A closet full of nothing to wear. – Does sound familiar? But what about the sweet shirt you bought last week, or the vintage jeans you thrifted a couple of days ago?

The 333 challenge knocks the never-ending story of trying to find the perfect outfit on the head. Created by Courtney Carver in 2010, Project 333 went viral and inspired thousands of people to go minimalistic in their fashion choices (Nati, 2018). In fact, Project 333 challenges its fans to dress with only 33 items or less for 3 months. These 33 items imply regular clothing, jackets, shoes, and accessories. According to Courtney, pieces that don’t count into the selected choice are underwear, sleepwear, in-home loungewear, and sportswear (which can only be used for that purpose; Don’t trick yourself!). Also, sentimental pieces of jewelry, like wedding rings, don’t fall victim to the 333 challenge – we really don’t want to risk a marriage crisis. Truly, the thought behind the radical minimization of your wardrobe is to bring more simplicity, love, and joy into your life (Carver, 2019). But frankly speaking, Project 333 goes along with a number of benefits apart from the obvious matter of clutter-free happiness. So, by taking on the 333 minimalistic fashion challenge, you can actually make your closet more sustainable and lower your environmental impact. Moreover, the project may inspire you to become extra creative in combining beloved pieces and shape your personal style. On top of that, you might finally have the heart to kill your darlings – get rid of the pieces you don’t really need because in your wardrobe are only favorites allowed. Eventually, you can do something good for you and for your wallet!

Indeed ‘you can remove a significant amount of stress from your life, by simply reducing the number of items in your closet’ (Carver, 2019). So, how do you get started? Since decluttering your closet and limiting your outfit choices by 33 items, might sound easier than it actually is, you should check out the Rules and Quick Start Guide before you jump right into the challenge. Besides that, we summarized the main 101 tips for you to make decluttering easier and help you push through the next 3 months of the project:

1. Empty your closet completely and sort your treasures in three piles: I love, I keep, I lose
2. Work with your I love-pile and ask yourself what: What do I really need? What suits me well? What can I mix and match? What fits the season?
3. Get the leftovers from pile 1 and 2 out of your sight and free yourself from the I lose-pile
4. Don’t forget about statement items, that underline your character – Is it the stylish pair of sunglasses you got last year, or your beloved trench coat? Pick one!
5. Finally, try to resist online shops and shopping malls! – Don’t make it harder than it is.

REMEMBER Project 333 is not about suffering: If you find the minimization of your wardrobe too radical, come up with a project that suits you better. Also, if your clothes are in poor condition, replace them!

So, stop spending time worrying about your outfit, and start thinking about something more important, because simple is the new black!

Sources

Carver, C. (2019). be more with less. Von Project 333: https://bemorewithless.com/project-333/

Nati. (24. May 2018). My Happy Footprint. Von What is Project 333 and why should you care?: https://myhappyfootprint.com/project-333-capsule-wardrobe/