Has anyone done the Project 333 clothing experiment??? (minimalism)

[Stacia]

Project 333

 

Just curious if anyone on here has done/is planning to do a Project 333 experiment w/ your clothing? Basically, it's a challenge to pare down your wardrobe to 33 items that you wear for the next 3 months.

 

I've been pondering it & plan to jump in & try it at the beginning of the year. Though the challenge typically includes shoes, accessories, & outerwear as part of the 33, I think I may keep my first attempt at 33 for just the regular clothing items (tops & bottoms) & not worry about trying to include my shoes, accessories, & outerwear in the count. (That's my plan at least for now.)

 

I've started cleaning out my closet, creating a prelim list/grouping of clothes, & am moving other stuff out of the way (either packing away or donating).

 

So far, my 33 items (may change as I continue to clean out/reassess what I would need for Jan-March):

4 pairs jeans

1 pair dressy pants

1 skirt

4 sweaters

3 fleece tops

1 corduroy blazer

4 tanks/shells

3 turtlenecks

12 tops (tees, 3/4 sleeves, &/or long-sleeve tops)

 

That actually seems like a lot when I look at what I've pulled out (esp. considering variations w/ scarves, accessories, shoes), yet I have oodles of clothes left over after that. I think this challenge will really push me to truly minimize (something I'm trying to do in many areas of my life). Plus, I've always wanted to have a 'capsule' wardrobe, so this is how I will get it!

 

Anyone else doing this...??? :bigear:  I'd love it if some of you would join in too!

 

(I realize this is a first-world problem & that quite a few of you on here already have things pared down to this level. Just trying to push myself to simplify & reduce my footprint even further....)

 

[AK_Mom4]

Well, if I don't have to count my ski and workout gear, I'm under the 33 items already.  Sounds fairly do-able to me.

 

I did go thru a major wardrobe purge a few weeks ago and got rid of everything that didn't fit perfectly or was uncomfortable or itchy.  My new world order is that everything I wear will feel amazing or it's not going to be in my wardrobe. 

 

Life is too short for uncomfortable clothes.

[TCB]

I'd have to go buy some clothes in order to have 33.

[Jenny in Florida]

I'd have to go buy some clothes in order to have 33.

 

Ditto. I was amused by the idea of needing to "pare down" to that number!

[Kathryn]

I'm with them ^. That's more than I typically rotate through.

[LucyStoner]

Excluding the large pile of workout layers (where I keep enough to not have to wash more than once a week or so but to workout almost daily outside), I am at less than 33 items of clothing already.

[Penny_P]

I'd have to go buy some clothes in order to have 33.

Same here.  :)

[readinmom]

I'm trying to build a capsule wardrobe, both for work and weekends.  Some of the pairings have 14 items, 30+ combinations.  I like this idea.  Anything that helps create minimalism is good for me.

 

[chelsmm]

Well, I don't work outside the home except for four times a month, so I don't need work clothing.  (I wear scrubs to work).  But I definitely am way under 33 items of clothing.  Not so much because I'm a mimimalist but because I haven't gone shopping in ages, and I'm super picky about how clothing feels. 

 

However, I also don't need "nice" clothing.  I stay at home with the kids and do kid stuff most of the time. 

[justme824]

I've never heard of this - thanks for the link. My closet it on my list tomorrow. I've been hanging onto a LOT of clothes for 'one day when I finally lose this weight' and it is making me hate stepping in my closet. I need to either get on losing the weight, or donate the clothes and buy new when I do.

[Catwoman]

I'd have to go buy some clothes in order to have 33.

Sounds like you've got some shopping to do!!! :D

 

OK, so that probably totally negates the intention of the whole "paring down" thing, but it's a great excuse to go buy some more stuff. ;)

[Deb in NZ]

I aim to do this starting 1st Jan.  I decluttered my wardrobe a few months back & donated everything that was now too big.  In hind-sight I'm glad I hadn't yet gotten rid of everything that had been too small for over a decade as I'd have had nothing to wear.   :laugh:   As I am now close to my goal weight, I plan to put everything that is left on my bed & choose 33 items for summer (Jan-March).  I'll pack away extras that I'm not completely sure I'd not wear another season & donate things that no longer fit both me & my current lifestyle.  

 

I dream of living a more minimalistic life, but as I am currently drowning in S.T.U.F.F.  I am far from achieving my dream. :glare:

[LibraryLover]

33?  lol I need to go shopping!

[Camelfeet]

Not counting socks/underwear/bras or workout clothing, I probably don't have much more than than anyway.  I usually donate anything that doesn't fit me anymore or that I have not worn in a year so that keep things at a lower number.

[LucyStoner]

I think 33 is generous :)

 

I just read the book 7 - someone recommended it here. I wasn't the target audience, but parts of it were still interesting. One month, the author restricted herself to 7 items of clothing. She did fine.

 

If you work outside the home in a professional environment, that could make life harder in terms of paring right down.

I have an acquaintance who runs her own professional business as an event planner who once wore the same dress everyday for a year. It was one of the first clothing minimalist blogs.

 

I pretty much wear the same 6 pieces of clothing with any number of sweaters. I am kind of a sweater monkey though. I have almost 20. It's a little absurd.

[Heather in Neverland]

When I am at home I have a tendency to wear the same things over and over again. But since I work full time and have to dress up every day, I have a pretty large wardrobe. I might be able to go down to 33 different outfits. :)

[Jen in NY]

I have fewer than 33, and many of mine are repeats. For instance, I have 3 of the same black cable cotton sweaters which I love, and 3 of the same navy polo shirts, and a few pair of identical jeans. It's just easier for me. :) (I think in a past life I must have been a nun..... and although I am not a believer at this point the rules of attire - wearing the same thing every day without thinking about it - are very attractive to me!)

[Chris in VA]

My plan is to pare down by throwing out everything that is ripped, stained or unraveling. Particularly stained.

 

Forget "Elf on The Shelf," I have "Crumbs and Spills on The 'Shelf'" which lead to stains that won't come out....

[elegantlion]

I did that for fall last year. I don't think I did it for three months though. I may have cheated on the number, but I tried to go through and create outfits instead of just pieces. It was good for me to see where I had gaps in my wardrobe and where I had too many of one category (like tank tops :coolgleamA: ). 

 

We moved back to a 4 season climate a few years ago after living in 1-2 season warm climate for several years. I still have trouble with winter clothes. My wardrobe has probably doubled as I've tried to find the right winter pieces (I'm a clearance and thrift store shopper mostly) - I'm still in the process.

[Haiku]

I don't think I have 33 items total including all seasons.

[msjones]

Well, I certainly have more than 33 articles of clothing, OP, so you're not the only one.  :)  

 

I took a look at the website, and I'm interested.  I'm going to give it some thought today.  

 

 

[Ottakee]

I am likely close. I have 3 pairs of jeans now for regular wear, 2 pairs of dress pants (both black) and 3 skirts with tops to mix and match.

 

What gets me is I have workout clothes that I live in most of the time I am not out of the house---as well as to workout class. Then I need barn and riding clothes. That adds up as sometimes I need long johns, barn jeans, under armor, turtle neck and hoodie. Other times I need most of that plus the insulated coveralls and jacket. Then in warm weather is it t shirts or sleeveless shirts plus jeans for riding. The thing is, those things can't be worn to town, etc. most times as they are stained, really worn, etc.

 

I do like the idea though. I have 7 or 8 jackets as it is. I have a leather coat for good, a very heavy parka that gets worn only a few times a year but is needed at those times, a new light weight winter coat, a wind check winter coat for the barn, my carhart vest for the barn, my carhartt jacket for the barn, and my insulated coveralls for the barn plus a rain jacket for walking and the barn, and a lightweight jacket for spring/fall. OK---that makes 9 but they are all (except the parka) worn very regularly.

 

I have way less clothes than many but that barn stuff makes it really add up.

[Luckymama]

I've been reading through the website for the past half hour, prior to starting my task o' the day of clothes sorting (what timing!). Very, very interesting. After I get through dh's and the kids' things (the kids culled their closets and dressers for me---I just need to sort I to donate/textile recycling and write lists for tax purposes), I will spent serious time thinking about my clothes.

 

One of my goals for 2014 is to only wear what makes me feel fabulous :)

[Guest]

 

 

Anyone else doing this...???  :bigear:  I'd love it if some of you would join in too!

 

Yes. I did it this past summer. I did not include all accessories and outerwear in my 33, either. I don't really have a clutter problem with those items to begin with and I do appreciate the way a necklace changes a simple black tee into dressed-up or casual. 

 

What I liked: it did make me much more decisive about getting dressed. I discovered different combinations that looked great, too. 

 

What I didn't especially like: I have a large closet and plenty of nice things, so in reality, it just doesn't matter whether I have a lot of clothes or not a lot. As long as I'm wearing what I have and not keeping things I don't use, there's really no point (for me) in settling on 33 things...or 20, or 50. 

[Mom-ninja.]

One of my goals for 2014 is to only wear what makes me feel fabulous :)

This is a great goal.

 

I have more than 33 items of clothing and most of it makes me feel fabulous. I'm keeping them.

[TracyP]

Cleaning my closet was on today's to-do list, so finding this thread was serendipitous. I went ahead and pared down to 33 items not counting shoes and accessories. I learned that I have way too many clothes - most of which I don't even like. No kidding, I have clothes that I bought when I was 17. Ha, make that HAD - they are now in the garbage. :D

[Amy in NH]

I haven't counted, but I'm quite sure I have less than 33 items in my winter wardrobe.

[TechWife]

This is a very timely thread for me. I'm contemplating doing this in some form or fashion. I will be cleaning out/rearranging my closet soon. 

 

Question: I wear a lot of scarves. I went through them a few weeks ago and donated the scarves I haven't worn either last year or this year. I have about six or eight left. Wearing scarves stretches my wardrobe and they are fairly interchangeable. I can wear each scarf with at least two outfits, some I can wear with many more than that. So, should I count them as part of my 33 items or not? I wonder the same about necklaces - I have a very deliberate selection of jewelry - a "gold" set and a "silver" set. Each set includes 1 thin necklace, 1 chunky necklace, 1 sm. pair of earrings, 1 larger pair of earrings, 1 set of thin bangle bracelets and one thicker bracelet. 

[elegantlion]

I went through and paired together 33 items, not including shoes, coat, or accessories. I have that part pared down fairly well anyway. I'm going to go for 30 days and may rotate some items in or out depending on the weather. 

 

I ended up with

 

Pants: 

I brown pair

2 khaki

1 camel

1 black dressy

1 black casual

1 camo sweats (these are so comfy but never leave the house)

 

2 blazers

1 sports hoodie (red)

1 sweater-ish hoodie (camel)

3 sweaters (grey, brown, and teal) 

1 baggy sweatshirt (goes great with camo sweats ;))

3 thermal shirts (layering or wear alone - I hate being cold)

1 dressy long sleeve (to add a pop of color)

3 dressy sleeveless (for layering)

5 short sleeve tshirts  (mostly casual)

6 long sleeve tshirts (from fitted to loose in various colors)

 

[MomOfOneFunOne]

33? lol I need to go shopping!

[MomOfOneFunOne]

33? lol I need to go shopping!

AMDG

 

My thoughts exactly! And . . . Well . . . No thanks!

; )

[Onceuponatime]

I have too many clothes also. I didn't count how much I kept, but today I got rid of 6 long sleeve  shirts, 1 sweater vest, an old bathrobe, and 3 skirts I don't wear.

[Seasider]

One winter I pared my wardrobe down to the necessary underthings, two casual dresses, one good dress, a coat, two pairs of shoes and nightwear. I was sick and tired of standing at my wardrobe wondering what to wear.

 

It was wonderful!

 

You could, if you wanted, cut your list down further.

2 pairs jeans

6 tops

 

etc

 

It frees up mental space and makes you appreciate the clothes you have. Good luck with your challenge!

I am about to do this - get rid of almost everything. I will keep athletic wear and my work suit. Until I'm back at my desired weight and size, I plan to live mostly in the athletic wear. In the spring I'll replenish with current size and style. It's about a decade overdue!

[skeeterbug]

I've been reading about minimalism lately, so what a timely post for me!  I'd love to do this.  I have a number of items in my closet that I don't wear and it's time to pass on.  I'm inspired!  I likely only actually *wear* 33 items in my wardrobe, but have plenty more than that so I can definitely do some cleaning out!

 

Thank you OP for the link!

[Χά�ων]

33 is a lot of clothing! I am amazed people are have pair down to that number.

[Ottakee]

33 is a lot of clothing! I am amazed people are have pair down to that number.

I think it depends on your life style. I know she doesn't count exercise clothing but that makes up some of mine.

 

Then because we have a hobby farm and horses I have a lot of barn clothes and boots---leather riding boots, older boots for barn work, winter riding boots, winter muck boots, old tennis shoes for chores, etc. If we counted them that would be 5 of my 33 items right there. Then there are 8 or 9 different coats that I have to wear depending on the weather and if they are for chores or going to town.....and trust me, no one wants me to wear my barn boots or coat to town :-)

 

I could easily do the under 33 items if I just counted the stuff I would wear in public to town shopping, church, the doctor, etc.

[SerenityNow]

I did this last year... Jan-March.  I think I did count shoes and outerwear, which probably used up 5 of my 33 items.  I ended up cheating a bit and pulled a couple of extra t-shirts in towards the end.  My usual style is a t-shirt/thermal/turtleneck topped with a hoodie or cardigan, so I probably had more tops than the average person.  I actually thought the counting and sorting was more valuable than the 3 months of wearing.  It's interesting to see what your favorites really are when pushed to choose.  It's also been interesting that two of the sweaters that I didn't choose last year are two of my favorites this year.  Glad I didn't decide to get rid of them!

 

I decided not to do the challenge again, mostly because my personality tends to get a little hung up on "number challenges".  (I need to stop reading those "Be a minimalist... Own 100 things!" challenges. Ugh.)  What has worked well for me was this:  I bought really nice padded hangers... just the right number so that my clothes will hang in a neat and un-crowded way.  And that's it.  I'm not allowed to buy anymore hangers so what I have has to fit.  (I also have a small shelving area for sweaters... what I have has to be neatly folded and un-crowded.)  For me, being a good steward of my possessions is just as important as the number, so that's what I'm working on.

 

I'm surprised that so many people don't even own 33 things.  I tend to buy good quality, classic items and they last forever.  I still have a 20 year old cardigan that I love and that looks brand new.  Stuff adds up over time... lol.

 

Good luck!   :thumbup:

[maize]

I don't think I own 33 items...

[PhotoGal]

I don't think 33 is a lot. Especially if you include outerwear, shoes, accessories (as the original challenge). Even without those, I imagine most people have more than a week's worth of shirts and pants for winter, plus shirts and shorts (or skirts or whatever) for summer. Add sweaters, hoodies, etc.  I wonder what the average number of clothing items people have would be. Interesting!

[PhotoGal]

Maybe it depends on how often you tend to do laundry! :)

[elegantlion]

Maybe it depends on how often you tend to do laundry! :)

 

Yeah, I can go two weeks and not do my own laundry. I tend to not throw everything in the hamper after one wearing. 

 

 

I also tend to be a moody dresser. I like mixing things up. I also have a curvy hard to fit body. So while I have 3 pairs of black yoga type pants, they all fit differently. One pair is tighter and I tend to wear tunics or longer shirts with it. Another is looser and I can do shorter tops. I do try to think of what silhouette I want to create, tighter top & looser bottoms or looser top and tighter bottoms.

[msjones]

I'm amazed that people don't have 33 items of clothing.  

 

Jackets, coats, shoes, pants, sweaters, blazers, tee-shirts, athletic wear, jeans, shorts, skirts, dresses,   -- even if someone had only 2 of each of these they'd be up to 24.  

 

And I believe the challenge includes accessories -- bags, scarves, etc.

 

 

 

 

[Joyofsixreboot]

Not many clothes, but scarves and cardigans, that I've got.  So much of this depends on your style.  I tend to wear the same two pair of jeans and the same three turtle necks but the scarf and jacket/sweater changes.  Are scarves clothing?  And what about earrings and bracelets.  Those are where I add variety.

[Hannah]

A while back I put all of my clothes on my bed and spent nearly a whole day trying on, throwing out what doesn't look good or feel comfortable and putting together different outfits.  I was surprised what worked together and wrote down each combination.

During the year I actually added things like coloured sandals and shoes to round out the outfits (I had a total of five pairs of either brown or black 'sensible' shoes  and sandals before).  I also got a few scarves and other accessories.

I now have about 10 summer and 12 winter outfits that I feel great wearing and I get compliments all the time - which only happened rairly before! 

Even though we can dress fairly casually, having it all written down makes it so much easier to get dressed in the morning and to look put together for work. 

[Luckymama]

A while back I put all of my clothes on my bed and spent nearly a whole day trying on, throwing out what doesn't look good or feel comfortable and putting together different outfits. I was surprised what worked together and wrote down each combination.

 

This is what I'm planning on doing this week :)

[Beth in OH]

For professional wear, I pared down my winter palatte to black, white and gray for pants and sweaters/jackets.  I can add "color" by having pattern in the B/W/G colors or by adding an accessory.  I also have a few shirts with color to go under the B/W/G seaters/jackets.  It is a simple, mix and match, multi-wear approach.  Getting dressed this winter has been much, much easier.

 

Beth

[Guest]

This is a very timely thread for me. I'm contemplating doing this in some form or fashion. I will be cleaning out/rearranging my closet soon. 

 

Question: I wear a lot of scarves. I went through them a few weeks ago and donated the scarves I haven't worn either last year or this year. I have about six or eight left. Wearing scarves stretches my wardrobe and they are fairly interchangeable. I can wear each scarf with at least two outfits, some I can wear with many more than that. So, should I count them as part of my 33 items or not? I wonder the same about necklaces - I have a very deliberate selection of jewelry - a "gold" set and a "silver" set. Each set includes 1 thin necklace, 1 chunky necklace, 1 sm. pair of earrings, 1 larger pair of earrings, 1 set of thin bangle bracelets and one thicker bracelet. 

 

Personally, I didn't count accessories for the same reason you state. I don't wear gobs of jewelry, don't change purses, don't have a hundred shoes, and so on. I didn't count these items in my 33. 

[curlgirl]

I admit to having a lot more than 33 items. However, everything I have I love and wear regularly. One problem for me is that in the winter (we live in Wisconsin) I layer and can still be cold.  We heat with wood and the thermostat can say 70 but I will still have on a camisole, long sleeve shirt, fleece vest, jeans, socks and sometimes long underwear. A typical Sunday outfit for me would be a camisole, blouse, sweater, and skirt. So I just wear a lot of clothes! :) But as I said before I like all of my clothes and they are all fairly well co-ordinated. I have to go look at the website because I have a set of clothes I wear at home and then nicer things I save to wear out and about.  If I pared it down that far I would think there would be a lot of washing involved because you would run out of clothes quickly? That and I am a very messy cook so I can wear jeans more than one day but shirts are changed daily. Interesting thought though.

[Joyofsixreboot]

Ok, did some paring yesterday (and got all the things that aren't mine out of my closet)

1 everyday jean

1 nice jean

1 khaki cords

1 black dress pant

1 lacy white sweater

1 long blue sweater

1 cream turtle neck

1 brown turtle neck

maroon cardigan

brown cardigan

That makes 10 things, we shall see how it goes

I didn't count underthings, scarves or workout clothes (2 running tights/2 UA shirts) or my cuddl duds.

 

[SweetMissMagnolia]

haven't ever heard of this LOL but every so often (1-2/year) I go through all of our clothes and gather up what isn't worn anymore/what we don't like and donate to friends or charity.....definitely have more than 33 now and as much laundry as I've been doing lately I've been seriously thinking about hitting our closets and seeing what needs to go.....