Project 333 | Summer Edition

First of all, I like clothing- every aspect of it. I like the fabric, the details, the textiles, the colors, and the silhouettes. I have a degree concentrating in fashion marketing and I had originally enrolled as a fashion design student. Growing up my mom and I would shop until we dropped and plan entire weekends around shopping trips to King of Prussia. I used to make lists and plan and pack wardrobes for trips and vacations weeks in advance. So the fact that I'm sitting here writing a blog post about having a minimalist wardrobe of only 33 items is pretty ironic BUT my needs have changed and so has my lifestyle. Today, I’m a mom of three-- and most of my days are spend in athleisure but when I do get the chance to put an outfit together or have somewhere to go I just stand there in front of tons of hangers- plain frustrated, thinking to myself…‘I have nothing to wear.' Which is pretty ridiculous because I do indeed have more than enough to wear, the problem is I have too much and only love half of it. So, after reading Chapter 15 in my book Soulful Simplicity I decided that it was time to strip my closet down (pun intended) and really take a good look at what I have, what I love, what I don't love and what I want to create.

Ultimately- I wanted to create a wardrobe that was interchangeable and easy. A mix and match of sorts and the best part-- ready to go. Project 333 is a little bit different from a capsule wardrobe because it’s - and I quote - “A small collection of 33 items including clothing, jewelry, accessories and shoes that encourage you to wear your favorite things every day (not the trendiest things, the most stylish things, or the perfect things … your favorite things).” And that’s where I’m at in life — my body is different, my mindset is different and how I want to present myself to the world is different. I like trendy and I like stylish but I also like comfort-- clothing that makes me feel comfortable. And I’m not talking about all sweatshirts and yoga pants, while I do love those things.

Three reasons to consider building a capsule/minimalist wardrobe:

-figure out what matters

-reduce decision fatigue

-create more space and time for what you love

First, make several piles on your bed - a love pile, a maybe pile, and a donate/trash pile. After your done, walk away, get a drink, do the dishes, watch a show and come back later. This time go through those piles again until your happy with what you have left. Next, make a list of 33 items by category, start with the items you already have and you have started with the 13 core items or tailor to your needs. The 13 core items could (not should) include: jeans, a dress, a skirt, simple tank, and t-shirt or v-neck, button-down shirt, blazer or cardigan, earrings, a bracelet or watch, sunglasses, purse, flats, heels, walking shoes. The first list below is my finalized closet of my Project 333, it wasn't easy but I'm so glad I did it. Now, since I’m starting out during the summer months this is what I came up with for myself,  my personal style preferences and yours will be different -- the key is to narrow down what you really need and what you really love into 33 pieces, or 34 or 36...its ok to give yourself some wiggle room to get started. Also, it’s worth noting that for this partiuclar project you don’t count your intimates, swimwear or workout clothing but I did simplify those areas as well; thats all listed in the second list.

|| TIP ||
 I found that finding a common color themed helped me once I needed to start adding in pieces that were missing. I'm a pretty basic and neutral girl and I'm really drawn to navy as my staple color.  

If this is something you're interested in then I say give it a try! Your closet will be cleaner and your may even rediscover a few pieces that your didn't know that you had.  I'm so glad I did this-- its lightened my closet, forced me to be creative, and to mostly love my things again. Happy purging friends!