I decided to simplify my wardrobe by creating a minimalist fashion challenge called Project 333. I’ve been dressing with less since 2010 and here are the best things that happened since I simplified my wardrobe.
When I thought about simplifying my wardrobe for the first time, it felt impossible. I had so much stuff. It was easy to shop for shoes and shirts, cute dresses and jackets and more. I used to shop for every event and emotion. My wardrobe was a constant reminder of my debt and discontent. When it was finally time to pare down in my closet, I realized that my usual slow and steady approach wasn’t going to work.
Instead, I created a few rules so that I could really sample simplicity in my closet (with no risk). I promised myself and the internet that for 3 months, my wardrobe would only include 33 items including clothes, accessories, jewelry and shoes. I didn’t count things like sleepwear or workout clothes. The Project 333 Challenge didn’t just change my closet, it changed my life.
The 7 Best Things That Happened After I Simplified My Wardrobe
Some of these things really surprised me and they all dramatically improved my life. Even after all these years, I keep benefiting from my tiny, simplified wardrobe.
1. Thanks to the 3-month shopping ban, I saved lots of money.
Once I chose my 33 items and simplified my wardrobe, I committed to not adding new things to my wardrobe … no shopping for 3 months. Even though I had never done it before, a 3-month shopping ban was an immediate relief. I looked forward to 3 months of not having to pay any attention to sales, or trends or anything fashion related. I continue to save money because I don’t need a lot in my wardrobe.
2. Simplifying my wardrobe gave me so much clarity.
The extra space in my closet, extra time in my day and because I was making fewer decisions about what to wear, I had clarity. By the end of the first 3 months, I had a much better sense of what I wanted and needed in my wardrobe.
That new clarity spread into every area of my life. Now that I don’t spend my mornings choosing between pairs of jeans or figuring out which cardigan matches which white t-shirt, I have breathing room. I don’t spend my evenings and weekends shopping so I experience less decision fatigue. I know what matters to me now, and it’s not more denim jackets or trying to figure out my personal style.
3. I experience less guilt with a capsule wardrobe.
My big wardrobe used to weigh on me. I felt bad about the things I owned and held onto. Clothes that didn’t fit, clothes I never wore, and even clothes with price tags still hanging on them made me feel guilty. I felt guilty for overspending and for buying things I didn’t really need.
Once I began to embrace minimalism and create a lifestyle with less stuff and more peace, it was easier to resist buying new clothes all the time. When I let go of extra dresses, shirts, sweaters and button-ups, I had more space in my closet and I had less mental clutter too.
I didn’t realize the impact my jam packed closet had on my mental health until the excess closet clutter was gone. The guilt and other emotions I had been paying with for so long finally faded away. When I let go, I realized I had paid enough. I paid with my money, my time, my attention and emotions. Haven’t you paid enough too?
4. Dressing with less inspired me to stop caring so much about what other people think about my decisions.
When I started dressing with less, I was working full time in a sales position with frequent staff and client meeting and community events. I was a little worried about what people would say when they noticed I was wearing the same things over and over again but no one even noticed!
When I figured out that people weren’t thinking about me as much as I thought they were, I wondered if there were other areas of my life where I was making decisions based on what I thought other people were thinking. I could finally do what was best for me without concern for other people’s opinions or expectations. This allows me to embrace unconventional choices and to experiment with different ways of living.
5. A smaller wardrobe gives me more time.
Shopping for clothes was my go-to distraction from pain; the pain of boredom, disappointment, sadness, exhaustion. I shopped to celebrate and I shopped to soothe the pain. I said, “I loved shopping” but I didn’t know what I loved. Now, I shop four times a year (or less). Because my smaller wardrobe doesn’t require much of my time or attention, I have that time and attention for things I actually love.
6. I am more confident in my clothes.
I always thought I needed to wear something new or special to prove myself. I needed the right heels to feel powerful, or a new dress to feel sexy, or a trendy jacket to feel put together and ready for the day. Once I started dressing with less, I found confidence in who I was instead of what I wore. How I feel today isn’t dependent on my wardrobe. Today I feel powerful, sexy and confident from the inside out, instead of the other way around.
7. The Project 333 Challenge helped me grow my community and business.
What I thought would be a fun little 3-month challenge turned into a movement for people around the world to experiment and dress with less. This challenge led to so many positive changes in my life that I never stopped dressing with less. I prefer this stress-free approach to getting dressed and living my life.
How to simplify your wardrobe with the Project 333 Challenge:
- Take an inventory of what you own. I recommend getting all wardrobe items together in one space so you can see what you’ve got.
- Clean out your closet. Here’s a practical guide.
- Get started with this approach or this one.
- Hide everything you aren’t donating or wearing. Get it out of sight.
- Dress with your 33 items (clothes, accessories, jewelry, shoes) for 3 months. During that time, ignore all sales and shopping.
- At the end of 3 months, check in. How did it go? What’s next?
- Let me know how it goes! Share your OOTDs and wardrobe images with #project333Â on Instagram.
Resources to help you create a simplified wardrobe:
- The Project 333 book – A chapter by chapter guide to creating freedom in your closet and your life.​
- Project 333 rules and information – Everything you need to know to start the challenge. Here’s a quick overview: Choose 33 items or less to wear for three months. Include clothing, accessories, jewelry and shoes. Don’t include underwear, socks, sleepwear or workout gear.
- The Closet Declutter Hour – You can remove a significant amount of stress in your life simply by reducing the number of items in your wardrobe. I’ll gently guide you through your wardrobe (and mine). I’ll share exactly what’s in my current 33-item wardrobe and support you as you pare down to what works best for you.
