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Project 333 Week Thirteen Update

I finished Project 333!

I did it! I completed Project 333!

This is it – my final Project 333 update!  Well, it may not be my final update forever more, but it’s the last one for now.  I have completed thirteen weeks of dressing with only 33 garments, which was something I never thought I’d be able to do.  When I first heard about Project 333 about a year ago, I was intrigued but I didn’t even think of taking on the challenge myself.  Then in March, Courtney Carver (creator of Project 333) challenged me to do it, and you know the rest of the story!

My Project 333 Journey

If you’re new to my blog and my journey, you may be interested in reading “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway,” my guest post on the Project 333 site in which I voiced my four big fears about doing the challenge and the ways I planned to overcome them.  Since that time, I’ve been posting weekly Project 333 updates on my blog, including photos of all of the outfits I’ve worn along the way.

I’ve experienced many ups and downs as the weeks progressed, but I’m very glad I decided to do Project 333.  I’ve learned a great deal about my wardrobe, my evolving sense of style, and myself.  It was definitely a good thing for me to do!

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Shopping for Acceptance

In previous posts, I explored “The Reasons We Shop Too Much” and “Why Continue to Shop?”  Those articles covered a lot of the reasons why compulsive shoppers continue to buy more and more, even when we don’t really need anything and may be in debt as a result of over-shopping.  Today’s post looks at another reason for shopping too much and one that I’ve determined is a primary driver of my shopaholic behavior.

“Normal” Shoppers vs. Shopaholics

When we visit the mall, a local boutique, or our favorite online store, we usually think we’re shopping for a new dress, pair of shoes, or fun accessory to add sparkle to our outfits.  For people who don’t have a compulsive shopping problem, the surface “need” is probably all that’s there.  They determine a gap in their wardrobes and shop to fill that gap.  Even if they happen to pick up an unplanned item on a shopping jaunt, there probably aren’t any underlying psychological reasons for the extra purchase.

Shopping for Acceptance

What if what you really need can’t be bought in any store?

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Project 333 Week Twelve Update

We’ve now come to my penultimate Project 333 update (I’ve always wanted to use that word in a sentence!).  I’m now in the final week of my first term (but maybe not my last) of this enlightening and growth-producing minimalist fashion challenge.

Week 12 presented some problems for me, but they were more in terms of my life than my wardrobe.  My issues with my Project 333 capsule wardrobe have been well documented in previous updates, so I won’t belabor those points again here.  Suffice it to say that if I had it to do over again or if I ever take on Project 333 again, I would make different choices for what to include among my 33 items.  My thoughts on this and many other topics will be included in my full Project 333 de-brief, to be posted in early July.

But now let’s look at Week 12… This post includes my Week 12 outfit photos, the challenges I encountered during the week, some more thoughts on what’s next for me after Project 333, and a few useful links on Project 333 and other interesting topics.

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Tips for Successful Resale Shopping

In my last article, I highlighted the pros and cons of shopping at resale stores.  I hope that post provided some valuable food for thought for you.   While there are definitely pitfalls involved in shopping at thrift and consignment shops, many of you will decide that the advantages outweigh these potential drawbacks.  As for me, I will continue to shop resale, but as with all of my future shopping, I will endeavor to do it smarter!

Resale Shopping Tips

Do you know how to avoid the pitfalls when resale shopping?

In this post, I offer some tips for successful resale shopping.  If you never shop at such establishments, I still suggest you read on, as many of my suggestions also apply to retail shopping.  However, the “final sale” policy of most thrift and consignment stores makes it all the more important that we have a “game plan” when we shop resale.

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The Pros and Cons of Resale Shopping

For most of my adult life, I purchased all of my clothing at retail stores.  It wasn’t until about eight years ago that I discovered a new type of place to shop, the resale shop.  These stores are known by all types of terms – thrift, consignment, second-hand, opportunity (or “op-shops” for short), to name a few.   The common thread is that the items sold are not new; they were previously owned by someone else, or “pre-loved” if you will.

Resale Shopping Pros and Cons

Do you shop at resale stores?  Know the pros and cons!

Many people swear by the virtues of resale shopping and a number of bloggers have pledged to only shop at such stores for a year or longer.  I don’t think I’ll go that far.  For one, the availability of pants with tall inseams at such shops is in short supply (pun intended – sometimes I can’t resist…).   That alone gives me pause when considering a “resale only” pledge.  I also like to keep my options open, especially now that I’m aiming at being smarter in terms of what I buy and using my head more than my heart when shopping.

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