“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 ring, underwear, sleep wear, in-home lounge wear, 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 an 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 Wells 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 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.
I have cut down so much of my clothing I cant believe it. Was hoping that I could wear some things when I lose weight and that is just fooling myself and making me unhappy so I got rid of alot of it. My husband on the other hand has sooooooo much clothes you would never ever believe it. We live in a small house and he has the master closet, which is not a walk in just regular, the closet in the guest room, a portable zip up closet ,a tall dresser and part of my dresser. It is unreal but says Im a packrat for other things. Kind of frustrating. And on top of it he is retired so he doesnt go into a workplace to need that much clothing.
I have been using an iPhone application, ‘Stylebook’ to manage my closet since April this year. It helps me to know the value of my closet (over $2200 so far, not including all items) and the value of each item per wear … I have definitely been making the most of my existing items to get more value out of them since using this app.
Currently, and surprisingly I have 145 items listed and I have yet to add most of my Spring/Summer wardrobe … Today is the first day of Spring in Australia, I think it might be the perfect time to start using project 333. Wish me luck :)
I never thought of adding dollar amounts of clothing, I guess it’s like doing inventory. Thanks for sharing.
A friend taught me to think like this: $1 per wearing. Am I going to wear that $200 piece of clothing 200 times? Do I like it/does it fit 200 times worth? That thought has slowed my roll in the purchasing department many times, especially with cuts, styles, and colors that are the newest fad.
I love this idea, to use some fun number pattern to decrease the extraneous belongings that we all have accumulated. I have been thinking about getting rid of some things, and this is a great place to start. I have been looking around my home, and become aware of how much “stuff” I have and that I no longer use or that takes up space and collects dust. I have donated some things to a local thrift store, and could do more with focusing on the clothing I have, as well. It is true, I often wear many of the same clothes, especially pants, although I like to change my look by the tops I put with them. So, I am going to try to use the 333
I am a continual bargain shopper. It’s crazy how many items I have in my closet that I have never worn and bought on impulse because it was a “staple” piece at a great price. I could kick myself! This is just the type of discipline I need and the kick in the pants (a staple pair, of course)) that I need to bring sanity to my life. Many thanks and a deep bow of gratitude.
Hello!
I have only been trying the minimalist lifestyle for a few months now, and am finding it hard to break old patterns, although sometimes I feel like I am making progress. I think this 333 challenge will help. Here is my question, for work I need to wear professional clothing, but I almost never wear that clothing at home, what’s a good middle ground for figuring out how to navigate my wardrobe? Also, I because of where I live I have seasonal clothing, how should I approach that?
I am growing as I learn to look for happiness outside of my material possessions.
Thank you for your guidance and encouraging posts!
Depending on how many things you have, maybe a first step could be two 33 item modules – one set of 33 for work and a second set of 33 for non-work. With two culled sets, you might see some items that could possibly do double duty and see a way for future purchases to do the same.
I am considering a remodeling project and might try this as I will only have access to one closet.
Project 333 sounds like a wonderful idea! I should definitely try this one because my closet is so cluttered with clothes and shoes which I do not actually wear. Thanks a lot for sharing!
I think I am already doing this. I haven’t counted it, but I would be close. I did do to reverse your hangers experiment where you turn all your hangers backwards. When you wear and launder it, put the hanger in properly. If you haven’t worn it by the end of the season or within 6 months, remove it and donate it. It was an easy, painless way to see what I actually wear and what I was just clinging to for other reasons.
Oh what a fab idea!!!!
That’s what is happening in my closet right now. I’m loving it so far.
Oooh, I love the coat-hanger idea, I’m going to try this!
I do the hangar thing every season and encourage others to do it as well.
Learning a lot of things from your writings sir Joshua Becker.. :)
Tysm :)
Want to be a minimalist..
The unexamined life is not worth living.Socrates.
So cool idea! 333 project is just for me! I want to find a way to clean up my closet because it is cluttered with useless clothes and accessories. I will start the project today! Thanks for the idea!
I have reduced my wardrobe to a lot less and shop less now, however anyone have any ideas on traditional/ethnic wear just say an Indian who has to have a certain amount of traditional clothes in her wardrobe for religious functions and family occasions, how do we include that in the 33 items, it seems quite difficult for me!! :&
Just don’t count those pieces towards the 33. The 33 items are more for daily wear.
A great idea. I decluttered my wardrobe a few months ago and discarded half a wheelie bin of clothes & just tossed another 6 items tonight. If I don’t count my work supplied uniforms (4 shirts & 3 shorts) I’d probably come pretty close I reckon. Better than what I used to have so I’m happy & I’m proud to call myself a minimalist.
The biggest reason I love this blog: I can be inspired by a paragraph in the blog or a comment from another fan, leave my computer open right then, and run into my bedroom to check out or remove an item I have been motivated to release or switch its function. Many thanks to all contributing fans here plus Joshua himself.
The wife and I have started going through our clothes and we’re very excited. I do have one question though. I have to wear a uniform for work and I have several shirts, short & long sleeve. Since I have to keep/wear these, do I have to count them towards my 33?
thanks for sharing this perspective. Not many posts on the mans POV.
Really love this idea! I keep trying to get rid of things I hardly wear but keep finding emotional attachments to them. I don’t quite know how to get over this hurdle!
Pos yang amat bagus , saya yakin ini sangat berfaedah untuk mereka yang membaca, saya tunggu kiriman selanjutnya , apalagi mereka yang sedang
mencari Busana Muslimah dan mereka yang sedang
belajar untuk menekuni dunia baju
I’m having a hard time with keeping just 33 pieces of clothing. We have four seasons here in New England and I don’t want to have to buy new clothes if I discard things I will need each season.
I have the same four season issue, and for work I generally wear clothing that is not what I want to wear at home. Is there a happy medium?
This is not set in stone, and there aren’t any minimalist police who are going to arrest you if you “break” the rules. It’s just a guideline to try, and it’s not necessarily appropriate for everyone. Don’t get hung up on the exact numbers. I personally would not ever want to do this. I have way more than 33 items of clothing, much of it purchased at thrift stores, and I enjoy having variety in my wardrobe. I have enough room for it and my closet looks neat and tidy. I find that having more variety keeps me from wanting to buy more clothes because I can “shop” my closet. Fashion is something I enjoy and have fun with, I like to be able to put together a variety of combinations of items to make different outfits and accessorize. Use this “333” system as a motivating tool if needed, but it doesn’t have to be a hard and fast rule. I can see this working better for a man than a woman, and also a person’s lifestyle will most certainly dictate how many articles of clothing are needed.
I agree! I think it comes down to whether choosing what to wear it an act of creativity or a burden. I am trying to keep only items I love and use and not buy more unless replacing something.
Looking at the Project 333 website it seems that it’s 33 items for 3 months so you can have a seasonal wardrobe. Off season things you can store.
Exactly. It’s 33 items for the next three months (ie season) then select a different batch for the next 3 months. You may keep some from one season to the next or switch everything out for a completely different assortment.
I’ve chosen to do this a little differently since our 4 season weather doesn’t change in a linear fashion. Just because the snow is gone doesn’t mean it will stay warm enough to pack up all the sweaters and only have spring dresses in the closet. I don’t want this process to cause a lot of extra work packing and unpacking and leave me stranded when the weather reverses.
I’ve instead carved my wardrobe to 55 items for the entire year and wear 36/55 of them in spring/summer and 39/55 of them in fall/winter so there are a lot of items that are worn all year (eg. white blouse, tank tops on their own in July and as a base layer in January). I consciously push the “out of season 1/3 of them to the back of the closet/drawers and don’t use them, but I’ve skipped all the packing and unpacking. I don’t count jewelry, shoes or my 12 scarves in this mix. Even if I did I’d still be well under the 33×4=132 permitted per year.
This exercise was still really helpful in getting down to a manageable amount of clothing and everything goes with everything else and it all fits and is flattering. There are no freeloaders lurking in the closet – everything is in active service. When you are starting out try to follow the real “rules” especially if you’ve got a wardrobe that’s completely out of control. Sometimes going cold turkey is the best. Now that I’ve culled my stuff to a sensible amount, this modified version works for me.
All of us who are materially ‘rich’ need to learn to own fewer possession and as a result,find ourselves more able to give to those in need. Almost my entire wardrobe is gleaned from charity shops,and I often return goods to be recycled yet again! Shopping in this way makes having a controlled wardrobe easy,as goods are varied ,plentiful and affordable,and there is less of a wrench in parting with items! Everybody wins.
Trying as I notice I wear the same stuff over and over and over.
Stuff I haven’t worn I have no problems getting rid of (have a bundle ready to go) however stuff I’ve worn once or twice I am umming and ahhhing over.
The clothing sparks no joy nothing at all.
I think I may have to box it and see if I “miss it”, has anyone had this problem?
Honestly I included everything…underwear, workout wear, etc. and couldn’t come up with 333. I’m barely over 200. However, it still feels like I have more clothes than I need.
It’s 33 pieces of clothing for 3 months not 333 pieces of clothing ????????
You’re supposed to use 33 items in 3 months, not 333 items!
Looks like you may have misinterpreted the 333. Decoded, it means 33 clothing items (not 333) for 3 months.
I guess same test applies for stuff as it does for relationships: go traveling and see if you really need to be together. Being on the road has this past year has done it to me to the extent this article pretty much just told me to go and BUY a few items of clothing. And yes, I agree you don’t have to compromise on style, in fact when you know you can only have a few things, you allow yourself to buy something that you really want rather than those few things just cause they’re on sale. #proudnomad
I’d like to try 333 in the kitchen – 33 recipes for 3 months. Less stress, more like Mom cooked, she made great food but it didn’t change all that much.
I’ll be trying this soon. Will have to accommodate for 4 seasons (Minnesotan) and 3x per year super dress up semi formal events. Also, I have technical clothes/footwear specific to different sports (biking/water and snow skiing/hiking/backpacking) that can’t really leave my closet. I’ve already donated 1/3 of my closet items to my daughter in law who has been able to use some and pass others along.
When I get stuck on an “iffy” item, I say to myself, “let this go to bless someone else”. When I look at it that way, I almost always give that item up.