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I’ve followed Courtney Carver for years on her website, blog, and recently I’ve also read her books. She eloquently expresses the feelings and emotions tied to decluttering and the psychological effects it can have in all aspects of life. I love her work. She is a beautiful role model of someone who has drastically changed her life for the better and has had the courage to live in an incredibly intentional way. Her work speaks to me on a deep level.
Carver is famous for her wardrobe challenge called Project 333. The idea is to live with 33 items of clothing for 3 months. 33! That's it. She suggests clothing, accessories, bags, jewelry, and shoes (yes, shoes!) be counted in the 33 items. Underwear, socks, sleepwear and workout wear do not count. However, she stresses that if you are going to run errands and spend all day in your workout wear, then they should be included in your count. So basically, your workout wear needs to actually work out.
I’ve had an interest in personally trying Project 333 for quite some time, and this summer it just felt right. It is the first week of June and I officially cleaned out my closet on Memorial Day, so I’m eight days in!
Why am I taking the Project 333 Challenge now?
My closet was stressing me out. I was in the process of switching my wardrobe over from winter to summer, and I realized how much I hadn’t worn this past season. Carver reminds us of the eye-opening statistic that we only wear about 20% of our clothes, 80% of the time! I absolutely found that to be the case. Even though I wore a lot of the same stuff from week to week, my closet was pretty full with things that just sat there. I was ready to clear it out so that each morning when I went to get dressed, I would be welcomed with a simple, tidy space that was easy on the eyes and clothes that I wanted to wear.
What do I hope to gain from Project 333?
Even though it’s only been a week, I have already gained peace of mind. I am pleasantly surprised how much of it, to be honest. The streamlined, open closet space definitely has something to do with it, but I also love the things I’m wearing now. I spent time intentionally choosing my 33 items and only kept clothing I love, that fits well, and makes me feel good when I wear it. This has made such a huge impact on my well-being already, and I’m excited to see what the future brings.
In the interest of pairing down, a side effect of this challenge is not buying new clothes. So I hope to gain money that I would have typically spent buying additional outfits. Sure, if something gets stained or ripped there will be an exception. But considering I have several bins of perfectly good clothes up in my attic right now, the smart decision would be to pull from there first. I was tested today when I was out shopping with my daughter. Several times I found myself seriously browsing and I even tried a pair of pants on! However, I reminded myself of my goal and of all the unused clothes I already have, and I’m happy to report I stayed strong! I was proud of myself today. I am saving money and saving myself the stress of more.
When I buy more of what I don’t need, it inevitably causes more harm than good. Stress about the money spent, guilt if I don’t wear it, even more guilt if I decide I don’t like it that much, time and space storing the item, and energy caring for it. Plus, think about all that time it takes to switch out clothes in between seasons. If I had less excess, and only items I loved and needed, the entire process would be simpler and less stressful. That is my goal.
What do you think?
Would you ever attempt this wardrobe declutter challenge? I have thought about it a few times over the last few years, but this is the first time I really felt called to jump in. I’ll follow up at the end of the summer to let you know how it goes, but for now, I’m happy and excited to give it a go.
For more on this topic, check out EPISODE 77
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