Halfway Through Project 333

I am halfway through my project 333.

Remember when I said I would try to document it? HA!

Turns out I feel really awkward taking pictures of myself….

But I have been gathering a lot of thoughts about the process and how it has been shaping my feelings towards clothes and getting dressed.

But first here are some updates about my 33 items.

Remember when I said I was going to buy a new pair of nude flats. Well I did but instead of getting nude flats I went with a blush pink and as much as I like them…they aren’t as universal as nude….so they are sitting in their box until I can return them (#smalltownproblems). Along with replacing nude flats, I bought a pair of flip flops since mine broke last summer and after staring at them for a month I decided to just start wearing them since I was already down a pair of shoes.

I love jeans. They are my go to comfort pant. They can withstand all the bending and crawling that take place as a mother. But two of the jeans that I selected have ripped. One was a new pair and the crotch gave out. Thankfully I bought them at Nordstrom’s and so they will be returned/exchanged as well. The other pair ripped in the knees after nearly 5 years of use, so I would say they held up pretty well.  But currently that leaves me with one pair of unripped jeans (the black pair) and they aren’t as universal. So that has been frustrating.

I have only worn the floral skirt once because I realized that it shrunk in the wash and is now too short. I really wanted to find a nice chambray skirt before this project started but nothing panned out. My plan (if I can find the time) is to sew one myself but in the meantime, I received a beautiful nursing friendly dress for Mother’s day that will fill the void.

Here is what I have learned so far.

Loads less laundry, for myself. But it has highlighted how much laundry my husband and kids create. I have been playing around with making a kid capsule for the little ones (and maybe forcing Kyle to do one as well). It sounds VERY appealing.

It has also made me really aware of how I want to feel in my clothes. Like I have said before, I think clothes have a big impact on how we feel about ourselves. I think they are a great form of self-expression. The clothes I selected are very mom-friendly and comfortable, but I have realized that I want my clothes to feel more than comfortable. Comfortable is still number one priority, I don’t want to be fidgeting and adjusting constantly, but I want to feel beautiful and playful in my clothes as well. I want to worry less about I think is stylish and wear more of what makes me feel confident and joyful. I want to feel bright and happy. Basically, I want my clothes to reflect how I feel about life. Right now, I feel they are missing the mark a bit.

I have been pondering a way to reconcile my feelings about simplifying and my desire to explore my style and transform my wardrobe. I don’t want to fall back into fast, cheap fashion only to fill my closet back up with a bunch of items that I don’t love. I want to love and cherish what I own and build my closet thoughtfully. Luckily, this project 333 has given me the catalyst and time to really think about my next step.

I want things to fit and feel good. I want items to be thoughtfully made and good quality. I also really don’t want to waste money. So here are some of goals for the future.

1. Create a wish list of items I would love and that I feel are missing from my wardrobe (like a pair of these beautiful clogs) and limit myself to five items per season.
2. Develop my sewing skills by creating items myself (simple skirts, tops, and dresses).
3. Thrift occasionally for unique pieces making sure to thoroughly vet them. Anything less than “I love this!” does not get purchased.
4. Occasionally shopping from small, local boutiques and women-owned online business.

This was all heavily influenced by this post on reddit, which I stumbled across one day. I love that it really encompasses a lot of the principles found in minimalism, but leaves room for personal growth. I like the structure of five items per season (the seasons being spring/summer and fall/winter) because the reality is that you still have to buy clothes as they get worn out (hi ripped jeans!) and this, for me, answers how to do so thoughtfully and with purpose. It reflects my goal of living with intention and serves to add joy to my life as I seek to bring more of myself into what I wear.

So far project 333 has been far more helpful than I imagined. It has provided what feels like a blank canvas to really consider what I put on my body and what kind of message I am sending not only to others, but to myself as well. I believe that investing in yourself is only selfish and vain when it takes up the majority of our time and finances. But when we thoughtfully and intentionally seek to understand ourselves and build our confidence in healthy ways, it has an impact beyond ourselves.

When we build up our selves, it impacts our relations with those around us and that is why this has so much power. We want to develop those relationships in healthy and positive ways and it is hard to do that when we feel unhappy about ourselves, when we hide behind our clothes and schlep about to face the daily grind.

Clothes aren’t everything, a lot of that work must come from recognizing our self-worth behind material possessions, but clothes do have power to reflect the inner light that shines in each of us. When we focus on that purpose, reflecting our truest self, I believe our lives as a whole will feel brighter and more beautiful and we will have greater capacity to spread our light. Our clothes don’t have to be fancy or expensive or superabundant to achieve this.

I have loved doing project 333, namely for the purpose of figuring out more about myself, even in the superficial ways.