light neutral colors, a nude color summer blazer, and a super-thin sweater vest to be worn as a shirt. For the bottom, you can pair with some checked or plaid midi skirts, corduroy or plaid shorts/cotton pants with a pale shade, then wear some classic oxford shoes or loafers.

How do you style your hair for summer light academia aesthetic?

The hairstyle is the most important thing to nail in the Light Academia style, and it’s one of the best ways to instantly transform yourself into an alumnus of a prestigious institution this summer. There’s a wide variety of hairstyles that can work with this aesthetic, but they all have one thing in common: they’re low-maintenance. Think loosely tousled buns, messy ponytails, braids, and loose waves. The goal here is to achieve an effortless look.

Simple and classy hair accessories can be used as hair grip, think silk or velvet scrunchies or hair bows, vintage claw clip, or tiny hairpins of pearl designs, in gold or rose gold colors.

How do you do light academia summer nails?

Nail art is a great way to add a personal touch to your outfit so you can show off your creativity within the aesthetic’s boundaries. Nails are meant to compliment your outfit and accessories.

A simple French manicure is a perfect choice for a clean and sophisticated light academia look. However, you can also wear other types of nail designs such as nude or light pink colors with a matte finish. Just don’t go overboard with bright colors, glitter, or other loud patterns! If you’re going for a more formal look then stick with simple nude color.

How do you do light academia aesthetic tattoos?

A tattoo is the best way to add some personal flair to your light academia summer outfit. This aesthetic is all about looking classy and refined, so it’s usually best to keep visible tattoos small, simple and subtle — think line drawings, letters or minimalist patterns instead of big, elaborate designs.

Literary related patterns will look nice, such as a stack of books, a teacup or coffee mug, a typewriter, a quote from your favorite classic book, a short poem, an ampersand, a semicolon, a painting, sword/knife, snake, little dragon, something in Greek or Latin, flowers, a statue of your favorite philosopher, and possibly anything art history related.

How do you do makeup for light academia in summer?

For the light academia summer look, you can have a very natural makeup look that focuses on brows and eyeshadow. You can go with a simple light pink lipstick or even pink eyeshadow. You may also want to consider bringing in an accent color such as yellow to make your look pop!

What accessories to wear with light academia summer outfits?

Once you’ve chosen your makeup look, you’ll want to move on to accessories.

Jewelry works well for this light academia aesthetic, but again it should be subtle rather than flashy. You can’t go wrong with a book-themed or poem/quotes style thin gold necklace. Don’t forget to add some lightweight gold or silver bracelets or rings, and pearl studs too! Light academia doesn’t have to be boring – it can be fun and flirty too! Other accessories for the mysterious and elegant look include watches, leather folders, tote bags for books and vintage sunglasses.

How to dress light academia for college in summer?

The light academia outfits are usually very vintage-inspired and preppy. It is a great style for summer because of the pale color preference. Classic pieces, such as tailored trousers, pleated skirts reminiscent of a prep school uniform, plaid or tweed separates, and a sharp pair of loafers, are driving light academic outfits for the college style.

How to dress light academia for summer street style?

To make this aesthetic for casual summer street style, you can wear a linen collared shirt, satin blouses, thin vests that give off a more academic vibe than a patterned t-shirt. Denim is also not commonly worn in light academia style, but rather a neutral light color plaid skirt, corduroy shorts, dress pants, skinny pants, slacks and trousers. The whole concept of light academia is very minimalist and preppy, so you need to put together your casual outfit accordingly.

Where to buy light academia aesthetic clothes for summer?

Ralph Lauren is a fashion brand that is particularly associated with light academia for those with a budget. Other store names that carry a lot of pieces for your light academia summer fashion wardrobe include Nordstrom, ASOS, Anthropologie, Mango, J.Crew, Uniqlo, Urban Outfitters, Zara, Zalando, H&M and YesStyle.

For those who want to dress in light academia for cheap, you can find a lot of light academia clothes and fashion websites, so it is easy for you to build a light academia wardrobe. In fact, similar items can be purchased at a cheaper price on Amazon or eBay. If you want to buy light academia fashion items at the lowest sale price (and do not care about long-term quality or copyright issues) then you can even explore sources like Shein, AliExpress or Wish.

Another good idea to support small businesses and get quality deals is to shop from your local second-hand stores, vintage shop, flea markets, consignment stores, yard sales and Craigslist. You can even treasure hunt grandmother’s wardrobe. Delivery time is usually the fastest when ordering from Amazon or shopping locally.

If you are into handmade crafting, ethnic clothing and indie styles, you can spend some hours in our DIY session or shop from Etsy to get inspiration for light academia sewing patterns and your other fashion needs. For more light academia room aesthetics, and light academia winter outfits, don’t forget to check out our website!