Each year, when the air gets a little brisk, I take some time and get lost in the September issue of Vogue magazine. Even though I rarely shop anymore, this year was no different. I poured over 758 pages of the latest and greatest in fashion.
After a year of Project 333, I look at the glossy pages of the September issue through a different lens. The clothing that I thought I would save up for, or try to purchase on the cheap is not that appealing.
I still appreciate the styling and creativity. I still love seeing color combinations that would never make the cut in my closet. The difference is that now having the latest and greatest is not important to me. By living with less, I curbed my passion for fashion.
If you aren’t ready to live with just 33 items in your closet. Here are a few more suggestions.
How to curb your passion for fashion
- Just One. One purse, one pair of sunglasses, one simple black dress. The days of “Oh I love this so I’ll get it in every color” are over.
- Neutrals. If your core items are the same neutral color, you can create a stunning wardrobe. Black is the color for me.
- Mix Styles. You are not one dimensional and your closet shouldn’t be either. I stay simple but mix it up with purple patent leather heals or a sequined skirt.
- Feel Good about what you wear. Magazines want you to think you need what they offer, but what about purchasing a knit hat from Robyn Devine, or a simple, elegant necklace from Katie Waltman? I can’t wait to purchase clothing from Shannon and Kristin. When you buy from good people doing good business, you feel better about yourself and how you support artists.
- Lose the labels. You may covet Channel but choose clothing that fits and flatters instead of becoming a walking billboard.
- Remember, no one cares. Unless you work for Anna Wintour or Heidi Klum, it’s likely that no one cares or really notices what you wear. Even if you wear the same outfit over and over again.
- Express yourself. Let yourself shine so you don’t have to compensate with clothes. Figure out what makes you happy and do it. Even if that means changing jobs, or bringing a great idea to life.
- Assess the cost. The next time you are considering a new pair of $250 boots, do the math. Divide $250 by the how much you make an hour. Would you work an extra X number of hours for those boots? If the answer is no, walk away from the boots!
Fashion is art and dressing with less doesn’t mean that you don’t get to appreciate art. If you are inspired by the beauty of fashion, continue to be inspired. You can love the art of Van Gogh without hanging a painting on the wall, so you can admire a Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress without hanging it in your closet.
On October 1st, another phase of Project 333 begins. After a year of dressing with less, I can tell you that I have not had one “I have nothing to wear” moment. I’ve never had anyone recognize that I was dressing with less, and I don’t miss spending countless hours in the mall shopping for things I will never wear.
Have you been participating in Project 333? What’s been the biggest benefit? If you haven’t started yet, what are you waiting for?
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If simplicity is changing your life, imagine what it could do for your business.
There have been so many benefits to this last year of dressing with less! I just bagged up 8 shopping bags of clothes I had boxed last year thinking I might still want them…tomorrow, they go to Goodwill.
I love not having to waffle in front of my closet. I love not feeling uncomfortable in clothes that don’t fit. I love loving everything in my closet. I love knowing that when I make the decision to purchase something for my wardrobe, that decision has been deeply considered. I love everything about Project 333!
I guess the biggest benefit would be the confidence I have that my clothes reflect who I am, and that they do not occupy much space in my mind or closet!
Beverly, I am really looking forward to starting the second year. I’ve gone from a full closet + boxes in the garage to using 1/4 of the space in my closet with a small container in the closet for each season. I think I’ll dump even more this go around.
I SO love Project 333! It makes perfect sense and I love how everything comes together. A couple favorite colors and a mainstay of neutrals, flattering fitting items, and a comfortable pair of shoes or sandals (or boots for fall) and I am out the door! No more morning wardrobe meltdowns. No more impulse shopping. No more concessions keeping old clothes that I might have loved at one time but they either don’t fit now or are (or always were) totally wrong for me.
The Project 333 experience has been liberating! I’m not quite ready to pull together the fall set because it’s still summery here in WA state, but I am stoked to get started.
Thank you for helping me gain control of my wardrobe!
Lydia, I live in Utah and last fall (Oct – Dec) I had temps ranging from 90 all the way down to 20 or 30, and 33 items were plenty (including outerwear).
I think think the “no impulse shopping” you mentioned is one of the greatest benefits. I wish I had tracked the money I saved over the past year!
The other way to look at a $250 pair of boots, is cost per wear (cpw). If they will be your one pair of boots for the winter and you’re going to wear them about 4 times a week, then the cpw could be under $4. If you already own 4 pairs and you only wear the new ones once a week then cpw could be over $15. Only you know what you’re prepared to pay per outing for your clothes.
I prefer to buy things that I will wear often and that will last. There’s nothing nicer than a cpw measured in cents.
For me, it helps to think about hours worked, especially when I was a job I didn’t love. I love freedom more than boots.
I agree. I’d rather buy a quality pair of $250 boots that I’m going to wear all fall and winter for 10 years than a pair of $40 boots that are uncomfortable and poorly made for 1 year.
I love project 333. Yes I have all the benefits you mention and I now actually enjoy focused, quick shopping. The nine vest t shirts in a rainbow of colours have gone.
My biggest benefit has been about being nice to myself, I do not have to wear ugly old stuff that doesn’t fit just to get every bit of wear out of it. I can pick beautiful clothes as each piece of clothing must really count. A number of people have said I look “put together”
I live in the southern hemisphere so I am busy with summer planning. I can resist all the clothes that will sit never worn as I finally have a meaningful list of things I need.
What a joy! Thanks
Annie, Good luck planning your Summer. I am just starting fall in October!
I started the serious planning on my birthday, September 3rd.
I’ve cleared the wardrobe, filled a large blue IKEA bag with clothes for the charity shop and filled a box with clothes which don’t fit (but I am hoping some of them might by October 1st).
So far I think I am down to about thirty items including shoes but not including jewellery or gloves or accessories so there is more pruning to do.
I’ve reduced my cosmetics collection to just four items – one nighttime moisturiser, one perfume, one lip thing and one tinted moisturiser. I’ve also gone over to using solid shampoo bars (they last longer and double as soap). It was very liberating, upending the drawer of guilt inducing part used lipsticks into the trash bin!
One issue I am a bit concerned about is that I’m travelling to the USA (Boston) and Canada (Toronto) in late October/early November for two weeks and I’m not sure about wardrobe planning for that. It will undoubtedly be easier to pack for the holiday but I think it might be colder than here in Scotland.
Wonderful post. I’ve found that as I move towards a simpler lifestyle my wardrobe has naturally become less complex. I will say that I have found buying more expensive, or handmade, items actually pays off in the long run especially when it comes to footwear (quality shoes/boots can last for years.) Quality matters when you don’t have a backup.
I identify with the Queen of String – I love buying a well made, high quality piece of clothing that will last for years. I have a gorgeous pair of tall, flat boots that were originally $400, but I scored for $150 5 years ago. While I do take really good care of them, they’re wearing like iron and I know that I’ll have them at least another 5 years.
In the fall and winter months, I wear them at LEAST 3x per week – that’s come to 50 cents per wear since I’ve bought them! And its also kept countless other pairs of shoes out of the landfill!
I just found my winter boots! I bought them at a consignment shop for $30. They are all leather, Dexter, tall brown boots. They will alternate with my tall black leather boots. Between the 2, I will have shoes for all winter in New England.
I like looking at cost per wear because it does sometimes help me to remember to buy something of quality. I have kicked myself for being a cheapskate in the past and have my cheap “plastic” boots leak and look terrible after a few trips through slush. However, I never had though to look at hours worked before reading your article.
My thrifted boots are 2 hours of work and will cost me about $.50 per wear. Its a win all around.
I am so looking forward to planning my 33 for October. I was not so good about sticking to my minimal wardrobe this summer but I think I am ready now. This summer I donated 108 pieces and to be honest I already couldn’t tell you what most of them were. I have looked at my closet in a whole new way. I am contemplating starting a blog featuring my unique outfits created from 33 items!
please let me know the name of the blog when you start it thanks
I started a pinterest board. Please check it out.
http://pinterest.com/coribeth80/
Also, my blog is http://thegirlwitheverything.blogspot.com/. I haven’t been posting nearly as much as I should but I have started to talk about my fall 33.
I love my clean closet and that all my clothes match each other. It’s easy to decide what to wear. I love the simplicity of having one pair of shoes and one bag that go with everything.
I just started Project 333 on September 1st. Though I don’t really feel any different from before, as I am not even two weeks into it and you can’t possibly wear more than 33 items in just two weeks, I do feel liberated by using only one handbag. This is the greatest advantage so far! Only one place to search for missing keys!
I am now getting rid of more stuff, I packed away in the end of August. From october, I will ‘really’ start Project 333 for three months with everyone else.
Though I don’t know, whether I’ll stay with Project 333 for ever, I’m definitely striving for a minimalist wardrobe – it’s so freeing. (might as well be something like 50 pieces alltogether or Project 333 PLUS a ‘dress-up-box’, containing some more 10 pieces, like my hand sewed evening dress, lovely shoes and inherited jewelry) For the start though, I love the rules of Project 333 – and I love sticking to rules I didn’t make up myself – it’s easy to betray oneself of the experience by adjusting the rules too early.
I just started a blog as well in which I will post about my experiences with project 333, it’s in German though.
Although I have not gone all the way with this project, I have a very small closet, and wear everything in it!! Everything I have is something I love and actually wear.
I also appreciate your mention of supporting artists! I am a glass artist, creating handmade jewelry, and I see more people who want to purchase pieces directly from the artist. The personal touch adds so much.
I love accessories, and since I have fewer clothes, I love to add scarves, shawls, etc., many made by local artists.
Summer was my “official” starting season for this project and, while I know I’ll never get down to 33 pieces (too widely varied life responsibilities – 38 is as low as I can go), it has been a wonderful experience.
I am encouraging everyone I know – all age groups too – to check it out, and hope to suggest a mass “Project 333″ event at my church, with the goal of donating to women climbing out of poverty and/or entering the job market for the first time.
This particular post brought to mind a trick I use to keep myself from buying lovely items for my home with plastic $$: I taught myself to look at store displays – even mail-order catalogs – as if they were in an art museum.
When I go to the museum, it’s enjoyable to study the exquisite paintings, sculptures and other crafted items. BUT It would *never* occur to me that I needed to take any of them home.
It’s enough just to know that they exist.
The same mindset also works for fashion, which is why Courtney’s way of reading Vogue made me think of this.
I’m interested in what others think of the “museum” point of view idea – can it work for others like it works for me?
- aggie
Awesome post. Been reading about minimalism for a long time and always been telling myself that clothes and shoes doesn’t count… but now I realize that the museum-approach could be beneficial.
Simply love the entire concept of 33 items in the closet! I’ve shared this site with many, yet myself have not yet made it down to 33 items. Mostly shoes and sweater sets fill my wardrobe. I would love the freedom that comes with narrowing down the options, only owning a few things that are flattering and well made, and the blessing of having a tidy space with drawers that easily close. We are doing well on our September No Spend Challenge, it is time that we focus in on the closet spaces now. Bless you for your guidance towards 33 items.
Finally done. I didn’t stick to the rules 100% ( I have always been a bit of a rule breaker ) but I do feel great about my fall wardrobe. There is a link to my Pinterest page on my blog.
Please let me know what you think.
It is all new to me. I found this page by accident and started reading and now I’m some how hooked. Girls you doing amazing job. That gave me new look into my wardrobe which is already minimalist but in completly wrong way. I owe probably about 60 something clothes, 4 bags, 1 boots, 2 sandals and only a few work together.That is my normal wardrobe.But i have almost no opportunity to wear them anyway. I literally live in my work clothes. But with a twist. It is not what everybody thinks office suit morning till evening. I work as a farm vet so my core wardrobe is 2 black and 2 navy fleaces (with wide sleaves so you can role them up) and 5 pairs of combat trousers (3 quick drying 2 navy 1 grey and 2 in camouflage), 4 v neck Tshirts (black, khaki, 2 blues), 1 hunter green company polo Tshirt, off-road crocks, medical crocs, steel toe wellies, 2 waterproof jackets. How sad is that I’m wearing this stuff all the time. Day and night. I don’t go anywhere and if I do I wear something from my normal wardrobe and that gives me panick attack as I don’t know what is matching what and what is looking good on me. Well I sound like a fashion disaster. So after reading your posts I thougt what a brillant idea. But I still don’t know how to design my 33. Were am I going to wear them? Soo after all that my conclusion is is it a wardobe which is my problem or being a slave of life style is a main issue.
this is a great post and was one of the things that prompted me to finally take a cold hard look at my shopping habits. I’m taking a break from shopping for clothing for three months (as a warm up) to see if I can re-negotiate my relationship with clothing. Some of your tips are so applicable for me, particularly expressing myself and remembering that noone but me really cares! I’m no longer even sure what I’m trying to express through my clothing. Thanks for the prompt
. If you’re interested in reading about my journey I’m blogging about it at theshopingcure.com. Thanks and I look forward to more posts!