Project 333: Rules & Template

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Are you interested in decluttering & simplifying your wardrobe and finding your personal style?

Then you will most likely love the Project 33 challenge! 

Project 333 is a minimalist challenge in which you pick only 33 items from your wardrobe, and you wear them for the next 3 months. 

Let’s dive a bit deeper and look at:

1. What is project 333
2. Project 333 rules
3. Project 333 template 
4. Project 333 examples
5. Project 333 tips
6. FAQ:
   – Who started Project 333?
   – What are the benefits of Project 333?
   – Does Project 333 include socks? (or underwear?)
7. Sum up

What is Project 333?

Project 333 is a minimalist fashion challenge where you dress with only 33 items for 3 months. This includes not only clothes but also shoes, accessories, and jewelry. 

The idea is to create a “capsule wardrobe” and dress with a small collection of seasonally appropriate clothes, shoes, and accessories that can be mixed and matched easily. 

Project 333 is a great inspiration to minimalize your wardrobe, find your personal style, and remove unnecessary clutter.

There are a few key elements, and you need to be innovative and choose items that fit well together, so you can create many different combinations easily. We’ll look at them below! 

Additionally, the project’s point is not to be miserable, restrictive, and hate your wardrobe, but the opposite. It is about finding the 33 items that you love the most and becoming better at creating cool outfits effortlessly. 

Project 333 rules

The rules of Project 333 are as follows: 

• When can you start: You can do it anytime. 
• How long does it last: 3 months.
• What should I include: 33 items, including clothes, shoes, accessories, jewelry, and outerwear. 
• The project doesn’t include: You don’t have to count underwear, socks, sleepwear, workout clothes, and loungewear. It doesn’t also include things you always have on you, such as a wedding ring. 
• Last but not least – consider your lifestyle: Think about what kind of clothing you need in your everyday life and the weather/climate. 

Keep in mind that the rules of Project 333 are more like a guideline and are there to provide a framework that can be customizable to what works for you. 

Also, 33 pieces might sound little, but if you do it strategically (pick pieces that are easy to match & create various outfits), you will see that it is actually plenty.

Project 333 template 

Focus on what will work for you, and while it is great to get inspiration and insights from others, don’t feel the need to copy other people’s capsule wardrobes. 

When creating your 33-piece wardrobe, you should make it correspond to the season/weather you will have for the next three months and always consider your lifestyle. 

For example, if you do it during the wintertime, you might have things like thick sweaters, hats, or scarfs, and if it is during the summer, you might have more dresses, shorts, and tops. So, again, it is entirely customizable. 

Usually, Project 333 includes the following: 

Essential pieces – These are the items you will use to build around your wardrobe. It should be the items you love the most, so don’t put anything you aren’t sure if you will wear.

The essential pieces often include your favorite:

1. Jeans 
2. Shirts
3. Sweatshirts 
4. T-shirts
5. Tops
6. Dress / Skirt

Jewelry & Accessories – Handpick the ones you use daily and nothing additional that you “might” use or need. Don’t include your wedding ring or any other jewelry you usually don’t take off.

1. Your favorite earrings, bracelet, or necklace
2. Purse, bag, or backpack
3. A scarf or a hat 
4. Sunglasses 

Shoes – This section solely depends on the season. If it’s summertime, then you won’t need boots, and if it’s winter, you won’t need sandals, etc. My advice is to pick a few pairs that fit most of your clothes. 

1. Flat/heels 
2. Running/walking shoes 
3. Summer/open shoes or boots 

Outerwear – Similar to the previous section, it mainly depends on the season you are in. 

1. Jacket
2. Blazer/Denim jacket, etc.

Project 333 examples

Below (and throughout this article) you can find my example of Project 333, and the exact items I picked for the next 3 months. 

I created the 33-piece wardrobe from February until April, and it was tricky because I was planning a trip to a tropical country for the first 2 months. This means that I’ll need mainly summer clothes for February and March, and in April, I’ll be back to a colder early spring. 

If my wardrobe is too inappropriate for April, I’ll swap some summer clothes for more warm ones. 

Without more blabbering, let’s look at my 33-piece wardrobe for the next 3 months:

Essential pieces

• Jeans – 5 long pairs, 1 short. Whether it’s summer or winter, I love wearing jeans, and I feel most comfortable with them. That’s why I decided to take a couple of pairs with me. 
• Shirt – 4 pieces. It will be mostly warm weather, but for the chilly nights, I’ll take with me a few thin shirts. 
• Tops – 9 pieces. Tops are the other thing I wear the most during the summer, so I take more with me.
• T-shirt – 2 pieces. I don’t wear many t-shirts, so I’m taking just 2 with me.
• Dresses – 3 pieces. 

Jewelry & Accessories 

I’m not a big jewelry fan, and I only have a couple of items I regularly use, one of which is a pair of handmade earrings from a friend. But I don’t plan to take anything to the destination I’m going to. 

• Bags – 1 backpack, 2 tote bags.

Shoes

• Shoes – 1 pair of walking shoes, 2 pairs of open shoes. 

Outerwear

1. Thick sweater – 1 piece.

For more inspiration, check my Pinterest board with many great examples of capsule wardrobes and Project 333 examples.

Additionally, If you are curious to see what else I packed for my 2-month volunteering trip to Costa Rica, let me know to write an article about it! 

Project 333 tips

• Start with your favorite & ‘essential’ items. In that way, it will be easier for you to build the rest of your wardrobe when you have the essential things first. And to mention it again, the “essential pieces” should be 100% based on your lifestyle!
• Consider a color scheme. In that way, you can mix and match the clothes easily. It doesn’t have to be neutral or monochromatic but focus on a few primary colors.
• If a piece of clothing is in bad shape, it’s not comfortable, it doesn’t fit anymore, or you realize you don’t wear it – replace it! The point of the challenge is to become more mindful about the items you wear the most, and if you picked something that turned out you don’t wear as much as you think – switch it with something else. Remember that the goal isn’t to be restrictive or compromising.
• If you are not sure about an item, ask yourself if you would buy this piece of clothing today? Does it fit comfortably? Did you wear it in the past couple of weeks? If not, you probably won’t enjoy wearing it, and you can consider donating it/selling it. 
• Don’t purchase new things right away. After a couple of weeks of wearing your minimized wardrobe, you will get a better sense of what’s missing. However, don’t rush into buying new things. After you are 100% that you need something, then you can purchase it.
• It is a learning experience; making adjustments and changes is part of the journey. It is totally fine to swap something out, remove or add an extra piece, or change the season time frame. 

FAQ:

Who started Project 333?

The author of Be More With Less, Courtney Carver, started Project 333, which became popular worldwide and inspired hundreds of people to downsize their wardrobes! 

What are the benefits of Project 333?

It is a positive challenge to help you learn what clothing items you love and wear the most are. Some of the great benefits of Project 333 include:

• Figure out your style – And learn how to combine clothes and make great outfits effortlessly.
• Being more prone to invest in high-quality items that will last you for years – You can find my favorite ethical & affordable clothing brands here.
• You will never feel overwhelmed by having too many clothes that don’t fit well, you don’t like anymore, or are too old.
• More sustainable wardrobe. Fast fashion is one of the most polluting industries. Creating a capsule wardrobe with high-quality pieces will reduce the need to buy cheap and low-quality clothes.
• Wear the items you love the most. This will make you feel more confident and happy.
• Save money and inspire creativity. You will not only be able to save money that you would otherwise spend unnecessarily, but you will also start combining items you never thought of before.
• The beginning of your minimalism path and intentional living.

Does Project 333 include socks? (or underwear?)

No – Project 333 does not include socks, underwear, pajamas, or loungewear. 

What to do with the rest of my clothes?

You can put everything away in a box and keep it out of your sight. I recommend doing this challenge in each season so you can discover the clothes you wear & love the most. Then, you can gift, sell, or donate whatever is left in the box. 

Sum up

Project 333 can be an enjoyable and eye-opening experience. It has plenty of unique benefits, so if you doubt if you should do it, my advice is – don’t overthink! 

You can make changes, swap in/out items you don’t wear, and explore different clothing combinations while finding the pieces you love the most.

If there are any questions, or you want to share your experience – feel free to comment below.