I Stopped Buying Printed Clothes and This Is What Happened

I would never apply the term minimalist to my own wardrobe, but something happened over a year ago and getting ready every morning ever since has been (significantly more of) a breeze: I stopped buying into all of my print desires and started investing in plain clothes. You could say I was a print addict and now I'm a born-again purist. Don't get me wrong, I still LOVE print. But once upon a time I wouldn't be able to walk past a store window if a new motif caught my eye.

Every single kind of pattern in every single colourway can be found in my closet: paisley, psychedelic florals, patchwork, polka dots, leopard, argyle, abstract, ditsy, geometrics, tartans, stripes, new, vintage, designer, high street… You get the picture. Or do you? Because owning such a print-heavy collection is not conducive to a busy life. Nothing in my closet was working harmoniously—and as someone who values both sleep and working productively, this was far from ideal.

Blogger Talisa Sutton of Badlands should be on your list for coolly understated outfits.

Yes, I could wear a series of wax print skirts with plain roll-necks, but it's all too easy to tire of a statement like that. It was also tricky to pair this one item with any of the other loud entities, because, if I'm truly honest here, print-clashing is not my forte. It's for adventurous types like Susie Bubble to own and for me to stand back and admire. Print clashing takes time and practice. There are basic stages (Breton and leopard is good for novices), but with the plethora of print action on my rails, I was more likely to get lost en route. 

Fashion illustrator Jenny Walton is always a source of this kind of pared-down style.

I'm not saying don't ever buy print—everyone deserves that joy, especially when there are so many great options this season—but by zeroing in on interesting, versatile staples instead I have discovered the following:

A.) I get far more wear out of everything I now own.

B.) I've weeded out the prints that don't hold my attention and, therefore, I've scaled down my closet.

C.) I've cut the time it takes me to get ready by 30 minutes. The dream, right?

Scroll down to see and shop the kind of savvy pieces I'm focused on. Perhaps your routine will suddenly seem less stressful…

Related: 7 Looks That Will Make You Happy to Just Wear Jeans and a Top