I’m sure you’re wondering what is project 333? Project 333 is a minimalist clothing challenge. This challenge is so impactful that it has completely shifted my changed my mindset. The project 333 challenge encourages reducing your closet, but also guides you to truly think about the clothing you own.
Thinking back, I can’t remember when my closet wasn’t overfilled and completely chaotic. Although I’ve never thought of myself as fashionable, I’ve also never shied away from trends in the fashion industry.
I had always been one to indulge in Black Friday sales, Christmas in July, flash sales, anniversary sales, and pretty much any reason to shop for more. Every occasion deserved a new outfit and every outfit deserved appropriate accessories – scarves, earrings, necklaces, and/or new shoes.
It wasn’t until I watched the Minimalist on Netflix on Earth Day one year, that I realized the true environmental impact of all of our “stuff” and the true peace that could be obtained by having less (and buying less!). The documentary highlighted Courtney Carver and her Project 333 Minimalist clothing challenge and I was immediately curious. I had to figure out “what is project 333?!”
At the time, I was six months pregnant and in no condition to minimize my wardrobe, but one month after having my daughter I purchased the Project 333 e-book and gobbled it down in a weekend’s time.
If you’re wondering what is project 333 or are curious about how to minimize your wardrobe to save space, save time, and gain clarity, this post is for you!
This post is all about what is project 333? Decluttering your closet with the minimal clothing challenge.
What is Project 333?
Project 333 is a minimalist clothing challenge designed to help you declutter, reduce, and simplify. In this challenge, you choose 33 items to keep in your closet for 3 months. To being, all your clothing is separated into three piles: Love, Toss, and Maybe. From there, eliminating piles and deciding what deserves to be in your closet begins. I highly recommend you check out her book!
Buy the book here:
The Power of Challenges
The author, Courtney Carver, talks about the value of challenges and personal experiments. According to Courtney, these challenges give you an opportunity to learn what is best for you. Project 333 is an example of a personal challenge, but she lists several more to try in her book. One challenge that I am also interested in trying is the Minimalism Game by Joshua and Ryan.
Why Project 333?
I want to participate in Project 333 because I have recognized the peace associated with minimalism and decluttering. Having an abundance of things leaves my mind cluttered and clouds me with decision fatigue. In addition, having two rambunctious kids to clean up after means I’m already drowning in toys, puzzle pieces, loose socks, and food crumbs.
While I can’t necessarily control the mess my kids make – kids are messy – this is a fact. I want to control peace in other areas of my life and decrease the stress caused by figuring out what to wear.
Clothing and the Environment
In addition, having a minimal wardrobe directly correlates with my eco-conscious living journey. I’ve worked hard to make swaps feasible for zero waste alternatives, cut down my food waste, and cloth diaper for both my kids. It seems appropriate that minimizing is the next step for me to decrease my impact on the Earth.
Fast fashion, or fashion that is cheap, readily available, and trendy, has an incredibly large impact on the environment. In fact, “making a pair of jeans uses the same amount of water as flushing your toilet for three years” (Project 333).
In addition, “the average annual clothing consumption per person in the US is sixty-five garments, according to the American Apparel and Footwear Association”. I can tell you with great certainty, that I have far more than 65 garments in my closet.
Project 333 Before and After
What my closet looked like before Project 333:
My Methodology for this Minimalist Clothing Challenge
First, I washed all my clothes. Whether I chose to donate my clothes or keep them, I wanted them to be clean and available. I’ve recently discovered that most of the items sent to donation centers are ultimately landfilled because they are too damaged or broken for resale.
From now on, I’m working really hard to only donate quality items instead of displacing my junk to someone else. Project 333 book gives much more detail about the steps to complete the challenge, but here is my methodology:
- Take everything out. It is much easier to declutter when you can see everything you have at once.
- Clean out the closet. I dusted the shelves and wiped it all down.
- Sort everything. I sorted everything into the following piles: Love | Maybe | Toss | Donate.
My 33 items for 3 months:
What my closet looked like after Project 333:
Here is a list of clothes chosen for
Jewelry and Accessories
(1) watch
(2) earrings
(2) necklaces
(1) purse
(1) pair of sunglasses
Shoes
(1) pair of loafers
(2) flats
(3) sandals
Shirts
(1) graphic tee
(1) denim button-up
(2) black shirts
(2) casual tops
(2) quarter sleeve shirts
(2) tank tops (black and white)
(3) sleeveless shirts
Bottoms
(2) pairs of slacks
(2) pairs of jeans
(1) pair of joggers
(1) pair of cargos
Outwear
(1) Cardigan
My Biggest Takeaways from the Project 333 Minimalist Clothing Challenge:
- There are so many feelings and memories attached to our clothing. I actually became emotional when I was making the decision to reduce some of my clothing.
- I bought items that I didn’t actually love to match current trends
- I also purchased items that I loved on other people but never wore because I actually didn’t like them for me.
- My closet was jam-packed with clothes that didn’t complement my body type
- I held on to several pieces of clothing that I didn’t actually like because I felt like I spent a lot of money on them.
- Clutter increases anxiety.
- When packing for travel, we should abandon our “just in case” mindset.
- Project 333 is a fast from shopping and a cleanse from excess.
- This challenge is a step toward clarity, simplification, and fast fashion awareness.
I hope this post helped you understand what is project 333?
Have you ever heard of project 333? Would you ever try something like this? What clothing items could you never live without? Let me know with a comment! Learn more about Project 333 HERE!
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