“Cheerfulness and contentment are great beautifiers.” – Charles Dickens
A few years back, I experimented with reducing my wardrobe by joining Project 333.
The idea behind Project 333 is simple: Wear only 33 articles of clothing for the next 3 months. All clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear,and shoes count towards your number. Exceptions include wedding rings, underwear, sleepwear, in-home loungewear,and workout clothing.Clothing that no longer fits or becomes in poor condition may be replaced during the time period.
Originally, I decided to try it for a number of reasons:
- I needed an extra push to reduce the clutter in my closet.
- I find boundaries to be helpful in minimizing.
- The project sounded both challenging and reasonable.
- The Project 333 community seemed encouraging.
The project began on October 1 and concluded on December 31. And other than a few minor exceptions (think Ugly Sweater Christmas Party), I was able to stick to the rules of 33 articles of clothing with only minimal adjustments to my weekly routine.
It became an experiment that I valued and often recommended to others. I learned some valuable lessons about boundaries over those three months.
Consider the benefits of living life within boundaries:
1. Boundaries keep us restrained.
Artificial boundaries can keep us in check when our natural self-control does not. Over the years, I had amassed a closet full of clothes—far more than I truly need. Looking back, I am embarrassed at the amount of time, money, energy, and attention devoted to my clothes.
In similar ways, the average American carries $7,200 in credit card debt and watches over 32 hours of television per week. We are in need of boundaries. Good parents set boundaries for their children… and good adults should set boundaries for themselves.
2. Boundaries force our values.
When you are challenged to pare down your clothing to 33 items, you are forced to identify which items are absolutely necessary. You are forced to single out the most important, most versatile, and most loved items. You are required to identify the most valuable things in your closet.
Similarly, boundaries in life help to force this exact same thought process. Boundaries force us to identify the difference between “really important” and only “somewhat important”—just ask anyone who has ever been given a limited amount of time left to live.
3. Boundaries promote creativity.
Orson Welles said, “The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.” Limiting your clothing items to 33 items for 3 months forces art. Limiting your wardrobe to a capsule wardrobe does not rob you of personal style…it causes you to truly find it. For help getting started, try this: A Practical Guide to Owning Fewer Clothes.
4. Boundaries bring freedom.
This may sound contradictory…and depending on the exact boundaries, it may be. But in the example of clothing, I found great freedom in the project. It is a refreshing feeling to look inside a closet and see only clothes that you love. Getting ready in the morning is less time-consuming. Laundry is easier. And I saved a few dollars over the 3 months as well. The experiment granted me more time, energy, and money—the very things I was losing without it.
For me, Project 333 became something far greater than wearing fewer articles of clothing. It became about recognizing the value of boundaries. And the value of boundaries reaches far beyond our closets. It begins to spill into how we decorate our homes, the toys we buy for our children, our yarn supplies, and even how we choose to spend our time, money, and energy.
Why don’t you try giving it a shot?
You’ll enjoy the challenge. And you’ve got nothing to lose but the clutter in your closet.
FAQs
The idea behind Project 333 is simple: Wear only 33 articles of clothing for the next 3 months. All clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear, and shoes count towards your number. Exceptions include wedding rings, underwear, sleepwear, in-home loungewear, and workout clothing.
What is the 333 closet method? ›
Coined by TikToker and self-proclaimed fashion girlie, Rachel Spencer (@rachspeed), the '333' method challenges you to select nine items from your wardrobe (specifically, three tops, three bottoms, and three pairs of shoes) and create as many outfits as you can, using only these items.
What is the 3 3 3 rule for wardrobe? ›
The 333 styling method is a minimalist fashion challenge encouraging individuals to select and wear only 33 items for 3 months. This includes clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear, and shoes, aiming to simplify wardrobe choices and promote sustainable fashion habits.
What are the 33 items in a minimalist wardrobe? ›
Answer: A 33-item minimalist closet is a curated wardrobe consisting of 33 clothing items, excluding essentials like underwear, sleepwear, and workout gear.
Does the 333 method really work? ›
While there is no formal research into the effectiveness of the 333 rule, many people find it to be a helpful and simple technique to handle anxiety. Although it won't completely get rid of your anxiety, it can be a useful tool to manage it in the moment.
What is the 333 coping technique? ›
The 333 rule is a grounding technique that redirects attention from intense and uncomfortable anxiety symptoms (like worry, unwanted thoughts, or even panic) to the present by shifting focus to three bodily senses: sight, hearing and touch/movement.
How to do project 333? ›
You start by cleaning out your entire closet at 1 time. You wear only 33 items to wear for 3 months. This doesn't include underwear, pajamas, or workout clothes you workout in.
What is the 333 packing method? ›
The 333 method is simple: Pack three tops, three bottoms, and three pairs of shoes, then mix and match for at least nine different outfits or 27 different looks if you're counting the various shoe options, too.
What is the 333 process? ›
The 333 rule is a grounding technique that helps calm symptoms of anxiety and manage panic attacks. It requires you to find three things you can see, three things you can hear, and three things you can touch within your environment.
What is the 70 30 wardrobe rule? ›
When I buy new clothes, I make a shopping list, size up my options, and stick to the 70/30 rule that Kathryn Finney taught me: “70% of your closet should be classic pieces like a great white top and awesome black handbag, and the 30% should be for trendy, fun pieces like orange skinny jeans.
With this in mind, the researchers found that a “sufficient” wardrobe consists of 74 garments and 20 outfits total for those who live in a two-season climate, and 85 garments in total for those who live in a four-season climate.
What is the sandwich method in fashion? ›
How to Try It. To start, you'll want to choose two colors: One will be your "bread," and the other will be the shade that you're sandwiching. For example, if you have a black top, black shoes, and white pants, the black color is your bread, and the white is the sandwich contents.
What is the 333 styling method? ›
All you have to do is to choose 33 items (clothing, jewelry, accessories, shoes) to wear for 3 months and hide everything else. Spoiler alert: doing it is much easier than thinking about doing it.
What is the 333 method for men? ›
Using the 3-3-3 method to create multiple outfits with 3 tops, 3 bottoms and 3 pairs of shoes. This is proof that a capsule wardrobe really does work and is worth investing in. Try the 3-3-3 challenge yourself and let me know how many outfits you can create.
What is a 10 item wardrobe? ›
The principle is to create a seasonal wardrobe consisting of ten core items- tops, bottoms and dresses- which form the staples of your wardrobe. Then to these pieces you add layering cardigans, t-shirts, leisure wear, shoes and accessories.
What is the 333 theory? ›
Nowadays in most people's busy lifestyles, this would be the most efficient way to lose weight and improve healthy condition. If we can follow 333 theory and go with good eating habits, (60% breakfast, 20% lunch, 20% dinner, no food after 8 pm.), then health and good shape will always be with us.
What is the rule of 333? ›
The 333 anxiety rule involves observing three things you can see, three things you can hear, and three things you can move or touch. It is a grounding technique — a coping skill to manage intense emotions by steering the mind away from anxiety and toward the present moment.
