Hello Clutter Family!

Fall is just around the corner and we officially welcome it on September 22nd! That means I have a new and exciting challenge coming to you for this new season and this is your official invitation to join us and learn more.

Project 333 is a fashion challenge started by Courtney Carver (@bemorewithless) and we will be following this “project” together as a community. This is not a quick 1 week or even 1 month challenge like we’ve done in the past but a 3 month challenge. Yes, you read that right. It’s called a challenge for a reason – get ready to be challenged.

Courtney’s book, Project 333, is a great resource that you can read in preparation for the challenge but definitely not a requirement. It helps give more background and encouragement for the challenge, but that’s what I’m here for as well! The insights that Courtney shares and the stories included from women that completed the challenge do provide great value!

The only *qualm* I have with the challenge is the choice to use the word love in regards to our clothes. We aren’t meant to love our things, but we’re meant to love each other. Keep that in mind while you’re sorting through to pick your 33 items. It’s not about loving the items you choose, but about which items will serve you the best.

P.S. – Before you buy, check your local library to see if you can pick it up for free!

“Opening my closet used to be a daily reminder of my debt and discontent. There were the clothes that didn’t fit, the clothes I never wore, and even clothes with price tags still hanging from them. Once the excess went out the door. So did the guilt and other emotions I had been paying with for so long. When I let go, I realized I had paid enough. I had paid with my money, my time, my attention, and my emotions. Haven’t you paid enough, too? With only your favorite things hanging in your closet, you’ll experience freedom from the guilt and weight of the excess items you currently face every morning.”

– Courtney Carver

Need More Inspo?

Not convinced you need to participate in a 3 month long challenge? “I don’t struggle with clothes clutter THAT much, Sarah”. Well let’s see! Some of the statistics I’ve gathered from the book and beyond include:

• The average woman owns $550 in clothing that has never been worn.
• The amount of water used in apparel production each year is enough to fill 32 million Olympic-size swimming pools…meanwhile 1.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water.
• Making a single pair of jeans uses the same amount of water as flushing your toilet for 3 years.
• The average annual clothing consumption per person in the US is 65 garments. That’s an entirely new wardrobe every year.

Most of us struggle with more. More clothes than we could ever wear, more food than we could ever eat before it expires. We have more stuff than any generation before and yet we are more stressed, more overwhelmed, more ashamed.

How is more working for you?

If that is where more is leading us, why not try less?

This challenge isn’t about getting rid of all of your clothes and wearing the same shirt for 90 days (unless you want to – you do you boo). This challenge is about trying less. Just seeing how it feels. What living with less in your wardrobe does to you after those 90 days.

The Guidelines

Please note that while most individuals see the biggest success by following these guidelines, they are only guidelines. As always, take what works for you and leave the rest while still doing what will serve you best during these 3 months. But don’t be afraid to push yourself. You’re capable of hard things.

“The Rules”

When: 3 months. Join anytime, but we will kick off on September 22nd!

What: 33 items including clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear and shoes.

What Not: Does not include your wedding ring or one other sentimental piece of jewelry that you never take off, underwear, sleepwear, in-home loungewear, and workout clothes (as long as they are only worn to workout!).

How: Choose your 33 items, then box up the remainder of your wardrobe, seal it with tape, and put it out of sight. You don’t have to donate it – just hide it for now.

What Else: 

• Consider that you are creating a wardrobe that you can live, work, and play in for three months.
• This is not a project of suffering. If your clothes don’t fit or are in poor condition, replace them. Consider thrifting or buying second hand for now to really hone in on your style and the capsule wardrobe you hope to create in the future.
• Also, let’s try a full stop to clothes shopping for 3 months – we are making a financial commitment and a chance to clean things up here as well **especially as we lead into the holiday season!

“The purpose of Project 333 isn’t to create a perfect capsule wardrobe; it’s to give yourself a little room to breathe”

– Courtney Carver

Before you tell me “ONLY 33 THINGS FOR 3 MONTHS?! NO WAY!”, allow me to step on my previous math teacher box for a moment. If you have 33 articles of clothing, accessories, jewelry, and shoes you could create at least 25,176 unique combinations with those items. So yeah….next question?

Lizzie McGuire moment: don’t listen to Kate Sanders calling you out for being an outfit repeater. People barely notice what you wear in your day-to-day life. It’s unlikely anyone will notice or care. And if they do care, why should we care? Mind ya business, Kate.

Here are your next steps to get ready for the challenge!

1. Subscribe to my email list

To make sure you get all updates for the challenge and support that I’ll be sending out, make sure you’ve subscribed to my email list. You’ll also get my free decluttering and organizing guide if it’s your first time subscribing – so that’s an added bonus!

2. Start selecting your 33 items!

You can download the Project 333 Guide which includes a list for you to write out your 33 items, or just make a note in your phone! We don’t officially kick off until 9/22, but getting a jump start can help set you up for success!

ALRIGHT FRIENDS – LET’S DO THIS!

I’m here to support you along the way. Don’t hesitate to reach out with questions, struggles, or any general comments on how the challenge is going! Let’s support each other!

Xx, Sarah