I need change!

I'm almost at the half way point for the current Project 333 stage (Jan-March).  I confidently predicted that I would wear the same clothes as the last run (Oct-Dec) as the weather was pretty similar.  I'd made a few changes within the last run, but nothing major.

This time I've come unstuck.  I don't think it's (necessarily) because I'm bored of my wardrobe, but some of my clothes are getting a bit shabby.  This is a bit of a revelation to me as usually I just get bored of clothes, it's only the much-loved ones that actually eventually fall apart.

• So, there's the brown/multi-coloured top with beads around the neckline - some of the beads are now missing and it's starting to bobble.  I don't feel good in it, so out it goes to charity.
• The black and white striped (and faded) top that I love in principle but does me no favours - I've admitted defeat and sent it on its way.
• the purple and black cardigans are that little bit too tight, so have been sent to potential for summer (when I'm wearing fewer layers)
• the brown winter coat that I love, it's a little bit small so I've just not worn it, in favour of my black cape that is incredibly warm (despite seeing many a pensioner sporting the very same one a week ago)
• I've not worn my fleecy cream jacket, so that's going to the back now (not quite ready to get rid yet)
• I've not worn my brown jeans or trousers, but I think that's mainly laziness
• my charcoal dress and wrap/cardigan (100% wool) were washed at 30C, but still shrank.  Time will tell as to whether I wear them as often.

The moment I decided something had to change was last week.  I was away, with work, but with a smart-casual dress code.  I felt so scruffy, I felt that my clothes were flattering, I looked at the others with envy.  I needed to do something!  These people were wearing colours that suit them, interesting colour combinations (that worked) and they wore jackets, which made them look infinitely more professional/put together.

So I've done an audit.

• The colours I've been wearing haven't helped, they've been mostly black (black trousers at the very least every day) and it's just too harsh.
• I've bought colours (such as the lovely deep red that's in the shops at the moment) but not taken account of the fit (shapeless, unflattering).
• I've recently had my hair cut, so need something (like a scarf) around my neck, or I look a bit odd.  The holy grail of the scarf with all my good colours (brown, deep red, purple, teal) has yet to be found...

I decided I need more brown.  Unfortunately most shops are not selling brown (chocolate/deep brown rather than tan/camel colours).  After a lot of online browsing I've finally found:

• a brown leather jacket
• a brown cardigan/jacket
• a brown tunic
• a brown sleeveless top (to be worn under jacket)
• a cream/brown cardigan/jacket
• a brown leather work handbag that WILL hold all I need (no more shoehorning everything in)

It feels very frivolous to buy so much.  Earlier this month I thought I'd been cured of the shopping urge as I went to two sales of eco clothes companies (that I love) and came away with only socks and a pyjama top.  I think the urge is still there, but I'm much more considered, I deliberate, I go shopping with a specific purpose, I make sure I'm sure before I part with my cash.  Most importantly, if I buy online and it's not right, it goes back.  I do it quickly so I don't forget.  I also try to consider how clothes will fit with my current wardrobe (thanks Pinterest).

I'm hoping that this change to having brown as the most prominent basic will make a difference.  At the very least I now have more than one outfit that I can wear to my follow up work event...

New Year - same wardrobe

I was going to post photos of my latest wardrobe for Project 333, but then I realised that, with a small number of exceptions, it was pretty much the same wardrobe as I've used for Oct-Dec.  I've not really needed any new clothes as I can make the ones I have work for me.

I've had a new experience of no impulse buying in the sales.  I made a list and stuck to it.  Previously I'd had stormed in and bought whatever I liked.  I decided I needed a long black dress (for formal work events) - tracked one down in the John Lewis sale (£35 down from £120) and ordered online.  I've tried it, it looks good, so I'm keeping it :-).

I've been aware that I have a lot of black in my wardrobe, despite it not really being one of "my" colours, so I've allowed myself to order a few things from Braintree in their sale.   I'm loving their colours (purples and teals) at the moment and also love the fact that their an eco-friendly company.  I've also resolved that if they don't fit, I'm sending them back - not keeping them "just in case"...

As there's nothing very exciting happening in my wardrobe (well, apart from the obvious being-able-to-wear-my-favourite-clothes-every-day) I've set myself a few new year challenges:

- Read 52 books in 2015.  I love reading, but life has taken over and I have books I was bought for Christmas (requested books) four years ago that I've still not opened.  This makes me sad, hence the challenge.  It will also help declutter the house as, in many cases, once I've read the books I will probably donate them to friends/charity.

- Make more meat-free meals.  I tried to be vegetarian once - after working in a pizza factory and being revolted by all the processed meats - but I couldn't give up bacon.  I lasted August to Christmas.  However, I think it's healthier and better for the environment to eat less meat, so I'm going to experiment and find some meals than both my carnivorous partner and I will enjoy.  Tonight we tried this and it was fabulous.   There is also a decluttering mindset behind this.  We get a veg box delivered every other week (I know, so middle class...) with a wide range of veg - I have no idea what to do with most of them, but they come with recipe cards and it forces me to use them up (and eat veg).  I don't eat fruit so sometimes eating 5+ veg a day can be a challenge.  If all else fails, apparently there's veg soup at the end of the week (I have bought a blender after a traumatic experience on the notorious "cabbage soup diet" in the 1990s).

- Use up my huge stash of toiletries.  It's not just clothes I've had a glut of.  I have at least one drawer of toiletries that I bought when on offer, so have enough shower gels to last me to retirement.  I've sorted out those products I'm definitely not going to use and donated them.  I still have a drawer full, but am working my way through.  Things like body lotion (which can be a faff putting on in the morning when you're running late) are actually being used.  I smell better.  I'm getting into a routine of having a bath every week (also my reading time) to use up products and chill out.  So far it's working...

Secretly I'm looking forward to the next round of Project 333, from April-June.  I think this is partly because I culled my wardrobe after last summer and may be "allowed" to go shopping!  Although again I have a set list of items I need to complete my wardrobe.  I always struggle a bit with spring/summer as I suit dark colours best, but the shops are full of pastels.  I'm also hoping for brown coloured clothes to come back into the shops, as black is definitely not a great spring colour.

Clothes creep

I'm almost 2/3 of my way through Oct-Dec Project 333. 

I'm loving the clothes I'm wearing - I'm definitely more of a cold-weather-clothes person. I think this may be because darker/warmer colours seem to suit me better than lighter/pastel colours - and generally there are more clothes in these colours at this time of year and these are generally for cooler weather.

However, I have to admit to clothes-creep.

It started well. I replaced a jumper with another from my standby wardrobe.  I replaced my jeans with some black and blue ones which fit much better and I feel better wearing.  But then I looked at my wardrobe and realised that I've not yet worn some of the clothes in there - one dress is slightly small and doesn't do me any favours, another I've not had the occasion to wear it. I've not worn 2/3 cardigans as they're not big enough to go over long-sleeved tops.   I know I need to do a mid-point wardrobe revision, but I've not quite managed it, I think this is for the following reasons:
- I included dresses in my wardrobe.  I'm not a dress person, but I feel I try to be (at least some of the time) because it will give me a bit of variety.  I've not yet worn the dresses in the original cut.  If I take them out, I'm admitting defeat.
- I really want to wear colours that suit me (autumn-type shades mainly) but am drawn to black because it's easy to wear, most things will go with it and it's easy to find in the shops (this last one is a biggie - try finding dark brown trousers (brown is not popular this year) in a fabric I like, a cut/fit that suits me and in my size - it's practically impossible.  Not even polyvore or shopstyle have been able to help me).  So I'm mainly wearing black, but don't want to get rid of the warmer colours from my wardrobe just yet (in the hope that I'll find that pair of trousers that ties everything together).

So, in the knowledge that I'm not wearing my full wardrobe (but without doing the sensible thing and having a wardrobe audit) I've bought myself a few more clothes that I should definitely wear:
- some pyjamas in deep red/brown (I know these don't count in the 333, but I've been amazed at how much better I've felt wearing a colour that I know suits me, even just to sleep!)
- a dress from a posh (for me) shop - it was in the sale, I had a money off voucher (old habits...), it's charcoal (so not completely black) and is wool so ideal for autumn/winter.  I've worn this twice, once for work, once for play - I really like it.  And it gives me chance to wear my long boots, that I love.
- the jeans I mentioned above.  I bought two pairs of black cotton jeans that I can get away with for work (smart-casual) and some blue jeans - high-ish waist, bootcut (not very fashionable, but refuse to wear skinny jeans as I'd look ridiculous).  I have worn no other trousers since I bought these.  No regrets there.
- some oxblood (deep red/burgundy/maroon) coloured ankle boots.  I love these, the colour, the style, they have a three-inch heel that I usually avoid but because it's a chunky heel I have no problem walking in them.  I've put away my battered old black ankle boots and not looked back.
- I've also just ordered two dress/tunics (they're not long enough for me to wear with leggings, so will be worn with trousers) in brown and teal.  They are in "my" colours, they could be worn for both work and play.  I'm looking forward to trying them.

Because of this, I have more than 33 items in my wardrobe.  I need to be realistic and move out the things that I'm not wearing.  But do I do it now?  Or wait until the end of December when I'll be revisiting my wardrobe for Jan-March?  I can sense a big clear out coming on (some of the clothes that have not made the cut and also not been re-assigned to pilates clothing or nightwear), but I'm not quite ready for it yet...

Spoke too soon

I was feeling so smug that I had my wardrobe sorted.  Then I had an epiphany over some jeans I've been wearing for the last few weeks and decided they had to go.  They will be ebayed to make way for a new pair which is the same fit as ones I already have (no surprises) - I refuse to wear clothes that I know I look rubbish in (even if it takes me a while to work it out).

In other news, I drove past my nearest shopping outlet today. Without shopping.  The words "I don't NEED anything" popping into my head.  Am I cured??

Round 2: Project 333 October-December

 At the beginning of September I started to daydream about my autumn-winter project 333 wardrobe.  I hadn't actually made a conscious decision to carry on, but it all seemed to come together so easily it seemed a shame not to.

So I looked at what I had (I have a much better autumn-winter wardrobe than spring-summer) and it seemed so easy.  I've kept a few items that didn't make the cut, either as potential substitutes or because I really like them and can't justify getting rid quite yet.  I've carried out a few items from the previous July-September wardrobe (long sleeved t-shirts, work shirts, jeans) and I think I'm there.

Knitwear (8)
I don't like to be cold, so have lots of knitwear.  Two big cosy jumpers in black and purple - love these for non-work or even work if it's really cold.  Three cardigans in purple, brown and black - for both work and play.  Three jumpers, again for in or out of work, in deep red, black and teal.

 


Work shirts (3)
I didn't wear my work shirts much during the summer, but it's good to have them in case I actually have to look the part and as an extra layer under a jumper...

Casual tops (5)
Realistically, these are the tops I'll be wearing most of the time (and two from the previous project 333 wardrobe).  I really like them now, but who knows how I'll feel by Christmas.

Dresses (2)
Yes, I know, I don't wear dresses.  But with leggings (not counted) and boots I'm going to risk it

Trousers (6)
I'm going for two pairs of denim jeans (one blue, one black), two pairs of cotton jeans (I didn't know you could get jeans in non-denim fabric and still call them jeans, but apparently you can) in black and brown, which can be worn for both work and home, and two pairs of strictly work trousers, in black and brown.

Non-coat jackets (3)
These are extra layers for when a cardigan just isn't enough.  Good for work over a shirt/jumper combination when it's cold but not cold enough for a big winter coat.  Good to just pull on as you leave the house or take with you just in case.  I seriously love these.  I've had one for nearly ten years...

Coats (2)
No picture as I've not dug them out yet, but a have a very warm brown knee-length coat by www.Braintreeclothing.co.uk that I bought at the Greenbelt festival a few years ago.  As well as this (and depending on what I'm wearing underneath) I have a black cape bought from M&S last year that I love.   Some people are saying that capes are the big thing this year, some people make jokes about batman.  But it is truly the warmest, easiest thing to wear that I have ever owned.

Footwear (4)
Again, no picture.  I have over-the-knee black boots which I love (they were part of my first wedding outfit and I've been saving them for "best" until project 333 made me realise that if I love them I should wear them) which I will wear with the dresses and made the longer tops if I'm feeling brave.  I have almost-knee-length brown boots which I normally live in.  A pair of shorter black boots for wearing with trousers (I don't subscribe to the idea of short boots with skirts, I would feel ridiculous) and some work shoes (probably black).

Which makes 33.  It seems like a lots of clothes.

I've stuck mainly to browns and blacks as base colours because black is easy and I like wearing it and brown suits me most.  But I've also tried to bring in colours that suit me and go with most others, so hopefully it won't be a complete disaster.  

I'm bending the rules slightly as I've decided not to include leggings and vests as in the winter they are basically underwear.  I'm not including jewellery as I don't wear much in winter and if I do it will be a special occasion.  I have also not included hats, gloves and scarves, because it's winter.  I definitely have more clothes than I did in summer, but have justified that as it's colder and I'll need more layers...

So here we go again.

Project 333 July-September: the conclusions

So I've completed Project 333 in the summer - 3 months with only 33 items of clothing/footwear.  It was actually fine.  I learnt a lot.

1. I learnt which clothes I actually didn't like/feel good in (you'd have thought that I'd have been able to figure that out on my own, wouldn't you) and I subsequently got rid of those clothes.
2. I learnt that while doing project 333, it makes it very tricky to have more than two "basic" colours - for example, I had black, brown and navy but these weren't easy to combine and I ended up with a couple of items of clothing that could only be worn in one outfit - which is not great when you're trying to be minimalist.  And the main selling point of project 333 (to me) is that theoretically most things in your wardrobe can be worn together (taking the hassle out of deciding what to wear in the mornings). So that's been taken forward to next time.
3. I was reminded that clothes actually wear out.  I feel really stupid saying this, but I suppose I've bought clothes with such regularity (or to be fair, my size has fluctuated) so I've not had nearly as much wear out of clothes as I should have.  In fact I can tell you the last time an item of clothing wore out for me - it was a pair of linen/cotton maternity trousers that I worn non-stop through 1.5 pregnancies.  They literally fell apart so I could never again.  It was really disappointing as they were great trousers, but I certainly got my moneysworth out of them.
4. I learnt that fashion is a pain.  In my head I know roughly what colours and shapes suit me.  I look for v-neck or scoop neck tops - but high neck/slash neckline/round neck are the main styles in the shops.  I like bootcut/wideleg trousers (apparently currently the height of unfashion) but the shops are full of skinny jeans/cigarette trousers(??)/ jeggings - all of which make my legs look like parsnips.  I like brown - I needed to replace my brown cardigan - but could find nothing.  A search for brown brought up items in wishy washy taupe, or beige or camel, not chocolate brown.  Brown is obviously not in fashion.  (I eventually found one, but only by going to a specialist cardigan website that fashion had missed).  It is usually eventually possible to find what you're looking for, but it takes ages and many frustrating hours searching the web.
5. I learnt that I'm a creature of habit.  On a slow day this week I thought about my hypothetical project 333 wardrobe for spring-summer next year - lots of things in the wardrobe are very similar to those in this time.  I will properly segregate "holiday clothes" as shorts and sandals were really only worn for 1-2 weeks, I will replace a few items (the navy coloured clothes, for example) and will probably treat myself to 1-2 new things (if they suit me...) that turn up in the shops next year, but other than that, I like what I have.  *I have actually bought some summer shoes in the sales this week, as I really felt that I didn't have any "nice" shoes to wear outside work - I'm just sorry I'll have to wait another 6+ months to wear them*
6. I have found it liberating to get rid of a load of clothes.  I didn't think I would, but I did.  It is joked that I have my own collection at the local charity shop.
7. I've learnt that although I occasionally need smart clothes for work, it's not that often.  It's a bit annoying having to include smart work clothes into the wardrobe when they only worn a handful of times, but I guess if my projects changed their could be a greater need in future.
8. There are still some clothes I can't part with.  These are often dresses and skirts.  I'm not a dresses/skirt person, although I've worn both in the past.  I also have a number of posh-ish dresses that I need to keep hold of as my company has black-tie events twice a year and it's bad form to turn up in the same outfit twice (if you're female, obviously.  It's compulsory to wear the same outfit again and again if you're male...)  But back to the dresses and skirts.  I think I'm hanging onto them as they are definitely dresses/skirts I would wear if I were to wear dresses/skirts.  So they sit behind the wardrobe door that I seldom open - now that I can view my entire project 333 wardrobe by opening one door...
9. I learnt that I want to do it all again.

Looking forward

So I'm almost in the final month. 
The weather has temporarily taken a turn for the worst (although we're promised it's going to be back in the 20Cs next week).  I have piles of laundry as my toddler is going through a bed-wetting phase, so it's new bedding most days and the general laundry is getting neglected.  I have run out of clean, casual long-sleeved tops and today was not short-sleeves weather.  So today I wore an item I have ear-marked for Oct-Dec project 333.   I'm not sure about it.  In some ways I love it (colours, style) in others I"m not sure (is it too casual, do I look like I'm wearing a sack?).

I'm becoming much more discerning about what I wear now, as if I'm going to wear an item as a wardrobe staple for 3 months, I've got to love wearing it and feel great in it. 

I have a confession.  There are four items of my Project 333 wardrobe I've not worn or only worn once.  I find this unbelievable.  These items are:

• a pair of black trousers.  I feel that I need a pair.  I wore these all the time prior to 333, but have seriously gone off them and never wear them.  I think it's because feeling good is important to me and, although I didn't realise this when wearing them before, these just don't do it for me.
• a black shirt.  This would be something I wore for work but I've not worn it for two reasons - 1. It's a little bit tight on me. 2. My workplace is fairly casual/smart-casual, so I don't really need it.
• a white shirt.  I've worn this once, for an initial business meeting with a prospective client.   It's another victim of the dress-code in my office.
• my camel-coloured rain coat.  To be fair, I don't feel that the weather has necessitated it.  Maybe once September kicks in...
• now the weather is slightly cooler, I've also stopped wearing my light-weight patterned trousers.  This makes me sad, but it's so much harder to layer up with trousers.

I'm trying to use this to feed into the selection of Oct-Dec project 333 wardrobe, however the only way I've done this so far is to go shopping.  For the first time in 2 months!  In the sale, obviously.

• I've ordered some new black trousers, to replace the existing unworn pair.  These look nice on the website, but if they don't fit right/make me feel great, they're going straight back.
• I've mentioned previously that I have two patterned tops in the current wardrobe that I'm not sure about and don't feel that they suit me, so in the same order I've sent for two plain tops to replace them.  These are short-sleeved and, if they fit/make me feel fabulous, I'm going to replace them in my current wardrobe straight away.  I'm not sure if it's wise to replace in the final month, but I'm hoping (kidding myself??) that I'm building an overall wardrobe that will meet my needs for all the seasons.  I'm also struggling to find short-sleeved, summer tops in deeper colours, so grabbing them when I do find them.

When buying I felt much calmer than in the past.  There was no excited euphoric feeling on placing the order.  The items were in my virtual basket for over a week, until I was sure I was doing the right thing.  This was a good feeling.