Wear only 6 items for 6 weeks? Edit my wardrobe to 33 pieces? Follow the French and only buy 5 new garments each season? What to discard? What to keep? What to buy? What to wear?! No wonder we are so confused about our wardrobes. There are countless strategies out there to help us simplify our closets, which doesn’t really simplify things, does it?
If you read my post on spring cleaning, you’ll remember that I’ve read every book on homekeeping in the entire world. Well, the same is true for wardrobe building. Really. So I’m here to share what I believe to be the best guide (gathered from all the different schools of thought) to building and maintaining a simple but fashion-forward closet. And the winner is (drum roll?) Project 333… with a French twist.
It’s simple. Courtney Carver’s Project 333 experiment just makes perfect sense. Limit your wardrobe to a manageable but realistic size. 33 pieces. No more. Here is how I apply this method to my own closet twice a year: 33 pieces for Spring/Summer and then rework it for Fall/Winter.
When approaching a new season, I start by collecting photos of outfits I adore on Pinterest. Soon I am able to spot a trend. Maybe I pinned multiple pictures of boyfriend jeans or maxi skirts, so I know that I need to include those in my wardrobe capsule. Then I begin to curate more finely my seasonal collection, and I see a definite flavor emerge. (Let me just say that if you are the purest of all minimalists and only care about having the least amount of garments in your closet than anyone else, this isn’t for you. Just go buy a few pair of sweatpants from Walmart and call it a day. This approach is for the minimalist who still shaves her legs.)
I use the info in my chart above to guide my selections. For example, this summer I want to have a sleeveless blouse, a chambray or denim shirt, a long-sleeve print blouse, and a couple basic tees for my 5 tops. However, for my 5 skirts, I only want a pencil skirt and a flirty chiffon skirt, so I can use the other 3 skirts for bonus pieces (these don’t have to be skirts, they could be more shoes!)
Here are the 33 items on my Spring/Summer wardrobe list:
5 tops –
- 2 basic tees
- long-sleeve print blouse
- chambray shirt
- sleeveless blouse
5 wraps –
- cotton cardigan
- jean jacket
- military jacket
- beach cover-up
- summer robe
5 pants –
- black capri leggings
- boyfriend jeans
- khakis
- 2 pairs of shorts
5 skirts –
- pencil skirt
- chiffon skirt
5 shoes –
- Birkenstock sandals
- casual flats
- funky platforms
- Havaiannas flip flops for the beach
- Chuck Taylor tennis shoes
8 extras –
- belt
- summer scarf
- summer purse
- baseball tee
- summer shifts
- linen tunic (to wear over leggings)
- bathing suit
- dressy dress
Wait – that’s only 30 items, so I still have permission to add three more! By making a seasonal checklist, you will find that you already own many of the items. This process will also make it easier for you to let go of those garments not included in your list, unless they are off-season pieces.
If you are just starting to curate a new, simplified wardrobe, this is a fun and effective method to use. For the wish-list items you don’t yet have, they can be purchased, but no more than 5 new pieces per season. This is where the French twist comes in…
The Five Piece French Wardrobe is another wardrobe building system that allows you to buy 5 new statement pieces per season. It also has its own set of rules, but the nugget of wisdom I take from it is permission to update your wardrobe each season without going crazy. And by merging this rule with Project 333, you still need to think strategically about your purchases.
I love fashion. And yes, I even love sweatpants from Walmart… occasionally. What I don’t love is buying items on a whim and seeing them in my closet a year later never worn. Minimalism isn’t about deprivation. It’s about thoughtful editing and wise purchasing. And the more thought you put into your wardrobe, the more confidence you’ll put into wearing it.
