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.

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(Image credit: Phill Taylor)

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. 

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(Image credit: Phill Taylor)

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

Hannah Almassi
Editor in Chief

Hannah Almassi is the editor in chief of Who What Wear UK. Hannah has been part of the the Who What Wear brand since 2015, when she was headhunted to launch the UK sister site and social channels, implement a localised content strategy and build out the editorial team. She joined following a seven-year tenure at Grazia magazine, where she led front-of-book news, fashion features and shopping specials as fashion news and features editor. With experience in both print and digital across fashion and beauty, Hannah has over 16 years in the field as a journalist, editor, content strategist and brand consultant. Hannah has interviewed industry heavyweights such as designers including Marc Jacobs and Jonathan Anderson through to arbiters of taste including Katie Grand and Anna Dello Russo. A skilled moderator and lecturer specialising in the shift to digital media and e-commerce, Hannah’s opinion and work has been sought by the likes of CNBC, BBC, The Sunday Times Style, The Times, The Telegraph and MatchesFashion.com, among many others. Hannah is often called upon for her take on trends, becoming known as a person with their finger of the pulse of what’s happening in the fashion space for stylish Brits.

Hannah currently resides in Eastbourne with her photographer husband, incredibly busy son and highly Instagrammable cat.