A couple of weeks ago I wrote about my desire to reduce my wardrobe. Since that time I’ve removed a lot of items, added a few more versatile ones, and thought a lot about Project 333. Have you heard of it? It’s the creation of Courtney Carver; the idea is that you limit your wardrobe (including accessories and jewelry) to 33 items for 3 months. She insists that it’s not a project in suffering. I’ve thought a lot about participating but have instead decided to do a kind of reverse project.
Wear Everything I Own at Least Once
I have narrowed my wardrobe pretty dramatically over the last month. I’ve done pretty well at disposing of stuff that I never wore, but there are a few holdouts – things that aren’t in season that I didn’t want to get rid of just yet. Instead of limiting myself to only wearing 33 items, in the next three months, I plan to wear everything I own at least once. I think forcing myself to wear it all will be helpful in purging the things that I have been resisting getting rid of. If I wear it and decide I just don’t like it, I’m going to let it go. The next three months will hopefully bring weather perfect for this challenge. I anticipate that we still have a few cold days in our future and will surely have a sufficient number of warm days to try out my warm weather clothes.
Pay Attention to Fabric Content, Color & Fit
Before the big purge, I owned a few items made of polyester and acrylic that I was never comfortable wearing. I liked the looks of them but I would burn up every time I wore them. I allowed myself to part with everything that wasn’t comfortable to wear and be more conscientious about layering natural fibers. As an added bonus, layering allows me to wear a lot of my clothes throughout the year (not just in the summer). Most of the other items I purged were colors I don’t wear very often. I’m sticking to blacks, grays, and jewel tones. I eliminated most of the brown pieces, but kept a few of the more versatile ones. Now when I shop, I look for items in my new color palette. And I no longer purchase based on looks alone. In addition to color and fabric content, I will also be paying special attention to how my clothes fit. In the next few months, I will be having a few things altered to improve the fit.
Fill in the Gaps
Realistically, I have everything I really need – but there are a few key pieces that I think could extend my current wardrobe. The items on my shopping list are a white t-shirt, white shorts, a striped t-shirt (or two), a black & white print skirt, and possibly a couple of pairs of sandals to replace some that I have that are wearing out. My leopard print sandals are looking pretty rough, but I love them so much that I will wear them until I find the perfect replacement (maybe Boden will decide to make them again).
Do you wear everything in your closet? Want to join me in this challenge?
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