project 333
Today I started Project 333. If you've not heard, Project 333 is a minimalist fashion challenge to wear just 33 items (or less) of clothing for 3 months. That includes clothing, shoes, outerwear, jewellery and accessories. So you haul everything out of that stuffed wardrobe, identify your most beloved clothing items and put them back. Then everything else is packed up and sealed into boxes, bags or suitcases and stored out of site for the next 3 months. The challenge is then to not go near those extra items of clothing until the end of the three months. Then you start again, repeating the entire process.
At the end of the three months I'll take stock of what has been in storage, keeping the odd seasonal item that may be useful in the summer months, then purge the rest (providing I have managed well with the project, of course). I've never had a massive amount of clothes. In honesty I'm not a huge clothes kinda guy anyway, but starting Project 333 has made me feel like I have so many clothes. More clothes than I really feel I should. Those jackets and tees, bottoms, shoes and accessories that I've deduced I won't need, has filled a suitcase and a carry-on bag, plus a plastic bag holding a chunkier of the 3 pairs of shoes I don't strictly need. I could literally go on a 2-week holiday and take just the clothes that I don't actually use or need regularly. For a guy that's as openly dismissive of fashion trends as me, this strikes me as odd.
Given this revelation, I found it even more pertinent to participate in the project. Since we are living in a world still ravaged by the Coronavirus, with my local council area placed under local lockdown, I've based my 33 items on things I would need if everything were normal. Here's a quick run-down:
- Levi's denim jacket
- Winter coat
- Umbrella
- Hat
- Gloves
- Scarf
- Scouts hoodie
- Neckie
- Wood badge
- Work tee
- Reversible belt
- Scout tee
- Toms boots
- Stan Smiths
- Oxfords
- Black 519s
- Blue 519s
- 511s
- Fila swim shorts (which double as normal shorts and lounge wear)
- Mustard jumper
- White Levi's tee
- Pull and Bear jumper
- Green over-shirt
- Pull and Bear tee
- Patagonia tee
- Grey Levi's tee
- Proud to Support Pride tee
- Plain white tee
- Plaid over-shirt
- Sliders
- Gym hoodie
- Gym tee
- Gym bottoms
The scope of the project doesn't strictly include workout clothes, but I had space on my list so I included some of them. There wasn't space for my gym shoes or my hand and foot pads for Karate, but again the rules say you don't need to include them. Nor does it include wedding rings or other everyday wear items, underwear, sleep wear or lounge wear. I'm not married, my sleep wear is my underwear and my lounge wear doubles as my swim shorts, on the rare occasion that I wear lounge clothing in the first place. I will obviously need plentiful underwear though, plus my glasses I wear every day, so these don't count toward the 33 items. Though I did recently go through and purge all of the underwear I owned that was past its best. I now own almost exclusively Calvin Klein underwear, which many could argue isn't at all minimalist. The difference is that I also find value in spending a bit extra for some comfortable underwear that will last a fair amount of time. Regardless I feel I'm down to the bare essential amount as far as boxers go. Socks however, different story.
Socks are easily my weakness. I have a ridiculous amount. My sock drawer is packed full and I have an over-flow for occasional use socks. You know, slipper socks, hiking socks, socks for trampolining, all sorts. Up until recently, I had three pairs of trampolining socks! That's three too many if we're honest. As with many other things, we pretend to ourselves that holding onto these things will do us good, since we don't need to buy them again. Yet it always seems like we never have them handy when we need them, so we end up getting a second pair, and a third. Sometimes you need to let the theoretical notion of saving money go.
We'll check in on how this is going in January, but at the moment it feels freeing. With only 33 items, I don't at all feel short-changed of options. I can still turn a decent look at the drop of a hat. To be honest, if anything it's easier now. Almost everything I own hangs in the same spot. It makes it much easier than before to match tops, with bottoms, to jackets and shoes in a jiffy. Not only does it help elevate decision-fatigue, it also makes dressing much more efficient. At the moment, I see no disadvantages.
~ Aedan.