Project 333 Review

Today marks the last day in the initial Project 333 challenge. In September I devised my list of 33 items and on October 1st I packed away all my other clothes and only had my 33 items in my closet to wear. I'd like to review how I did.

Positives

I loved my stream-lined closet. It was easy to pick out what I needed each day. Everything was easy to find. I knew exactly what I had. I noticed if anything was missing. All the clothes on my list were things that I liked to wear and felt good wearing. I didn't have anything in my closet that was tight, worn looking or in need of mending. I know that some of the clothes I packed away did not fit this criteria!


All the items I chose were easy care. There were no delicate items that required special laundering. I valued what I had, because there was a limited supply. I carefully rehung things I planned to wear again. I was careful to turn up my pant legs, when it was wet or snowy out.  I  attended to any mending/damage right away. The hem unravelled on a t-shirt I had just purchased it in September. I took it back to the store and exchanged it. Most stores have a policy that will allow you to return/exchange items that does not wear the way it should. In the past I probably would have wore something else and never got around to returning the item.

In formulating my list I really had to examine what my "style" is. I had many clothes in my closet that fit some style that I aspired to, but not the way I actually lived. There wasn't any room for non-essentials. My "get real" 33 list was composed of the clothes that I usually wear, comfortable slacks, casual t-shirts and sweaters.


The biggest revelation for me was that NOBODY noticed I was taking part in the challenge. I did not share with friends/coworkers that I was doing the challenge. Nobody mentioned a thing about what I was wearing. Nobody made any comments about me wearing the same clothes and shoes over and over. I learned that I should dress to please myself, because nobody else really notices what I wear.

Challenges 

I had a cruise planned with my sister. my plan was to not take my formal dress because I did not include it on my 33 list. My sister was disappointed when I let her know I was not planning to bring a dress. I ended up trading the dress for a pair of pants that I hadn't worn yet. I had to go over 33 items to include some dressy shoes and costume jewellery.  

Another challenge was weather related. Our area got an early dumping of snow and -30C temperatures. The little blue ankle boots and corduroy coat I had chosen were not adequate. I traded them out for a warmer jacket and warmer snow boots.

Plans For The Future

There is a second phase of the Project 333 Challenge. I have decided not to participate. I feel that I have learned a lot in the initial challenge and want to use my experiences to make some changes that work for me and my lifestyle. Instead of limiting myself to a specific number of items I want to make sure my clothes meet certain criteria. I am using today to ruthlessly go through my packed-up wardrobe and weed out anything that:

1. I do not love or feel good wearing.
2. That is uncomfortable to wear or doesn't fit perfectly.
3. Needs repairs I will not do.

I realized that I definitely do not need to buy anything. Even though I wore the same clothes over and over, not a thing "wore out". I have enough clothes, pajamas and shoes to last for a long time. I know I can manage with much less. I am challenging myself not to buy any clothing/shoes that are not absolutely necessary. I want to make sure that I continually review my wardrobe and donate anything that does not meet my criteria. I plan to do a follow-up post about what made the cut in my revamped wardrobe.