Project-333 Continues – Fall 2014

In February I began my first round of Project-333 where I select 33 items of clothing and accessories to wear for three months. I did my second round in summer and now my third round for fall began in October, so it’s time to catch up a bit.

Here is my present wardrobe for October, November and December.

Me with all 33 items on me or in the bag!

My Fall 2014 Project-333 Wardrobe

My list of 33 items for this round

• Bottoms (2 pair of Jeans, 1 Leggings, 1 Skirt, 1 Dress)
• Tops (4 Long Sleeve, 2 Button up, 1 3/4 Sleeve, 3 Short Sleeve, 1 Sleeveless, and 2 Tank Tops)
• Outerwear (3 Coats, 2 Sweaters, 1 Vest, 3 pair of Shoes, 1 Purse, 1 Belt, 1 pair of Earrings and 3 Scarves)

I noticed even how I report out on my list is simpler and that I think of it more as bottoms, tops and outerwear versus 33 items. Many items have made it through all three cycles, such as my brown and ivory sweater with the leaf pattern, my purse and my belt. With these items I can come up with 100+ different looks.

All items that go on hangers

Sweaters and tops on hangers

I went from 2 pair of earrings to only 1 for this round as I got compliments on the pair I kept, but never did on the 2nd pair and I rarely wore the 2nd pair. I went from 3 pairs of jeans to 2 and swapped out my leggings for a thicker pair.

Pants for this round and 1 pair of earrings

Skirt and dress

Life has taught me that layering is always a good idea.  Three items from my Camino have made it into this round; my Mountain Hardware black light jacket, my Columbia light rain parka and my reversible vest. It also is fun to pull out my fuchsia coat out for a new season. I’d say this coat is one of my signature pieces as I love it and get compliments on it often.

Coats and vest

I’ve learned that three  pair of shoes is about right for me, no matter what season it is. I just swap out the sandals for dress boots and flats for hiking boots. The focus for Fall is warmth and protection from the rain and wetness of this season.

3 pair of shoes for Fall

I love a variety of colors and tend to have a casual look.  I also want to be sure and share my disclaimer, which is I am not a fashion consultant, although this project has caused me to be more aware of what goes with what and it has stretched my creativity to try new things.

Sweaters and tops

One of my favorite looks

I actually put twp items in this round so I can figure out if I am ever going to wear them, and if I like them or not. One is the soft fine corduroy button up shirt below. The other is a long blue sweater that matches the tank top I am wearing below. So don’t be afraid to try things out. It’s all about learning and you really can’t do anything wrong on this project.

A new look I am trying out

Scarves for Fall layering

What Summer Taught Me – A Debrief of Lessons Learned

Even with only 33 items, there are some that I didn’t wear. Style, fit or the events that I am attending can influence that.

Tops I wore once or not at all

Substituting is the way to go when new things come up such as a wedding.

I got the opportunity to attend two weddings this summer and I didn’t have the proper dress to wear, so I substituted a skirt that had a tear in it for a dress I bought at a re-sale shop. I had so much fun wearing dresses this summer! More fun than I remember in the past for some reason.

3 pair of shoes for summer works well for me and I wear my Birkenstocks 90% of the time

If you want to simplify your wardrobe, consider Project-333 or your own version of it. Even if you need to start with more items, you’ll have fun and you’ll learn new things about yourself, about fashion, and how you relate to your clothes.

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