Wardrobe Management

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Project 333 Week Six Update

It’s time for another Project 333 update, this time for Week Six.  Lots to share this week, including for the first time, seven outfits!  Read on for my wins, challenges, and outfit photos, as well as some powerful epiphanies I experienced this past week.

An Alterations Casualty

I am a huge proponent of the power of alterations, but there are times when tailoring just doesn’t work out.  In last week’s update, I mentioned that I needed to return my grey skirt to the tailor to have the hem fixed.  Well, I got the skirt back and the hem looked better, but the silhouette of the skirt had become unflattering as a result of the shortening and narrowing that was done (in short, it made my butt look huge!).

Due to the wrinkly style of the fabric, it was a tricky alteration to pursue, but I can be pretty stubborn when I want something.  The skirt had been a favorite of mine for years, but my style aesthetic had evolved such that I prefer shorter and narrower fits.  I probably should have just passed the skirt on, but instead I tried to transform it through tailoring.  Now I have to donate it anyway and I wasted a chunk of change on trying to make it work.  This one goes in the failure column…

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Why I’m Taking on the Project 333 Challenge

It’s been almost three months since I started my “Recovering Shopaholic” journey and blog.  While I’ve made decent progress and learned some powerful lessons, I still have a long way to go in healing my compulsive shopping problem.  I still spend far too much time and energy on shopping, getting dressed, and managing my overly large wardrobe.  The portion of my life devoted to these pursuits is much too large and it’s taking away from my living a full and balanced life.

About two weeks ago, I decided to accelerate my progress.  One of the best ways to grow quickly is to take on a challenge that scares you, so I’ve opted to do just that!  Beginning April 1st (no, this isn’t an April Fools’ Joke!), I will begin Project 333, a minimalist fashion challenge created by Courtney Carver of the blog “Be More with Less.”

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“Benchwarmer Project” Update – February 2013

About a month ago, I introduced my “Wardrobe Benchwarmer Project,” which is a catchy term for my efforts to wear and evaluate everything in my closet this year.  In 2012, I had 146 garments and shoes which were only worn once or not worn at all during the entire year!  I termed these items “wardrobe benchwarmers” (because they sat on the sidelines in my closet) and I was quite dismayed to learn that they constituted close to half of my wardrobe!

I love a good challenge and this year is all about challenge for me in terms of my wardrobe and shopping.  I’ve created compelling goals and strict rules for myself in order to overcome my destructive compulsive shopping habit, and I’ve also decided to address my “wardrobe benchwarmers” head on.  Each month, I will address one or more categories of benchwarmers, wear the items in question, and make definitive decisions as to whether they should remain in my wardrobe or be passed on for someone else to use and enjoy.

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You Don’t Need a Large Wardrobe to be Stylish

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a large wardrobe.   I’ve always adhered to the “more is better” philosophy when it comes to my clothes.  Much of my over-shopping in my adult life can be attributed to my wanting to dress well, as I thought a full closet was part and parcel of being stylish.

Whenever I felt less than chic, I assumed a shopping trip was in order to add new fabulous and trendy pieces to my wardrobe.   This regular practice has led me to where I am today, with a packed closet of over 300 pieces, most of which have been purchased during the last three years.  While I have been diligent at doing regular closet audits, my continuous shopping has generally replaced all of my discarded items – and then some!

Full closet not always stylish

A large wardrobe does not automatically make you stylish!

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What is a “Normal-Sized” Wardrobe?

NOTE:  The topic of this post has been revisited in an updated December 2016 post.  To read my updated and expanded thoughts on the topic of a “normal-sized” wardrobe, please CLICK HERE.

Last week, I received my March issue of Oprah Magazine, with the theme of “De-Clutter Your Life… And Discover the Incredible Lightness of Less.”  One article which caught my eye was “The Closet De-clutterfest for Couples.”  This article profiled a couple who helped each other purge their closets of old and unwanted items.

Husband Mike’s Closet Audit

Inspired by what I read, I suggested to my husband Mike this past weekend that we do some closet de-cluttering ourselves.  Since I regularly review the items in my closet and had done a “mini purge” not long ago, I recommended we tackle his wardrobe first.  He didn’t think we would find too many cast-offs in his closet, but when all was said and done, we had filled two large bags for donation and one large bag of garments to be tossed.   In contrast to my situation, some of Mike’s clothes were actually worn out enough to hit the trash heap instead of the Goodwill.

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