Finally, it’s the post you have ALL been waiting for! (or at least the one my big-haired friend, Mary, keeps antagonizing me about). It’s the…

One Month Status Update of my Wardrobe Capsule Challenge!

For those of you who have no idea what in Tarzan land I’m talking about, here is where I started the Project 333 Wardrobe Challenge/Project.

I’m now in the second month of the 3 month’s of the 33-item Wardrobe. Did you follow that? I hope so because I’m lost already.

So how is that 33 wardrobe thing going, people have asked.

And my answer is,

Great!

How so?

Here’s the short answer:

1. Decluttered closet
2. Easier deciding what to wear.
3. Saved money by not buying more (unless I had to) and I even made a little $ by selling what I didn’t need to keep.
4. It’s prompted a deeper awareness of why I buy clothes.
5. It gave me an excuse to dip into the “selfie” world and create the best selfies ever. (you’ll see below)

Enter in at your own eye health’s risk for the long story:

I’m really liking this wardrobe project. It’s added a new and interesting challenge but, like Courtney Carver (Project 333 Foundress) said, it really has simplified life.

I’m a clutter-phobe so my favorite part is walking into my closet and seeing this –

instead of this –

Aside from the awesome clutter-free benefit, it has simplified my morning routine since I can only choose from a few different choices instead of seeing the huge mess and wanting to crawl back under my bed and hide from it.

I have had to plan better and actually check the weather forecast for the day and week before dressing so I can reserve either a warmer outfit or cooler one since our temperatures have fluctuated so much (cold and blustery one day and a warm spring day the next!)

That’s been the “hardest” part – cuz you know, it’s a real struggle turning my phone on and tapping the weather icon to see the forecast, let me tell you, my finger is so sore!

Aside from that, maybe my only other “struggle” is that I started to get a little bored with my selection. I’d still find myself standing in the closet staring at my options, though much less now, and feeling woefully dissatisfied.

But the thing is, I did this before I stripped my closet down to the 33 items. {Don’t snort, I know that sounds like a “lot” but I bet you have more in your closet than you think.}

Conclusion: The clothes aren’t the problem. It’s me.

And this is where the point starts to dig in.

It’s not about the clothes, or the house, or the car, or the granite kitchen counter tops, or any other material possession. All that stuff will never satisfy.

They might bring some enjoyment or mild and temporary contentment – until they don’t anymore. Then we have to look for our next “fix”.

For me, I have always struggled with self-esteem and body image, even if only slightly. Who doesn’t to some degree?

But I think since becoming a mom (11 years ago) it took a turn for the worse as my body transformed into something I didn’t recognize anymore and nothing has ever “fit” quite right again.

And that makes it hard to be happy in my clothes. So when I stand in front of my clothes with a blank stare and let out an exasperated sigh, it’s not because I don’t like what my clothes look like, it’s because I don’t like how I look in my clothes.

And for some crazy reason, I thought if I stared at my wardrobe long enough, or if I go shopping and buy enough new and trendy clothes, somehow it will magically transform the way my body looks also.

Silly bear, there is no such thing as magic clothes. (Christopher Robin)

If I’m going to find any type of satisfaction with how I perceive my body, I have to change my perspective – not my wardrobe.

At the beginning of this wardrobe challenge, it helped me see that I had become incredibly self-conscious of not only what I was wearing but what others were wearing, internally comparing or imagining myself in their clothes. Going through and only picking out the clothes that flatter me, as best as they can, has helped me feel more secure and not worry as much about what I look like.

So, with this in mind, I think this 33-Wardrobe challenge will help me get rid of the distraction of clothes, and declutter my mind so I can deal with my body image issues and focus on much more important things.

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Alright, alright, let’s get out of these deep waters and back up to the super-ficial element of all this fashion and wardrobe talk.

Because what would a good fashion post be without some envy-inducing selfies? (How’s that for steep contradiction?)

I shared a few on the first post and then a couple more on my Instagram just for kicks.

As you can see, one of my two jeans already had a hole in them and then not too long into the 33 days, my second pair decided to follow the trend.

There goes 2 for 2 for holey jeans. My favorite gray sweater also got a huge snag. 🙁 Time to sell some clothes so I can buy new ones. #project333 day 16. I didn’t make it very far!

A photo posted by Erika Marie (@onesimplemama) on Jan 15, 2015 at 1:47pm PST

Apparently holes in jeans really are in fashion.

I opted instead for the boring Refuge Hi-Waisted Super Skinny jeans with no holes, the same one I raved about before. I know I’m such a drag.

My friend, Mary, who I get all my fashion tips from, raved about Old Navy’s “Pull-On” jeans with an elastic waistband. I feel like such a mom-of-four-kids typing that.

I’m not sure why they had to call them “Pull-On” pants…like I’m a toddler who’s got to wear a “Pull-Up”, sheesh. Just call them what they are –

Womens Post-Partum Tuck My Left Over Belly Flab In and Don’t Make Me Have to Button Up While I’m Trying to Use the Bathroom While Holding a Baby Jeggins.

I guess that might be too long to fit on a label though. Either way, I finally went and tried them. As soon as I slipped them on, I knew. I had met my jeans soul mate. They are comfortable enough to make me feel like I’m wearing not-too-tight yoga pants but still trendy enough that I still give the illusion that I’m with it enough to get out of my jammies and provide the illusion that I “have it all together”. And the come up high enough to keep everything packed away.

It was real fun trying them on in the dressing room with a very wriggly toddler –

Ok, so after I inundated the blogging world, Instagram, and Facebook with more selfies than anyone cared to see, I realized my friends may not want to see a picture of what I’m wearing every.single.day for the next 3 months. 😉 And another good and wise friend pointed out that this may be a little beside the whole point of the project.

Good call, my wise friend and point taken! I did receive suggestions to post pictures of my outfits laid out on the bed or floor. Which sounded like a good idea…but I didn’t want to relinquish the idea of posting a selfie of my outfits. So, I came up with another idea to “show-off” my outfits but still keep my pride and vanity in check.

Instead of taking a picture of every single one of my possible outfits, I decided to stick with one shirt – The Old Navy’s Vintage V-Neck – and show a few examples of various outfit options with that one shirt.

So, without further ado, and as a consolation prize for sticking with yet another way-too-long post, I hope you enjoy…