Hello Spring Project 333

I did it. I survived. That's right, you heard me. I just spent two months wearing the same 33 clothing items as part of my Winter Project 333 Challenge. While the challenge of paring down my wardrobe definitely helped simplify certain aspects of my everyday life, there were a few small obstacles that I encountered along the way. However, despite the challenges encountered within this challenge, I would say that the outcome left me feeling victorious and ready to take on the new season. So it's goodbye to my Winter capsule wardrobe and hello to Spring--a perfect time shed those winter layers. Read on to learn more about my Project 333 experience thus far.

Some Tiny Modifications:

Shortly after starting the challenge, there were already a couple things I forgot to include in my list of 33 items. For example, I didn't include hats among my 33 items and kept my jewelry options extremely limited--only one pair of earrings for two whole months! While I typically tend to keep my accessories simple, part-way into the challenge I started to re-think the rule that jewelry items should be counted as part of the capsule wardrobe. Since I prefer to have more options when it comes to accessories, I plan to keep jewelry out of the Spring Project 333 and will evaluate my decision more once we head into Summer.

Some Minor Challenges:

One thing that I found challenging about my Winter Project 333 was dressing for the unseasonably warm weather here in San Francisco. I recall there being a handful of days, especially towards the end of the season, where it felt more like Spring turning into Summer rather than being in the middle of Winter. This made for limited wardrobe options and a few days where I did not feel as put together as I would have liked. In the end, all was well and nobody really noticed this little mishap but me. Another issue I encountered that was previously mentioned in my last blog post was that I made the decision to swap out pieces that were either ill-fitting (due to my postpartum shape) or less practical (i.e. switching items for things that would be more suitable for the colder weather) for pieces that I felt would meet my wardrobe needs. As I mentioned in my first blog post at the start of this Project 333 challenge, this is "not a challenge in suffering" so if something doesn't work for you, replace it, swap it, fix it and move on.

Some Major Victories:

The biggest victory yet from my most recent attempt at Project 333 was that I did not shop for clothing once during the challenge. I did receive a nice birthday gift from one of my long-time friends that I ended up exchanging for a different color, but I did absolutely NO SHOPPING for myself since the beginning of February (the official start to my Winter Project 333). What I should mention is that not only did I not purchase any new clothing for the past two months, but I also ended up selling some clothing items at my local consignment store (check out https://crossroadstrading.com) as well as donating some items to a local charity thrift shop. Another unexpected victory that came along with my recent Project 333 was that my partner also jumped on the bandwagon and decided to purge some of his unused and unwanted clothing. No, it wasn't my idea, but I obviously supported his decision and happily made a donation drop off for him. Two major victories, indeed.

My Spring Project 333 (April, May and June Capsule):

Colors: Black, Olive Green, White and some floral in honor of Spring.

Since my Winter Project 333 was such a success, I've decided to continue dressing with less for upcoming Spring season. Here is a list of items in my Spring capsule so far. You'll notice that I didn't include any jewelry, but I did include other accessories towards the bottom of the list. So goodbye Winter and hello Spring! I'm so looking forward to my fresh wardrobe, more sunshine and warmer weather. Cheers to the Bueno Life!

1. black pants

2. olive green pants

3. denim jeans

4. black pencil skirt

5. black eyelet skirt

6. animal print wrap skirt

7. black cami

8. white tank

9. black front-tie top

10. black short sleeve blouse

11. black mock-neck short sleeve

12. white front-tie button up shirt

13. cream crop top

14. floral blouse

15. cream sweatshirt

16. cream long cardigan sweater

17. drank gray long cardigan sweater

18. olive green mens button up shirt

19. sweatshirt with floral print

20. olive green jacket

21. denim jacket

22. black blazer

23. black tank dress

24. black wrap dress

25. black flats

26. green python print flats

27. green camo loafers

28. Birkenstocks

29. Converse sneakers

30. black peep-toe sling backs

31. catchall bag

32. cross body bag

33. aviator sunglasses