Project 333

Every morning I would open the wardrobe and be met with an overflowing mass of clothing. Multiple garments per hanger, all rammed in without even an inch of space on the railing. I'd quickly find what I was looking for and close the door again promising myself I'd deal with the problem but deep down knowing I wouldn't. I've loved clothes from a very young age and I won't deny I have shopaholic tendencies ever since I began earning money. I remember a phase when I was 19 or 20, every week I would pop out to the shops on my lunch break on the Thursday or Friday and buy a dress or an outfit to wear out for that weekend, I must have spent 200 euro a month on weekend outfits alone. Even now in my thirties I wouldn't bat an eyelid after racking up a bill for £100 in Primark.

Something has changed though, the clutter behind the wardrobe door has weighed on my mind more than I would have liked to admit. During the lockdown I tried to make more use of the forgotten items from the back of the wardrobe. In a bid to sway myself from spending money unnecessarily I "shopped the wardrobe" which was great fun until I realised I didn't have any particular style. I then decided to try and transition my wardrobe to a style I found more fitting to who I am. I did a small clear out of clothes that I knew for certain I would never wear again and then purchased a handful of items of better quality that I could use more as staple, timeless pieces. The problem wasn't solved though, yes I had stopped shopping and spending money frivolously on clothes and shoes but the wardrobe was still at maximum capacity and there was still years worth of clothing at the back of the wardrobe that deep down I knew probably had to go but I wasn't ready to let go of them. I've always found my clothes to be an expression of myself and as trivial as it may sound to some people but throwing away those items from the back of the wardrobe felt like throwing away part of myself.

So again, I ignored the problem. Then one Sunday morning a couple of weeks ago I came across an article about a movement called Project 333. This project is a fashion challenge where you have to dress with just 33 items or less for 3 months, it's a journey to a minimalist lifestyle helping you discover the joy in what you already have and to show you that less really is much more. I was intrigued by the idea, it was definitely something I was interested to try but I couldn't help feeling conflicted. In theory the idea of it sounded brilliant but the reality of actually doing so made me a little uneasy, what if I chose the wrong clothes and then I didn't have anything suitable to wear? What about those items of clothing that I love but only wear on the rare occasion? What about all the dresses I bought for the multitude of weddings we were invited to but have been postponed until next year? After a day of debate and listing out the pros and cons I decided I needed to take part if only to clear out some mental space.

It's a week on now and I feel positive about the movement. I removed all the Spring/Summer clothing and vacuum packed it to be stored away until next Spring and I quickly sorted through the keep, charity and undecided piles of clothing knowing if I spent too long making a decision it would end up back in the wardrobe. I have however bent the rules slightly with the wedding dresses, I've put them together in a garment bag in wait for the world to return to normal and I have yet to tackle the shoe and handbag situation but that's a whole other challenge. From the clothing I've kept, my number hit 31 which doesn't include my shoes/bags as of yet. I hope to re-look at the items chosen after a month and then remove some of the clothes to add in the shoes and bags. I'm confident I can stick to the plan and I feel ready to accept the challenge plus it has been a joy to open the wardrobe and see everything hanging neatly on their own hangers with no creases.

Wish me luck

xx