Project 333 Summer Capsule Wardrobe Challenge

Inside: Check out my 33 piece summer capsule wardrobe and learn how to dress with less this season.

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During each month in 2018, I am focusing on a different simplicity challenge or mini SMART goal.  So far I have practiced daily gratitude, meditated every day, moved my body for at least 15 minutes every day, completed a no-spend challenge, decluttered 496 items from my home, and decluttered my digital life.  

It has been so encouraging to work through these challenges each month and share my experiences on social media and in my email newsletter. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to stay in the loop! Or sign up for my newsletter below – I’ll also send you a copy of the SMART Goals Guide for FREE!

-> Do you want to set your own mini SMART goals? Sign up for my newsletter and I’ll send the free guide straight to your inbox.

A Summer Capsule Wardrobe Challenge

For July I am going to focus on a summer capsule wardrobe challenge.  Specifically, I will be participating in Courtney Carver’s Project 333.

I have participated in this challenge in the past, however, my job situation has changed since then (I am working from home now rather than in an office) and it’s a different time of the year!  The last time I participated in the challenge it was the winter time, so my wardrobe choices were different due to the different weather.

So, what is Project 333?

Project 333 is a fashion challenge where you choose 33 pieces of clothing, shoes, and accessories and wear them, and only them, for 3 months.  Essentially you are creating a capsule wardrobe to wear for 3 months.

You may be thinking this is crazy talk!

And, believe me, I used to think the same thing….until I participated in the challenge a few winters ago.

During the challenge I learned a lot about my style and what I love to wear (and also what I don’t!).  I also realized how easy it was to get dressed in the morning!  Because I live in a geographic location that experiences seasons and changes in weather, this type of wardrobe does take some maintenance, but it’s well worth it.

And now I am ready to participate again!

Why I chose Project 333

The most interesting observation I’ve made about the entire process, based on feedback from people who have dressed with thirty-three items or less, is that in the end, this fashion project has very little to do with fashion or clothes and much more to do with health, happiness, and lots of heart.

The above quote is from Courtney’s new book Soulful Simplicity and I love that this capsule wardrobe challenge starts with the clothes but it ends with so much more.

She continues in the book to describe several benefits that she experienced from dressing with less.  The benefit that stood out to me the most was that dressing with less can be a gateway to simplicity.  Courtney explained that once she started to experience the benefits of dressing with less, she got curious about what other areas of her life she could simplify.

If this is your first time dressing with a capsule wardrobe, Project 333 is a great challenge to start with.  Courtney’s micro course walks you through exactly how to declutter your clothes, choose your pieces and then rock your capsule wardrobe!

What are the Project 333 rules?

These are the rules from the Be More With Less website:

• When: Every three months (It’s never too late to start so join in anytime!)
• What: 33 items including clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear, and shoes
• What not: these items are not counted as part of the 33 items – wedding ring or another sentimental piece of jewelry that you never take off, underwear, sleepwear, in-home lounge wear,  and workout clothing (you can only wear your workout clothing to workout)
• How: Choose your 33 items, box up the remainder of your fashion statement, seal it with tape and put it out of sight.
• What else: consider that you are creating a wardrobe that you can live, work and play in for three months. Remember that this is not a project in suffering. If your clothes don’t fit or are in poor condition, replace them.

Related post:  Simplify Your Closet in 9 Steps

My 33 Piece Summer Capsule Wardrobe

I am sure you’ve seen the beautiful capsule wardrobes on Pinterest.  I love them too!  But it’s important to remember that capsule wardrobes are very personal and everyone’s will look a little different.  Don’t be tempted to copy mine or another one you see online!

I am sharing what I included this season just to inspire you to create your own!

When developing a capsule wardrobe I like to look at the color palette to see if there are any odd colors that won’t mix and match well.  Here is the color palette from the pieces I chose for my summer capsule wardrobe.  I try to pick 2-3 neutral colors (i.e. navy or black, grey and olive).  And then I add in some color like the pink and baby blue. This is a great article if you need some help deciding on your own color palette.

Bottoms

I included 2 pairs of jeans for this season, one skinny jean and one boot cut jean.  These are both from Target and I am a huge fan!  The bootcut jeans are Levi Denizen and the skinny jeans are Universal Thread.

Shop here: Bootcut Jeans | Skinny Jeans

I also included 3 pairs of shorts, all in a darker color.  I chose a denim jean short, a darker denim short that is a little bit lighter material, and a navy blue short.

Shop here: Denim Jean Shorts | Navy Blue Shorts (similar) | Dark Denim Shorts

I don’t wear a ton of skirts, but included one because I wear it a lot in the summertime! I actually made this skirt out of a dress from Target a couple of years ago so I linked to a similar option.

Shop here: Similar skirt option

Tops

I tend to wear mostly flowy tops and picked several neutral colors with a few pops of color and graphic designs.  Most of these are not available anymore so I linked to some other options for you to try!

Shop here for tank tops: Light blue tank, Pink tank, Black tank, White lace tank

Shop here for tees: Purple, Green, Grey, Stripe, Black graphic, Cream graphic, Orange stripe

Dresses

I included one formal dress and a couple that are more casual.  I like to wear dresses in the summer and the two from Old Navy are soooo comfortable!

Shop here: Formal Black Dress (similar) | Grey Swing Dress | Strip Tank Dress

Jackets

I don’t need a lot of top layers in the summer but I do like to include a couple of options for those cooler days and evenings. These are both classic pieces that I wear from spring through fall.

Shop here: Green Utility Jacket (similar) | Denim Jacket (similar)

Shoes

During the summer months, I live in sandals and flip flops!  I included my Converse sneakers for casual occasions and black dress shoes to go with my formal dress.

Shop here: Flip flips | Brown sandals | Black dress shoes | Converse sneakers

Accessories

I decided to include more jewelry this time around.  The six pieces I included seem to be my go-to pieces lately and I know that they can be dressed up or down.  Here are some similar pieces if you are interested!

Shop here: Leaf earrings, Wrap bracelet, Bead bracelet, Cuff bracelet, Pendant necklace, Chevron necklace

What is not included in my summer capsule wardrobe

Per the official rules from Project 333, I didn’t include loungewear, sleepwear, workout clothes, undergarments, socks, or swimwear.  I also didn’t include my wedding ring and another ring that I never take off.  I also didn’t include my purse because I have one purse that I use regularly and one that I use for date night.  I don’t have a lot of options in that department!

I think the key here is to make this challenge work for you.  Don’t get hung up on the numbers and give up before you even begin.  If you come up with a capsule that has 35 or 40 pieces, great!  Start with that!  If you don’t want to include shoes or jewelry or accessories, then don’t!  Start with what makes you feel good and you’ll learn to love the clothes that you wear.

How I’ll Hold Myself Accountable

I am not a fashionista and don’t blog about fashion, so you won’t see daily posts, I promise!  But I do plan to take a selfie each day that I get dressed and leave the house.  I will share these photos on my Instagram stories at the end of the week, so you aren’t bombarded with my outfits all week. 😉

Follow along here, if you’d like some inspiration!

What I love about Project 333

I already mentioned some of the benefits of dressing with less above, but wanted to mention a few other reasons that I love Project 333.

• There is a strong community on social media.  If you search for the hashtag #project333 on Instagram you will see so many people who are embracing this challenge to dress with less.  It’s also a great place to get inspiration for putting together outfits and interacting with other awesome people!
• You don’t have to be a fashionista to dress well and dress in clothes that you love.  The whole point in developing a capsule wardrobe is so that you love everything that you wear! This won’t happen overnight, and that is ok.  There is fun in the journey and process of developing your style and finding what works for you.  So, enjoy it!
• Like the quote says above, this challenge is about more than just the clothes. It’s about making time and space for the things you truly value in life.

I am so pumped to complete this challenge again with you this season!

Resources to Develop Your Own Summer Capsule Wardrobe

So, you’re ready to start dressing with a capsule wardrobe.  That is fantastic!  Here are a few resources to get you started.

Project 333 micro course 

This short micro course is where I started with dressing with a capsule wardrobe.  It walks you step by step through the process of deciding on your 33 items and provides encouragement along the way.  I highly recommend this course!

>> Learn more and sign up for the course here! <<

Blogs to Help You Develop a Capsule Wardrobe

There are tons of blogs about dressing with a capsule wardrobe.  Here are a few of my favorites for gathering inspiration:

Be More With Less – there are tons of articles about dressing with less in the archives.

Putting Me Together – this is a great blog to get (mostly frugal) outfit inspiration.

What I Wore – this blogger doesn’t actually blog about fashion anymore, but you can still check out her archives for some great capsule wardrobe inspiration.

Capsule Wardrobe Books

Capsule Wardrobe Pinterest Board

Decluttering 101 ebook

One of the first steps to creating your capsule wardrobes is to declutter the pieces that you don’t love.  I created a Decluttering 101 ebook that walks you through the decluttering process for any area of your home, not just your wardrobe.

>> Click here to learn more and download the FREE ebook! <<

Read More in the Simplicity Challenges Series

January: Daily Gratitude

February: Meditation

March: 15 minutes of physical activity

April: No-Spend Challenge

May: The Mins Game Decluttering Challenge

June: Declutter Your Digital Life

July: You are here!

Are you ready to take on the summer capsule wardrobe challenge?

Let me know in the comments!  I would love to cheer you on!

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