Do you have clothes in your closet that still have price tags? Have you ever complained that you had nothing to wear while standing in front of a full closet? Simplifying your wardrobe can save time, money and energy. To do this, ask yourself these three questions about each piece of clothing you own. If your answer is no to any of them, it is time to donate, toss or sell the item.
1. Does it fit?
2. Do you love it?
3. Is it in good condition?
Simplifying your wardrobe helps you figure out exactly what items are important to you and promotes creativity in clothing choices. If you have fewer clothes, there will be more room to be creative with your outfit selections. Simplifying your wardrobe also reduces decision fatigue. Many people have had the experience of trying on multiple outfits only to be dissatisfied with the end result. Simplifying your wardrobe enables you to keep only your favorite clothes, making the choice of what to wear less frustrating.
Project 333 is a minimalist fashion approach within the simplicity movement created by Courtney Carver. It challenges people to live with a wardrobe of 33 articles of clothing for three months declaring that “simple is the new black.” The list of clothes excludes undergarments, sleepwear and workout clothes, but includes jewelry, accessories and shoes. With 33 articles of clothing, you can create 25,176 outfits, enough for a different ensemble every day for the next 69 years.
Alumna Victoria Metal ‘17 accepted the Project 333 challenge because it saves her time and money and boosts self-confidence. Metal decided to start incorporating Project 333 into her daily life when she found herself repeatedly wearing the same outfits. Early in her junior year, she discovered capsule wardrobes on Pinterest, cleared out her closet and never looked back. At first, Project 333 was a challenge for Metal.
“I was afraid to wear the same few articles of clothing over again. I felt like everyone was judging me for what I was wearing,” she said. Now, dressing with less comes easily to her. In addition, she no longer worries about mismatching because all of her clothes are part of the same color scheme. Metal adamantly believes that “every shirt should be your favorite shirt.”
Simplifying your wardrobe is beneficial because it decreases the amount of stress due to clothing selection and gives you more space. While you don’t have to immediately embrace the 33 item challenge, we do recommend that you go through your closet seasonally to purge clothes that you haven’t worn, are in disrepair or those you don’t love. Living deliberately is what simple living is all about. Getting rid of unnecessary distractions in your life makes room for what is truly important.
Let us know how you simplify your wardrobe and your thoughts about the Project 333 challenge using #EtownSimplified. Stay tuned for our next column on time management and creating a meaningful routine.
Want to know more? Additional resources from Courtney Carver can be found on Facebook (@bemorewithlessdotcom) and Twitter (@bemorewithless). Additionally, catch Carver’s new book, “Soulful Simplicity,” coming out this December! Visit her blog at http://courtneycarver.com.
