A major purging and reorganizing of my wardrobe is currently underway.
I recently stumbled upon Courtney Carver’s minimalist fashion Project 333 and was immediately intrigued. I mean, come on. She put minimalist and fashion together in one phrase. Two of my favorite words, though not usually together. When it comes to clothes I believe that more is always better. Or so I thought.
Project 333 is a challenge to simplify and dress with less – 33 items for 3 months.
I was incredibly inspired. So much so that I immediately went to my closet to take inventory of my wardrobe. And then the purging process began. I’ve since gone through several rounds of purging and organizing and have 4 big bags of clothing waiting for new homes. I was able to sell some of them (the jeans and jackets) to Crossroads Trading Co., the rest will be donated.
I purge on a pretty regular basis (every couple of months), but this purge session was different. I was finally able to let go of all the things I knew I should have gotten rid of a long time ago but couldn’t. And now it’s finally done. I feel different already. Lighter. And I have clarity. And perhaps for the first time in my life, I don’t feel like I need to buy anything new. In fact I still have too much and will probably be going through another round or two of purging.
I will try to take a few photos of the newly organized closet soon so I can share the before + after difference with you!
I will not be doing Project 333 just yet. Paring down to 33 items is too drastic for me. But this whole purging process has been incredibly liberating and freeing. I’m setting a goal for 2011, to declutter and cut down on waste and excess. What are you hoping to achieve in the new year?
i'm currently 26 weeks pregnant so when i reached the point where half my wardrobe no longer fitted me i boxed it all up for post baby & now i am most definately in the midst of a minimalist closest. I have about 5 main outfits i rotate. I can't like it's kinda nice not really having to search for something & everything i'm wearing i love!
have fun with your project. xx
Oh, I so need to do this! Maybe not just 33 items, that is too drastic, like you said. But I know I've got items that have been hanging on hangers for at least 2 years, never worn. Waste of space! Thanks for sharing that link!
Amen, sister! I decided my one little word for 2011 will be simplify… all about declutter. My closet is one of my first projects.
Laura, you are ever inspiring. I hope to be able to get to that point one day. I read somewhere that most people wear 20% of the their wardrobe 80% of the time. I know I'm certainly guilty of that. Now it's just a matter of convincing myself to let go of those pieces of clothing that I never reach for. I seem to hang on to them (for security maybe?) but in reality, hanging on to something I'm never going to use is just a hindrance.
Donya – You nailed it, waste of space! Good luck with finding/creating more space for the things you do love and will use. 🙂
Amy – Simplify. I love your word for 2011. My one little work is similar to yours: LESS. Please post a link to your closet project when you're done.
I love this idea too. We live in a small house and have already decided that if we get something new, then something else has to go. It really makes us conscious of our purchases.
Hi Liz
thanks for such a great introduction ~ project 333 looks just like what I need right now
Thank you for the link! My goal is 33, but it's harder than I thought. I am totally inspired for 2011. Even though I didn't get down to 33, I could not believe how many hangers I am left with (what an eye opener!) Thank you for being a creative inspiration but also for inspiring me to focus on minimizing in 2011.
Love the shot of your tees Liz oh and a Happy New Year!
I purge on a regular basis and donate to charity shops so it can be recycled by someone who wants it!
I plan to just shot all photos on manual mode this year and so far I'm having a whole lot of fun, make time to visit the blogs I like more often (instead of always catching up late!) and also want to concentrate on getting my cottage sold.
Good luck with the purges and look forward to seeing the photos.