A Project 333 Recap – the pros and cons of a seasonal wardrobe challenge

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Three months flew by a lot faster than I’d anticipated, which only seems to highlight how quickly this year has gone; I mean, when did it become June already and when did I become one of those people who constantly talks about how fast time is screaming past us? I mean, way to state the obvious….

As a person who once baulked at the thought of even contemplating a wardrobe challenge, it’s fair to say that my perception and ability to live with fewer things has changed dramatically in the last few years. With Project 333 now done and dusted, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to share with you all my thoughts on this wardrobe challenge, and run through some of the pros and cons of living with a capsule or minimal wardrobe. So I’m just going to warn you now, this is going to be a long one…

The thing that surprised me most? I didn’t cheat – not even once (unless wearing my Hope grand sweater as pyjamas counts…) – although I did make the odd change to my capsule wardrobe. As it would so obviously turn out, no matter how much you plan in advance, you can’t quite predict how the weather is going to turn a week ahead, or have the faintest clue as to how cold it might possibly be two months out.

Within the first week, I was already making changes to my capsule, which wasn’t exactly what I had in mind given I spent a good two months slowly refining and editing down my choices… While my capsule largely stayed the same, I started to think a bit more about which pieces were the most dynamic, and that I could still wear two months on when the weather was likely to be cooling down.

It started off with the Karen Walker grey cardigan, which felt too similar to the Ashley Fogel one I’d already started wearing on a daily basis, and the white Ashley Fogel jumper as I wanted a little additional variety. Then I decided that the trench coat wasn’t necessary (a fail on more than one count..), nor was the apricot-hued blazer, or the blush skirt. I opted for a pair of black denim in lieu of the indigo pair I’d initially chosen, and realised a month in that one of my skirts had been at the dry cleaners for at least four weeks and was unlikely to be joining the rest of my capsule pieces anytime soon.

I ended up making the following additions to my capsule; a printed skirt from Josh Goot which works just as well with tights as it does with bare legs. A grey wool flannel pencil skirt from Karen Walker which I could get away with both in the office with a silk blouse or on the weekend with a loose jumper. A black woollen skirt from T by Alexander Wang due to its simplicity and how easy it is to throw on. A pair of black skinny stretch denim jeans from J Brand which feel almost like wearing a pair of tights when they’re on. And lastly, a navy raw wool coat from COS as the temperature dropped considerably in early May, and this turned out to be a piece I wore to and from the office every. single. day.

Somehow, I ended up with a total of 32 capsule items to wear over the three month period (or 30, when you take into account that two of the pieces were worn a total of once each…); which given my hesitation to stop at just 33 was a huge triumph for me, especially as on any given day I have between 80-100 pieces in my wardrobe to choose from. I definitely found this challenge to be a lot less difficult than I expected, and I suspect it was down to a few key things in addition to a couple of lessons I learnt along the way…

1. Start to form your capsule around core wardrobe basics; Think of this as your staple-go-with-everything pieces – the ones which you can throw on with just about anything. For me, this meant starting with things like a classic leather jacket, a great pair of denim, a sleeveless blouse, a black blazer and a loose fitting cami.

2. Choose pieces that you feel good in and enjoying wearing; There isn’t much point spending three months of your life with a capsule wardrobe that you don’t love, so focus on including pieces which fit well, are good quality, and that you enjoy and feed good wearing.

3. Develop a uniform… of sorts; Having a few different uniforms or ‘proportions’ to base your daily outfits around not only helps with selecting the pieces for a capsule wardrobe but also provides a good foundation for day to day wear.

4. Be prepared for a turn in the weather; One thing I learnt over the last three months was how impossible it is to know for sure how warm or cold it will be over any given season. Make sure to keep a space or two free for those occasions or focus on building in layers.

5. Stick to a colour palette; I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, but sticking to a colour palette (whether it be neutrals like I tend to go for, or bright and colourful prints if that’s your jam) makes the whole challenge so much more painless.

6. Avoid the shops and don’t be tempted by sales; This has always been my downfall in the past, as I’d usually continue shopping at my usual speed when attempting to get through 30×30 or wear a more ‘limited’ selection of my wardrobe. This season, I added so few things to my wardrobe that I wasn’t tempted to throw on something new and shiny, and managed to stick to the items within my capsule wardrobe.

In terms of the pros and cons of Project 333, it is without a shadow of a doubt much easier to get dressed in the morning. Opening the closet (or rifling through the clothing rack in my study) was a lot less stressful as I had a defined set of items which I knew worked together quite seamlessly. There wasn’t a single day that I felt like I had nothing to wear, even when I was wearing the same or similar combinations regularly. In a way, it was oddly freeing. While I definitely didn’t ‘dress up’ as much as I could have (flats were my shoe of choice), I always felt put together; I was always happy with what I was wearing, and I got to wear my favourite pieces all the time. The changes to a look were a lot more subtle but you could easily mix in a bold necklace, a printed scarf, or a quirky pair of shoes.

On the flipside, you’ll be wearing the same pieces day in and day out, without a lot of variety. Your uniform will become your look, and your clothing – regardless of quality – will undergo a lot more wear and tear over a three month period than usual. As an example, I noticed that my Everlane cashmere sweater developed a bit of pilling (easily fixed, or course!), and I got a small hole in my Karen Walker silk stripe blouse. If having a full wardrobe at your disposal is something you would struggle to give up, if not only for the variety but also for the freedom of being able to wear any given style or look any day of the week, then it probably goes without saying that this challenge will be a huge struggle for you.

We’re on to Winter now, and while I haven’t committed to round two of Project 333, I have found my weekly outfits have been revolving around a core capsule wardrobe of sorts, which I’ll be sharing with you all next weekend. In the meantime, if you’re interested, I talk a little bit about Project 333 over on my YouTube channel, which you can check out here.

Have you tried Project 333?