October Nod to 333

Fall has arrived in Saint Paul, and in Minnesota we have lots of work to do in October.  We harvest our crops, and bed down our gardens.  We care for our leaves.  We winter proof our homes.  That is all in addition to pumpkin carvings, and furnace testing, or log stacking.  Another big project is the wardrobe change over.  Some climates don't have to do this, but in Minnesota we have two wardrobes.  You might not have known that.  We have swim suits and flip flop season, and then we have winter boots, scarves, hats, mittens, jackets, long underwear season, and yes it does get that excessive.  That makes our wardrobe challenges extra difficult.

Living in a place where there are double wardrobes, means that for someone Living Minimalism they can make double the impact with their closet simplification efforts.  I've tried this a few different ways.  This year I am working with a highly recommended method, called Project 333, started by Courtney Carver.  My summer wardrobe doesn't require as many articles as my winter wardrobe so this should be a good challenge.  I'll summarize the project and [add notes with these box parenthesis] but you can read about it in more detail here if you require more guidance: Project 333  Personally, I think these simple rules pretty much explain themselves.

The Rules:

When:  Every 3 months [start whenever you want]

What:  33 items including clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear and shoes.

What not:  These things are not counted as part of the 33 items – wedding ring or another sentimental piece of jewelry that you never take off, underwear, sleep wear, in-home lounge wear,  and workout clothing [I find some of these to be a stretch, and tailored for a "type" of person, so please, modify at your own discretion.  Example: CS and I aren't married, but she does wear a ring of sorts in the same way a good christian spouse might.  We don't believe in strict definitions.  And clothes for a workout?  is that like a hobby? so maybe for me my house painting shorts, because I'm not a gym rat.  I think you get the idea.  Let's call these items: Small space, small use items, that get dirty, and are dedicated to one task]

How:  Choose your 33 items, box up the remainder of your fashion statement, seal it with tape and put it out of sight. [Now, for me this box is a rest stop.  If there is something I truly miss in there, I want to have it around for next year, but if I didn't need or long for those items, they're going to a donation bin because I'm not trying to get into a habit of more boxed goods.]

What else:  Consider that you are creating a wardrobe that you can live, work and play in for three months. Remember that this is not a project in suffering. If your clothes don’t fit or are in poor condition, replace them.

JT's best wishes:  Another project like this was started with a much smaller number, and people are succeeding even at that, but I thought this was a good place to start, particularly in Minnesota winter.  Good luck, message me your feedback.  What would you add or change?