Clothing Redux - Update (June 2015)

Remember my grand plans of returning in early June with a newly-organized closet and a capsule wardrobe? Well, vacation and having fun took precedence, but I wanted to share a few thoughts and some of the clothing that may not make the cut.

Tidying Up - Clothing

The book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, has received much coverage as of late. Various bloggers and vloggers have mentioned it. The author and the book garnered attention from the New York Times. Additionally, the book is an NPR bestseller.

I am on an eternal quest to streamline and simplify my life, so I had to read this book. The task of gathering all of one's possessions of like kind (clothing in my case) and spreading them out on the floor seems daunting enough. Add to this that you must handle each piece and determine if it sparks joy. Items that do are to be thanked and kept. Items that do not spark joy are to be discarded, but only after thanking it for its service to you.

A little odd? Yes. But does it work? Yes. The sight of all of your clothes in one spot (rather than strewn about the house in various closets and storage bins) is an eye-opener! And I think I started with less stuff than many.

A Four-Hour Tour
I was able to gather, sort, and act on all of my clothing in roughly four hours. Four hours seems like a good chunk of time to lose, but that four hours covered everything -- gathering, sorting, organizing what I'd kept in my closet, and preparing the other items for donation or for selling.

The author says that once you apply her method of tidying (the KonMari Method), you will never backslide to cluttered living. That is the part that only time can reveal.

Autumn / Winter Wardrobe

Guess who did not get her shit together to create a 33-item (or less) wardrobe for the autumn-winter round of Project 333?

Recently, a cousin purged her closets, and I took the clothing. I realize this is the opposite of streamlining and minimizing, but I wanted some shiny new things.

Lately, I have been down in the frumps. While I realize that I am light-years away from my punky goth youth, I continue to struggle with my personal style as I drift to becoming a woman of a certain age. I look in the mirror, and I am not happy with the clothing that I see.

Today, I took some time to assess the clothing hanging in my closet, as well as the bag of loot inherited from my cousin. Slowly, I see something taking shape that pleases me.

Project 333 | Round 1 Wrap

I participated in my first round of Project 333 from July 1, 2014 through September 30, 2014. How did it go?

Well... I was successful in keeping my number of items (not including shoes) under 33 for the entire three months. However, I did not pack up the rest of my wardrobe, and, from time to time, I dipped into the off-limits wardrobe to replace worn out clothes.

Fewer items = more wear. More wear = more wear and tear.

While I was wading through my non-Project 333 wardrobe, I assessed the contents. There were quite a few items that did not fit -- my body or my style. If those items were in good condition, they were sold, consigned, or donated.

As for the shopping, it started off small, but it grew. By mid-September, I was shopping for items to incorporate into my Autumn-Winter wardrobe.

Was my first round of Project 333 successful? Somewhat.

Will I do it again? Yes, and that information is forthcoming.

Second Closet De-Clutter | August 2014

Several years ago, I returned to my home town, and I was confronted with the task of fitting 2+ decades of accumulated items into one bedroom. What did not fit was packed and stored in the attic. I routinely assessed, purged, and re-packed in an effort to align my possessions with my needs.

Clothing was always tough for me. I like a few different styles (e.g. pin-up, steampunk) that do not marry well with a corporate job in a rather provincial city. Also, weight fluctuations, extreme (to me) seasons, and rampant thrift shopping kept me from creating a capsule wardrobe. Hence, my participation in Project 333.

Confession: I still have clothing stored at my parents' house. Granted, it is a small closet full and a small clothing rack in the attic, but those clothes have been weighing on my mind. Since I am staying with my parents for a few days, I decided to take action!

Project 333 | Mid-Stream Update

Barely one and 1/2 months into it, and I have already violated a few Project 333 rules! However, this project is not about rigidity, but rather discovery -- at least for me.

Shopping for New Clothing

My shopping spree consisted of seven items -- two dresses, one blouse, one cardigan, and three skirts -- bumping me up to a total of 33 items (not including shoes). However, I wanted to make amends, and doing so would require me to purge some clothing -- and shoes! 

New dresses

2 of the 3 purged dresses

I purged the following items from my Project 333 wardrobe:

1. A brown faux wrap dress that was worn out and shoddy-looking.
2. A mustard strapless dress that I had not worn since my visit to NYC.
3. A leopard print dress that has been languishing in my closet after one wear. I am not a prude, but the combination of a plunging neckline and an animal print was too much for me for the office.

Digging into Non-Project 333 Items
Not only did I break the no shopping rule, I rifled through my non-Project 333 clothing. However, my purpose was pure: to assess my entire wardrobe -- including shoes -- and purge anything that did not fit and speak to my personal style. Because I am a spreadsheet nerd, I created one to highlight the changes.