Wardrobe Capsule {Project 333}


Capsule Wardrobe, Fashion, Random / Sunday, January 4th, 2015

Project 333 Capsule Wardrobe Ok, ok I know you’ve all been holding onto your phones or standing by your computer waiting for the notifications to pop up and tell you I finally posted more about this whole Wardrobe Capsule Project 333 that I’ve mentioned in the last posts. Your life can go on now.

I had never heard anything about Project 333 or a Wardrobe Capsule – even though apparently it’s been a popular thread in newsfeeds for a while. So last month, while wrapping presents, I decided to tune into Kristin’s This Inspired Life’s Podcast while I had some rare moments of quiet to myself. While browsing for one to listen to, I saw this one –

PROJECT 333 CREATOR COURTNEY CARVER ON THE CAPSULE WARDROBE, SIMPLICITY, AND TIPS FOR TRAVEL!

At first I wasn’t going to listen, thinking it was just some boring stuff about fashion that would only make me feel self-conscious and old-fashioned and make me want to be someone I’m not. (Like trendy or something.)

But I decided to go ahead and try it out because the word, “simplicity” is always on my mind. After listening, I LOVED everything about it and began majorly swooning over the whole idea!

The timing of hearing about it was perfect as I’d already started trying to simplify my wardrobe and had even planned a post about how I was going to simplify my wardrobe with plain shirts and accessories as embellishments.

I’m also am a tad clutter-phobic. (There’s even a medical term for it – ataxaphobia)

My closet had become increasingly out of hand. I kept all my clothes in there from all seasons of weather and life (maternity/nursing). Partly because I was too lazy to put them away and partly because I was too lazy to have to get summer clothes back out on those random 90 degree days in the middle of January. I also had all the baby’s clothes in there until we moved his clothes and him in with his brother last week.

I think the idea of simplifying my wardrobe may have been partly inspired by Downton Abbey – which RETURNS TONIGHT!!! Not that I was going to go around in ball-room dresses everyday, but I noticed that they only used 3 – 4 very nice dresses and rotated them throughout the days. How times have changed!

So I knew this was exactly what I’d been trying to invent but now I didn’t have to – someone else already did. Bonus!

As soon as we got through Christmas, I went to the Project 333 site and read all about what it is and the rules.

I shared the idea with my husband and he didn’t think it sounded that hard to do thinking 33 items is a lot and it wouldn’t be much of a challenge. But when you start counting pants, shirts, scarves, shoes, and accessories, you’d be surprised how quickly it all adds up. After counting everything in my closet (excluding maternity clothes, undergarments and socks), I’m rather ashamed to admit I counted –

144 clothing items, 20 necklaces, 22 pairs earrings, 15 Bracelets (that i never wear but keep for sentimental reasons mostly), and 11 pairs of shoes!

At this point, I should say that I’m incredibly thankful for these clothes and accessories, many of which have been gifted to me over the years and because of that hold a greater value than had I just bought them myself. It makes me uncomfortable knowing that while I stand in my walk-in closet feeling overwhelmed by my excess, there are those who stand alone in their material poverty.

However, even while others lack, this gives me no justification to live in excess or in gross attachment to what I don’t really need.

Like Kendra Tierney puts it in her post – AN INSPIRED CAPSULE WARDROBE

We are called to be detached from our possessions. We are called to be “poor in spirit.” That doesn’t mean being unhappy. It means living a spirit of poverty, treating the things I own as not belonging to me, just as things I’m looking after, because everything belongs to God.

I’ve been craving a simpler life, not just for my own sanity – although that’s a major reason – but for something greater. By living simpler, it clears room in my mind and life to focus on more important things. The less I’m attached to myself and what I own, the more of myself I’ll have to give to others.

So, with a great amount of nerdy excitement, I got all my clothes out and set apart those to get put away, those to donate, and those I’d hang in the closet as my Capsule Wardrobe for the next 33 days (for 3 months). I did leave a few extras as a reserve since I’m a mother of four and life can get messy from time to time. All my work out clothes are separate also but I can only them for working out!

Speaking of, here’s another good post from Jenna from A Mama CollectiveCAPSULE WARDROBE EXPLANATION FROM A NOT-SO-FASHIONABLE MOM OF THREE

I also combined some clothes, like a sweater and shirt, together as one since I wouldn’t wear the sweater without a shirt, and the same for an tank and shirt as one. Maybe that’s “cheating” but it works for me and the thing I like most about Courtney’s rules is what she says here:

Again, this is not a project in suffering. I want Project 333 to bring you joy not frustration!

I’ll share some of my wardrobe via Instagram, here’s what what the closet started out as (after I moved the baby’s boxes of clothes.)

Atrocious, I know!

And here’s the tops/scarves after…

Anyone need any hangers?

And the bottoms -2 dress pants, 2 dress skirts, 2 jeans

I still need to clean out everything else piled around there.

And I paired down my earrings and necklaces down to just these:

I voted.

Here are some of the outfits I’ve worn the past four days:

This is one of my favorite sweaters, the pretty lace design in back that you can barely see takes the whole outfit up a notch. P.S. I’m terrible at selfies, obviously…
See I can’t even center myself in a picture. I apologize profusely for the less than great picture quality. This is a new sweater/shirt/necklace set my mother-in-law gifted me with just in time to add to the Wardrobe! It makes me feel somewhat trendy. The boots are my “bragging” boots since they are real Italian boots my aunt (who lives there) gave me.
I figured since I’m selfie-picture impaired, I might as well laugh at my own joke of trying. πŸ™‚ Again, sorry for the low picture quality. I’ll try not to be so lazy and use the real camera more often.
The classic Grey long-sleeved knit with a black sweater and scarf look over too-tight skinny jeans and brown-knee high boots. I’m so original. You can kind of see my pretty necklace and earings there too, also a Christmas gift from my siblings who know me so well.

So that’s it! So far, I’m loving this whole challenge! It makes me excited to get up in the morning and walk into my closet and only have a few options of what to wear so I don’t stand there fretting about it and wasting precious moments of time. I’ll come back and update soon!

14 Replies to “Wardrobe Capsule {Project 333}”

  1. Wow, Erika, that is super! I am so impressed with how you parred things down and made it workable for you. I really, really like the simplicity philosophy behind the Capsule wardrobe. I’m not ready to do it for my own clothes yet, but I have noticed how it seems like I wear the same few things over and over. There is certainly a lot I could be getting rid of. Well done friend!

    1. Thanks, Jackie I’m excited about it. I too noticed I wore a lot of the same favorites so why not just wear those. I bet you’d love it when you’re ready for it!
      P.S. I thought i was using the wrong spelling of “paired” down but was too lazy to check it. πŸ˜‰

  2. Fun! You look super cute. I’m thinking about this, but not quite so structured. I already weeded out a ton of stuff this fall. It was the first time I’d pack away my winter clothes, last spring, and as I pulled out some stuff, I just had to say, yah, that’s never going to happen. It’s been nice having it not so stuffed, but I think some more cuts might be needed.

    1. Thanks, Mar. Maybe when I get through the first 3 months you and Jackie and others can join me for round two. Like other things, making this “official” is helpful but also makes it more fun than just “decluttering”.

    1. Oh and thanks about the new design comment, I forgot to mention that in my excitement about my wardrobe. I thought it was time to change to more of simple wintry theme than the Fall look. πŸ˜‰

  3. How fun! That’s a great idea! I also have a bunch of excessive clothes that I keep for no reason. I always have a few favorite things that I wear all the time and the rest just hangs there collecting dust and making me look like a hoarder. Your outfits are really cute by the way! The last one at the bottom is my favorite (not that anyone cares what my favorite outfit of yours is ;)) Also, it looks as if you have found a topic that just *might* get a lot of comments! Who knew it would be clothes!
    marybighair recently blogged…Along for the ride. My Profile

    1. Mary! I’m so glad you commented! And my blog didn’t eat it. πŸ˜‰ The only bad thing about this is I might run into you at Old Navy less often. πŸ˜‰ Although one of the 2 pairs of jeans I have has a hole in the knee so I may go see about those jeans you were telling me about soon. I (capital and bolded and italicized) care deeply about what you think, Mary. Yes, I can’t deny that I’m quietly enjoying all the comments!! I guess I should just write about clothes and fashion instead of God and all that boring stuff. πŸ˜‰

  4. […] 2. The Downton Abbey Way It was recently brought to my attention that this show isn’t called Downtown Abbey. Since then, I hear people talking about it all the time. It even inspired Erika Marie’s capsule collection. “Not that I was going to go around in ballroom dresses everyday, but I noticed that they only used 3 – 4 very nice dresses and rotated them throughout the days.” More on the simple mama’s capsule wardrobe here. […]

  5. […] 2. The Downton Abbey Way It was recently brought to my attention that this show isn’t called Downtown Abbey. Since then, I hear people talking about it all the time. It even inspired Erika Marie’s capsule collection. “Not that I was going to go around in ballroom dresses everyday, but I noticed that they only used 3 – 4 very nice dresses and rotated them throughout the days.” More on the simple mama’s capsule wardrobe here. […]

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