Have you heard of the 33 piece wardrobe? Yes, it’s exactly as it sounds – you only have 33 pieces of clothing and accessories. Sound crazy? I won’t deny that it is a bit extreme, even more so than a regular minimalist wardrobe. But I decided to give it a try and decide for myself whether it was downright nuts, or genius.
Why 33 Pieces?
The idea behind the 33 piece wardrobe is that you only keep 33 articles of clothing and accessories. (You can find more information at their official website here.) This does not include items like undergarments, sleepwear, wedding rings, workout gear and a few other things. But as for your basic, everyday wardrobe it keeps it extremely minimal, and the goal is to stick to it for at least 3 months.
While challenging, this is a true minimalist’s dream. It forces you to get rid of clothing you just don’t love, or is old and worn out, and assures that the only things in your closet are pieces that you love and can use over and over again.
Okay But How?
You can think of the 33 piece wardrobe as similar to a capsule wardrobe, where you’ll likely want to keep pieces that are easy to mix and match so that you can always feel like you’re wearing a fresh new outfit simply by changing out accessories, sweaters, etc. but all keeping within the limit of 33 items. (Yes ladies, this includes shoes.)
This is also a seasonal challenge, so don’t fret that you can’t possibly only have 33 pieces for summer, spring, fall, AND winter. Because project 333 is done over the course of only 3 months you can focus your wardrobe on whichever season you choose to give it a whirl.
As for choosing which clothing, again, think of it as a capsule wardrobe. Make sure to have a few basics (like your go-to pair of jeans, a few basic tops, etc.) and nothing overly flashy that just won’t work with anything else in your closet.
For example, say you start with a simple black dress. Perhaps on Monday you style it with a pair of white vans, a slouchy sweater, stud earrings and a baseball cap. Friday, you could wear the same dress again, but this time with a cute pair of fall boots, a blazer, and hoop earrings.
Yes, But Seriously, Whyyyy???
Okay story time. When I agreed to this challenge, it was simply because my husband really thought I should give it a shot. In all honesty, I was willing, but not at all enthusiastic about it. However, our house has the tiniest bedrooms and closets EVER (thanks, 1950’s builders) so I knew that this was probably a necessity for our sanity. It’s been a few years since I tried this challenge and I no longer keep to only 33 things, but I will say that it changed my perspective on clothing for the long-term. Today, I can still fit all of my clothing (excluding undergarments, workout gear, etc.) into two drawers and on about 15 hangars. And just last month I bought my 6th pair of shoes. Am I an extreme case, even as far as a minimalist wardrobe goes? Probably, but even if we had more space I wouldn’t care to own much more than what I already have.
Since making this change I’ve found that we spend way less on clothing. While I do like to stick a little bit to what styles are in, I don’t purchase trendy pieces if they won’t work with the majority of my outfits. And because everything fits neatly into my closet and small dresser, my room never looks cluttered or overburdened. And that, my friend, is stress relief! Plus, I’ve found that because I am spending less on pieces that won’t work next year, I am able to invest in more quality clothing and support small businesses whose missions I can get behind. I am also leaving less of a footprint by not contributing to excessive clothing waste.
A Few Other Practicals
The 33 piece wardrobe is not meant to stress you or make you throw away all your things. Instead, it is meant to challenge and inspire you, and to show you what can really be done with very little. It is meant to give you a glimpse into the life of minimalism and help you make long term changes. It is also a great way to break away from fast fashion and instead choose to put more timeless, well made pieces into your style.
And lastly, partaking in this challenge does not mean you need to go throw away all of your things. In fact, please don’t do that. (Unless you really want to! Who am I to stand in the way of inspiration.) Rather, put the rest of your clothing aside for these 3 months. Pack them into boxes, and leave them somewhere out of sight. You can also go through them all and trash anything that’s threadbare, or donate clothing that you no longer love. That outfit that’s been in the closet with its tags still on these last 6 months? Yeah, it’s time to let that one go.
Take some time to plan ahead, but don’t be afraid to dive in! It just might change the way you see clothing and fashion for the rest of your life.
Would you try the 33 piece minimalist wardrobe?
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