Project 333 Wardrobe Challenge
On Saturday I started Project 333: I chose 33 items of clothing, accessories, jewelry, and shoes to wear outside the house for the next 3 months.
Before: every girl needs an extra DVR box in her closet.
The idea behind Project 333 is well-documented; you can read about Courtney Carver’s capsule wardrobe challenge here and check the #Project333 hashtag on Instagram to see how I and other people are doing it. For me, the goal is twofold: to see if I can do it, and to welcome the notion that I can walk over to my closet with the guarantee that anything I put on will be something I love. No more big sigh “I have nothing to wear” moment as I stand before thousands of dollars worth of accumulated clothing. How brattily first world is that moment so many of us experience every day? Seems dumb now, and avoidable.
Only the clothes on the right, and the 5 pairs of shoes up top, are in my 33
As my friend Michelle and I went through my entire wardrobe, assessing, choosing, tossing, or storing for later, I did feel a few moments of panic. What about this item? What about that one? Will I get bored with these 33 after just a week? But really, even if I do, who cares? I can always quit.
Nobody’s forcing me to do this. But I know myself, I’ll try to stick to it because I said I would. I love a challenge. Committing to temporary challenges has been a hugely successful venture for me. Doing this has helped me:
- Get my family on a budget (Financial Peace University)
- Write a novel (NaNoWriMo)
- Calm down (Oprah and Chopra’s 21-Day Meditation)
- Write every day (April A-Z Challenge)
- Eat clean (elimination diet)
- Get stronger (2-Week workout challenge)
Wow. The more I sit and think about it, the more of these I can remember doing. Only a few of those challenges have stuck with me for good, or at least for now, but I enjoy taking them on and seeing what becomes a long-term way of life.
Recently I stopped drinking wine and cocktails during the week. I started making my bed (almost) every morning. I cut personal use of Facebook out of my life entirely until Easter.
Facebook-free March. But who’s counting?
All of these new habits and challenges to myself are meant to simplify. Get rid of stuff, appreciate what I have, blah blah. I’m not sure I expected to be successful, frankly. But here’s the thing. I think all this simplifying is working.
I have definitely made room in my life for more positive activities and thoughts and especially for writing. As of today I have written 78,000 words in my novel’s first draft! I don’t know if my new sparse mix-and-match wardrobe will help with that, but it will certainly make me better-dressed than my usual lounge pants and fleece when I take my customary seat tonight at the library.
Project 333 Day 1 and Day 2.
10 Comments
Joel
Inspiring concept for sure! Best of luck and I’ll be watching!
Angela
I’ve been doing similar things! (The Whole 30, 40 bags in 40 days, etc.) I actually blogged about it a little, because I wanted to do Project 333, but spring in Michigan can swing between (literally) 25 degrees and 80 degrees, and I got frustrated trying to figure out jewelry, boots, outerwear. I think I pared down to about 45 pieces total, LOL.
Angela recently posted…A spring simplification project
Julie Gardner
I know I told you I believed I could do this (that I practically DO this already), but afterward I realized I don’t work outside the home; so it’s much easier said than done for me than it would be for you. So I can’t wait to hear how/if this experiment works and what ripples the effect has in your life.
No matter what, I’m a big fan of simplifying. Thoreau is my hero, and 33 items of clothes would be plenty for Walden Pond. “Simplify, simplify, simplify.” (All props to HDT, but he probably could’ve just used the word once if he really wanted to simplify.)
Julie Gardner recently posted…Mother Knows Best
Jane Gassner
Oh sigh! My ADHD self so admires you. I might to be tempted to take the 30 items of clothing challenge if I had 30 items that fit me.
Jane Gassner recently posted…Will You Self Publish?
Charlene Ross
Yay, Kim! I so admire you for doing this. I considered it, but couldn’t. Or rather, more truthfully, wouldn’t. But I did pare down my closet quite a bit. I so look forward to reading about your experience. Maybe I’ll jump on board in July. We’ll see.
xoxo
Lola
That’s a great project, I didn’t know about it until today and I am now quite tempted to do it as well for the summer like Charlene.
Lola recently posted…The Best Luxury Sofas For Sale In 2017
Julie Singer
Inspired! Thanks KTP.
xoxoo
Nicolette Sutherland
It’s so neat this project gave you free time you didn’t have before! Did you keep going after the challenge ended? Hope you don’t mind the plug, but it’s so relevant to this movement… As you decide to let go of some of your higher-end clothes, shoes, bags, and such, did you know you can donate them to support your favorite cause? Send them to us (for free) and they’ll be sold on marketplaces like eBay. 100% of the net proceeds go to the nonprofit of your choice! It’s decluttering for GOOD 😉
Kim Tracy Prince
Thanks for letting me know! I did indeed continue when the three months was up – with some minor adjustments 🙂
I’ll check out your site!
Kim Tracy Prince recently posted…Fifteen
How To Host a Clothing Swap - New-to-You Clothes For Free - Agoura Hills Mom
[…] along with the capsule wardrobe concept I’ve been practicing for the past several months (read it about it here on my personal site). The goal is to simplify your wardrobe and stop buying new stuff. With a clothing swap, the new […]