Clothes. They elicit so many feelings. Buying them is frequently linked to emotions. You feel happy, you feel sad, you feel fat, you feel thin. They hold memories; your first date, that summer wedding, a night out with friends or a favourite sweater. We hold on to them long after they no longer fit in hopes they will again, reminding us we aren’t measuring up. We buy furniture to hold them and for most of us, they take up a lot of physical and mental space in our lives. I came across the idea of a capsule wardrobe years ago and filed it away. Then I found out about Project 333 and committed to it last March.
Let go of the negativity
Now, CO-VID has certainly made Project 333 far less challenging. Had this pandemic not happened, I would have found it more of a struggle but in a weird way it’s also helped me let go more readily. I love Courtney’s advice about boxing things up you aren’t ready to let go of. It allows you to feel the ease and spaciousness in your wardrobe while still holding onto the items you think you might want. So far, I haven’t needed or wanted anything in that box. Truthfully, I’ve held onto a bit more because I had my daughter in 2018 and I love some of the clothing that doesn’t currently fit me. I also don’t want to spend lots of money on clothes and thrifting or consignment is not an option these days (fingers crossed it will be soon!).
Clothing is one of those things that has taken up a disproportionate amount of my brain power. Not to say that clothes aren’t a fun and positive thing. There is so much creativity is dressing ourselves and what a great form of self expression! But I have agonized over my body and what it has looked like, cried and changed clothes countless times before leaving the house and let them take up too much space. I’ve also spent more money on clothes than I would like to admit to feel better about myself and the relief I’ve felt since Project 333 is immense.
Create space
You know on Instagram when you see those sparse clothing rails or closets with lots of white space? Seem unattainable? It’s not. It is totally achievable and totally worth it. Imagine waking up in the morning, choosing between two pairs of pants and a few shirts. You know you like all of them and they all fit you properly! It seems revolutionary, I know and that’s because in this society it is. It will take time. This isn’t an overnight-dust-your-hands-and-check-it-off-the-list kinda project. But what sustainable change is? You’ll take steps backwards but the wonderful thing is they won’t be as far back as before. And all the backward steps will only affirm what you do actually love and want in your wardrobe.
The Rules:
Sound interesting? Here are the rules:
- 33 items for 3 months including jewellery, shoes, outerwear and accessories
- Underwear, pajamas, lounge wear, jewellery you never take off like a wedding ring and work out wear (if it works out).
- Box everything else up and put it away. Enjoy your sparse closet and newfound space!
- You can always change these rules to suit you a bit better. Like if 40 items makes more sense to you or 25 and if something doesn’t fit or rips, replace it. It’s about sustainable change and making your life better, not suffering.
What I reminded myself when I shifted anything to better suit my circumstance is that it is meant to be a challenge. So if I am changing something, make sure it’s not to just make it easier for myself but because it really suits my life. For instance, I have a toddler and teach kindergarten, so I might get a couple more shirts dirty than someone living a different life. That being said, I haven’t needed those extra shirts.
In my next post, I’ll go through what I have in my wardrobe for my 33 items. Tell you what I’ve actually worn, what I have bought since starting and what I would do differently. If this is something you think, no way would I do this, maybe you should try! It has 110% made my life easier, reduced stress and saved me money. What excites you about capsule wardrobes?
