Project 333 – Three Months In

On February 1, 2014, I began Project 333 as a way to simplify my closet and wardrobe. The goal was to select 33 items to be the sole items worn for 3 full months. Gym wear and under clothes don’t count in the 33 items.  t took me 3 days to select my 33 items, but I whittled it down to just 33. At one month into it I reported out on my progress and now it has been three months and you’re probably wondering “how did I do?”

Some additional outfits after the 1st month

The Benefits of Project 333:

• I love how my closet looks and feels!  It is hard to describe, but more choices are like noise to our brains and souls.

My closet feels very zen now

• There is less choice which leads to less debate and less time spent getting dressed.
• I got more creative with combining things in unique ways which became more fun than I expected.
• Photo feedback increased my awareness of how I looked. At times once I saw the photo, I headed back upstairs to change my clothes.
• I probably was a bit more fashionable thanks to Project 333 and being more aware.
• At first it was a big deal to only have 33 items, but now it feels very easy and normal.
• No one laughed or really seemed to notice.

Challenges and How I Handled Them:

• On day five I lost an earring.  While it was lost I substituted the earrings for a hat which I needed more due to unexpected snow.
• I didn’t like some of the things I had chosen, so I took them out and found replacements.

These “flowy” pants and top just didn’t do it for me even though they are color coordinated. I felt matronly in them, so I swapped them out!

• I wore some items only once (mostly due to weather or events).  This I just counted as a learning experience.

Items I wore only once. White top is more dressy so I wore it out to a nice dinner. Ballet flats were too cold for our weather most days. And the shirt was a bit small to start with and then I gained some weight.

• I had the opportunity to get some discount items at Columbia Sportswear during the three months and I made a few very conscious purchases. We will see over time how important those purchases were or if it was me just wanting the discount. Funny how discounts can lull you into purchases you don’t really need.
• I was given a scarf as a gift from Ron who traveled 8,000 miles to see me. I accepted the gift and wore it to our final dinner as a way to honor my guest for his graciousness. You can’t be too anal about these things. As Courtney says, make it fun!

The beautiful scarf that Ron got me from Jordan.

• I realized my wardrobe is really rather random (without a clear plan).  I’d like to lean towards items that compliment my lifestyle and body more in the future.  I like tunic length, but don’t have many items that are tunic length.

Plans:

Today it is suddenly 81 degrees F in Portland which shows that summer is on its way! I now want to take what I have learned and apply it to another round of Project 333. I will go through the items I sealed up in another closet and see if any are items I no longer wish to keep. My goal is to get rid of more than I purchase in 2014 and that goes for clothes and household items. Then I will select my summer 33 and give myself permission to purchase only three wardrobe items during the next few months. I now can see my wardrobe from a bigger view, so I think those three purchases will be more intentional and less random. Maybe a tunic or two? We’ll see.

One of my favorite outfits