Hi all, well, a bit short of the 3 month mark (about 2.5 months, I think), I feel I've run out of steam for Project 333, so thought a bit of a 'post-mortem' might be handy, and since it's been discussed quite a bit lately, thought I'd share.

What I've Learned

• 33 items, including coats and shoes, is more than enough from a purely practical perspective, for me. I never ran out of clothes by laundry day, and was able to dress appropriately for every occasion that came up.
• I did not get bored until the very end of the process, and I feel this may have been a matter not of numbers, but of variety within the numbers.
• The 'cheat' purchases and switch-outs I did (maybe 6?) ended up, I think, being good choices made for good reasons. Seeing them as "cheats" added an element of mindfulness which was valuable to have.
• A manicure or indulgent fancy coffee can be as good of a pick-me-up as a clothing purchase, if not better. Same goes for taking some extra time of doing hair and make-up.
• For me, walking into a spacious, not-full closet, is a daily joy.
• Streamlined does not have to mean everything is the same - I could have included more variety and still had a workable wardrobe.

Overall, I think this was a highly valuable exercise, added mindfulness to my dressing, and I'm really glad that I did it. I would recommend it for anyone who is overwhelmed by their closet, in a bad shopping cycle and needs to put the brakes on, or just has fun with these type of challenges (it can be an interesting creative exercise to see what you can do with a small amount). I would recommend allowing oneself flexibility to change up the rules as appropriate (e.g. choose a different number, or shorter time period, etc.) I would not recommend this for anyone who is generally happy with their wardrobe, wears most of their things, or enjoys the process of creating outfits most days - in that case, it would be deprivation rather than fun and learning, which makes no sense. To my mind, this is an exercise in personal growth, not a moral one. It's not "better than" any other way.

I am going to put the brakes on until after we return from our post-Xmas vacation, then I will do it again for January - March, applying the following changes:

• I will allow myself one purchase per month.
• When creating the capsule, I will try to include more variety, perhaps in the form of color.
• I will allow an occasional 'one in one out' rule with my packed-away clothing.
• Most importantly, I will try to lighten up and have more fun! This may mean bending the rules when I see fit, and that's okay given that this is my process!

Thanks for reading!!