Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Project 333 Making Pigs Fly

Project 333

I came across a challenge to show that living with less is possible and easy. As I have mentioned before I am not the average hoarder consumer. I did have an excess of clothes, way more than I could ever need in one given time period, but I didn’t have like 50 pairs of shoes or 3 closets full of designer clothes. What I did have was along the lines of 16 pairs of shoes, 4 drawers and half a walk in closet of clothes from Torrid, Roaman’s, Lane Bryant and Cato’s. I am, trying not to be, was a huge fan of online shopping. So the majority of these clothes did not fit well or at all and since I always forget to return items they hung unworn in my closets. 

The basics of this challenge is to live 3 months with 33 items. That’s right. Only 33 items in your wardrobe. Items like socks, undies, your wedding ring, sleep wear, lounge wear, and workout clothing are the exceptions. Since the rule with workout clothing involved only wearing it to work out, I couldn’t keep items under this because, well, I do not exercise on a daily basis. Luckily my “work-out clothing” and “lounge wear” are basically the same thing, because lounging is an action and classifies as a workout. in my head.

This challenge isn’t meant to make you suffer, but to free you from societies excessive consumerism by showing that you can live with less. When choosing your 33 items, you are instructed to choose the clothing that fits you or makes you feel at your best. Choose the items that when you see your reflection you think, “Damn I look good.”
This is my clothes pile before the purge. 


As I was trying on what seemed like an endless amount of clothes, I put together some outfits I liked and realized I hated the majority of my clothes. I knew even if I boxed them up for wear once the three months was over, they would still just hang there in my closet. So I decided to purge them. In the end my entire wardrobe was reduced to the following:

9 pants
15 shirts
3 dresses
1 skirt
2 pair boots 
(I am a Texan after all, y'all)

1 flip flop
2 dress shoes
2 tennis shoes
3 sweaters
1 coat
1 Renaissance costume 
(Mandatory Faerie Wear)



Now this adds up to 40 items; but 5 items are put away until winter, the 2 pairs of tennis shoes don’t count because they are exercise wear, so that leaves my 33 items.

I have less clothes to wash and spend less time standing stupidly in front of the closet deciding what to wear and more time for exercising  meditating. I have managed two weeks so far without replacing a single item or shopping online. That right there my friends, could make pigs fly.
 xoxo
M.




For more about Project 333 visit it's website.
 
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4 comments:

  1. I am inspired - but admit that I am a little scared. I have the same problem (I hate most of my clothes), but still can't seem to let them go. But I want to try this. I'll keep you posted!
    ~h

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  2. I wish you the best on your journey. I think the key for me was realizing that all these items were not bringing me happiness. I was fearful. I am not normally a jump in the water kind of person. I normally tip that toe in and contemplate on the coldness and if it's worth the swim. In this situation, it was most worth it.

    Leo Babauta said it best when he wrote, “I learned about why I was holding on to things (fear), and learned that the fears were unfounded. I learned that I could do well even without all that false security, and that I was already strong enough to live life without a lot of unnecessary things.”

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  3. I'm proud of you that you admitted to the Ren Faire costume, I'd find a way to make an excuse not to count it. But then, I have tried to commit to project 333 a number of times and failed (though in general my closet is much more reasonable.)

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  4. @ Jen it is a mandatory clothing item. We go two or three times a year to the Texas Ren Faire and I like to go in costume. Thanks for commenting!

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