I have been trying to pare down my closet for a long time. I’ve had several changes in lifestyle and my closet has not kept up. I used to love getting dressed and picking out outfits. Now it’s become a huge stressor.  

Why my closet doesn’t work

I used to dress for work, drinks with the girls, dinners out, parties, dancing, etc.Where it never got really hot and you almost always needed a cute jacket. Jeans, boots, leather jackets, blazers, button downs, dresses, heels, purses, all of that was my attire. And it was fun.

Now I’m a stay at home mom in the suburbs where it gets to be 110 in the summer. And I have nothing to wear. It actually started during the pandemic when I was working from home. I had no loungewear.  Nothing comfortable. I started living in leggings. And my closet continued to have clothes from my old life. I always felt I had nothing to wear.

Then I got pregnant and needed maternity clothes. More leggings. And now that the baby  is here and it’s summer I just want to stop looking at my closet and a whole rack of clothes and being like NOTHING WORKS. I need ease, comfort, nursing ability, and style. 

I want to walk in and everything I touch is something I want to wear, that looks good on me, that I’m like yea this works. I want a wardrobe that works for my current life.

I’ve decided it’s okay that I mostly wear leggings and spandex shorts. But if that’s the case then that’s all I need in my closet. What is this other stuff? 

Project 333 Challenge To The Rescue

To the rescue comes Project 333. I heard about it from Malama on YouTube who focuses on minimalism and bringing more peace and calm into your life. But Project 333 is the brainchild of Courtney Carver (@bemorewithless). She calls it “The Minimalist Fashion Challenge that Proves Less Really is So Much More”.

Here’s how Project 333 works – 33 items only.

You clear out your closet and create a capsule wardrobe of 33 items that you wear for 3 months. Your 33 items include: clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear and shoes. So that means your underwear, PJs, and workout clothes don’t count. 

You don’t throw your other items away – just box it up.

The idea is that you can reduce stress and decision fatigue by removing too many clothing options. It’s not about looking dull, it’s actually about looking better. Because you’re keeping items you love and know you look and feel good in. Nothing is “saved” for a special occasion.

I’m going to take this on. It’s a little daunting, but I like how she says the first step is to create an “I Love” pile. These are items you don’t have to consider whether you like them or not – you immediately know you love that item. Great it’s in.

Benefits of Less Clothes

Here’s what I’m hoping to get out of having less clothes:

• Less laundry
• You can immediately see everything you own
• Less decisions when getting dressed
• You can see gaps and holes in what you need to buy
• Get the most out of your clothes. Wear them until they need to be replaced.
• You get to know what you like and only buy that when you need to replace something.
• Always look put together in the way you want.
• Less time on dressing means more time on what you want.

If you want to experience less angst getting dressed and more freedom, try the challenge!