As promised, the curious subject of Project 333.
What is it? What does it do? What did you notice? And of course, HOW has it changed anything?
Project 333 was something that I came across on social media before I moved to Paris a few years ago. I’ve since moved back to the States but decided to continue with my Project 333 journey.
I embarked on the challenge as I knew I had a tendency to overindulge in clothes – I love them and I am very happy to spend a lot of money. (By a lot – one shopping cart can hold up to $1000 at a time that I would eagerly pay for whenever my mood struck.) I found myself very quickly in debt, and in order to move to Paris, I needed that money to be spent in other ways.
I also found myself with a wardrobe full of clothes that weren’t very compatible. There were lots of great pieces that were unique, but it was really hard to make them into a cohesive outfit that I loved, which meant that “Capsule Wardrobe” was extremely challenging for me. I needed to have clothes and outfits that made sense and worked together while living in Paris because I wasn’t going to be able to take every item that I owned with me.
So…
Project 333 is a type of organizational system for the wardrobe. There are a few foundational rules to help people with their wardrobe choices to create a functional, cohesive wardrobe with minimalism in mind.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of the rules:
Rule 1. 33 items of clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear, and shoes.Â
Rule 2. Do NOT include underwear, sleepwear, in-home loungewear, and workout clothes.
Rule 3. Commit for 3 months
Of course, I didn’t adhere fully to these rules – my lifestyle is very different than most, and I attend events where I dress extremely differently than a night out with friends at a restaurant. This is a fact. So I adapted with what made sense and added 5-10 more pieces into my wardrobe that would allow me these clothing choices and limited myself to a jewelry bag full of jewelry and a packing cube worth of scarves, belts, and hats. I also had no more than 5 bags in rotation. This really worked for me while I lived in Paris.
Once I got back to the states, I had to make a few updates because I had also implemented the Flip Hanger method to see what I wore in the three months, and I became more fit, so the clothes I had were too big and unflattering. I am also going to be 40 and decided to start investing in high-quality key pieces that will last me long term.
This meant some purging, some better-intentioned shopping, and taking even better care of my clothes.
So by the time one full year had passed and I went into a second year of Project 333, I had my base wardrobe for the season that I was able to analyze and adjust quickly. I found that I have a color palette that I gravitate towards, and also have themes surrounding the seasons that I had been working with for years without realizing it. All of these realizations came after taking the time to assess my “hard” Likes (things that I naturally gravitated towards and had a lot of).
Today, I shop with more attention and intention: if it doesn’t fit MY seasonal rules, I don’t buy it. Also, because I spend much less time buying and returning things, it gives me more time to work on maintaining my health, physique, and other hobbies instead.
The biggest bonus is that I literally always look put together at all times of the day without much effort, and that is a fantastic feeling for ANY person who loves fashion.
If you’d like to know more about how I went about curating my seasonal wardrobe or have any questions, let me know.
Hope you found this helpful.
Ninja