I did it! Completing the three month trial of Project 333 feels more triumphant than it should. Allow me to tell you all about it!
So, if you’re thinking – WTF is going on here, I encourage you to go back to the beginning and read the Project 333 intro blog and the one month in blog. Which brings me to the now: the end of March completes my three month trial and I figured I should share my lasting thoughts about the experience should you wish to give it a go.
I might as well start broad, and let you know how I found the experience overall:
In all honesty I’m amazed I did it without cracking. I absolutely encourage everyone to try it.
Did I miss the rest of my clothes?
Yes! But not for the fear of missing out. I made the minor error of not packing any warm clothes (like actually nothing) and therefore, half of my 33 were deemed not appropriate come the third and final month. Which meant wearing the same jacket everyday and layering as best I could.
Did I replace any items?
Yes. Sadly my five year old Birkenstocks fell apart (I had already super glued them twice to keep them alive), as well as my gold sandals #sadness. Although, I’ve only replaced them with one new pair of sandals rather than two.
Did I save money?
I guess so! After giving up on fast fashion labels years ago, I only really spend money on clothes when I need them – so – I guess in this case, I resisted the urge to buy for the sake of there being new trends.
Do I plan to continue with the project?
Absolutely! And… I guess after May, I’ll have to! In case you missed it, Moo and I have quit our jobs and will be traveling with carry-on luggage for the foreseeable future.
Lasting impressions?
A few things I took away from the project:
- Removed the need for decision making from my morning routine, saving me plenty of time and stress first thing.
- Less clothing resulted in a decluttered wardrobe space.
- I mostly wore what made me happy, fit well and felt good on, which meant never feeling ‘off’ or ‘frumpy’ in a mix matched outfit.
- I ultimately saved money by not shopping in three months.
- Thus by not shopping I guess you could say I’ve helped the environment by not over consuming.
- The need for fast fashion fads is now defunct.
- It has increased my desire to have (and wear) good quality, timeless pieces.
- It’s prepared me for what we’re about to embark on (a small backpack for a years worth of travel).
A coupla’ negatives:
- With all my other clothes boxed up and coincidently in storage – I miss judged how cold March would be. I didn’t include enough warm things for this time of the year.
- Some items (two) didn’t go well with others and thus gave me less options to work with overall.
- Admittedly, I did miss the feeling of getting ‘dressed up’ for dinner, most of my outfits were for work or day adventures over the weekend.
- During adulthood I had been buying new clothes as a form of rewarding myself and after a month into the challenge, started to feel deprived. So I turned those feelings inward and focused on self care, I took myself to get a facial and made time to meditate, read and take a bath.
So there you have it! Have I inspired you to give it a try? Have you tried it? I’d love to hear from you.
We’re in the final four weeks of preparing before we leave Australia, it’s surreal to think after so much time it’s finally within reach. Bring it on!
Until next week xo
PS: the original concept idea for Project 333, comes from here.