How to Create a Capsule Wardrobe with Project 333
My best friends know that I’m obsessed with curating a sustainable minimalist wardrobe. I read years ago that Bea Johnson, the mother of the zero waste movement is able to fit her whole wardrobe in a carry-on suitcase. So, when they go on vacation, she packs her whole wardrobe and they rent out their house. Ever since I read that, I’ve been on a mission to minimize my wardrobe–maybe not to the same extent but to the size that’s right for me.
That post inspired me to create a capsule wardrobe which is a limited selection of interchangeable articles of clothing. These articles are meant to be classic staples that never go out of style so you can wear them for years to come.
Fast Fashion’s Environmental Impact
First, let’s talk about fashion’s impact on the environment. It’s estimated that one garbage truck of clothes is burned or landfilled every second. Fashion is water-intensive, taking about 2,000 gallons of water to make a single pair of jeans, and is also a huge water polluter–textile dyeing is the world’s 2nd largest source of water pollution.
Those are just the issues with producing clothes. Oftentimes when we’re finished with our clothes, we feel like we’re doing the right thing by donating them. But oftentimes, those clothes are shipped to Africa where they destroy the local textile businesses or still end up in the landfill.
The Goal
To combat the environmental effects of fast fashion, the best things we can do are:
- Use what you already have
- Shop secondhand
- Choose clothes made from natural fibers that are made to last
Using What You Have – Project 333
To breathe some new life into your wardrobe, consider taking the Project 333 Challenge! Project 333 is a challenge to use 33 articles of clothing and accessories for 3 months. So, basically a season. Fall is approaching, so you would choose clothes for the months of October, November, and December.
This includes:
- clothes
- jewelry
- belts
- hats
- scarves
- purses
- shoes
This does not include:
- undergarments
- workout clothes (unless you wear them as your daily clothes)
- pajamas
To get started, think about your general style. For me, this is floral dresses or all black with a pop of cheetah print. For my husband, it’s muted Earth tones. If you don’t know your specific style yet, then start with a color palette. Choose a base color like black, brown or navy. You’ll already have a lot of these colors in your closet because most people fall into one of these three base colors.
Then build from there. Which colors are you most drawn to? Being an ocean lover, I’m drawn to blues and greens. Then think about the styles or cuts you like. I’m a skinny jean, structured and fitted dress type of person. If you can’t pin point the styles you like, then think about your favorite articles of clothing that you wear every week.
Next, start putting together outfits. For years, each season, I put together 5 outfits that I wear each week to work in the same order. I thought people would notice but NO ONE noticed. I would get an occasional compliment on what I was wearing but no one knew until I mentioned I wear the same 5 outfits in a row.
As you’re putting together outfits, if you find that you have 35 or even 40 articles of clothing, no worries. Use 33 as a guide. If 40 works for you, cool.
After you’ve selected your items, put all the other clothes away, or move them to the back of your clothes or turn the hangers around. Whatever you do, you want to make them “off limits” to you for the rest of the challenge.
My Fall Capsule Wardrobe
Since I’ve been minimizing and pruning my wardrobe for so long, I’ve included workout clothes and pajamas in my 33 articles of clothing, shoes, and accessories. In the Bay Area, the fall can be both really hot and cold. Especially in the inland areas, it can be near freezing in the mornings and swing into the 80s and 90s in the afternoons. So, since I’ll be using this capsule for the months of October, November, and December, I have some warm weather items and some cold weather items.
Here are the items in my capsule wardrobe starting at the top left corner:
- cotton camisole top
- cotton tank top for running
- silk shirt for work
- cotton hoodie
- wool coat
- leggings for running
- work pants
- cotton long sleeve shirt for running
- silk sweater for work
- cotton sweater
- puffer jacket
- cheetah belt
- cotton shorts
- jeans
- sweater for work
- sweater
- jacket for work
- wave ring
- emerald ring
- gold bracelet
- long necklace for work
- work tote
- everyday purse
- running shoes
- casual silk dress
- silk work dress
- sweater dress
- PJ dress
- cotton work dress
- cheetah wedges
- flip flops
- flats
- work heels
Here are a few outfits I put together with these pieces. This is one of my weekly work outfits. I get a lot of compliments on this dress! I pair it with some black heels and a black cotton jacket since it’s freezing in my office. I have a black tote bag to carry my laptop back and forth from my house. And lastly, I have a gold bracelet that I’m always wearing.
Here’s another work outfit. Black pants with a black silk shirt which has a flower on the shoulder. I add the pops of cheetah print through the belt and wedges. And add a gold necklace to match the gold bracelet I always have on.
Here’s a casual outfit I would wear on a Friday to work or if it’s a little cooler while running errands.
And here’s a casual outfit if it’s a little warmer outside.
And finally, here’s something I would wear on a date night with my husband.
Benefits of Project 333
The point of the Project 333 challenge is to show you that you have plenty to wear and that you can dress yourself with a fraction of your closet. By defining what you need, it will prevent you from continually adding to your wardrobe. Basically, the challenge shows you what “enough” looks like. If you finally have enough clothes, you’ll stop shopping. And if you stop shopping to add to your wardrobe, you’ll stop feeding the cycle of fast fashion.
Shop Secondhand
After you’ve figured out your 33-ish pieces, you might need an item or two to complete your capsule. No problem. Try to find that item secondhand. You can try your local thrift or consignment shop, if you want to try things on before purchasing them.
Or you can try finding your favorite brands on online consignment shops like ThredUp,:
Nearly, all of my work clothes are from theRealReal. Like I mentioned previously, I like floral dresses, this silk DVF dress was perfect for me:
By shopping secondhand you can help reduce the demand for new clothes and save money! This DVF dress was a perfect example. Brand new, these dresses are $500+ and I bought it for less than $50. (There’s usually a 20% off code at the top of the screen with theRealReal. It applies on most but not all items.)
Choose Natural Fiber Clothes Made to Last
If you can’t find what you need secondhand, then choose clothes that are made to last from natural fibers like cotton, hemp, silk, and linen. As I’ve mentioned before, when we wash our clothes, it’s estimated that we wash 700,000 microfibers for every load of laundry. These microfibers are too small for wastewater treatment plants to catch so they flow into our ocean.
If the fibers are made from natural materials, then they will degrade in the ocean. If they are made from synthetic materials like polyester, nylon, or acrylic, then that load of laundry is sending more plastics into our ocean.
A lot of my basics, like tank tops, socks, and workout shorts are from Pact, an organic cotton clothing brand.
The only thing with Pact is that if you like something, scoop it up! They’re continually changing their product line so when they run out of an item, they might not make it again. There have been several times I bought one of something I LOVED, only to find out they stopped making it when I went to purchase a second one.
I have two of these sweaters (one for work and a larger size to be cozy at home) and…you guessed it…they don’t make it anymore.
Rinse & Repeat in January
At the beginning of 2022 when you’ve finished your first Project 333 Challenge, hopefully, you’ll realize you don’t need a lot of clothes to dress yourself. As you repeat the challenge, you’ll refine your style and capsule wardrobes down to the clothes that you love and fit you well. Along the way you’ll start letting go of the trendy items, or clothes that just didn’t fit your body or style.
Before donating those clothes, consider adding them to your emergency bag. If it still fits, it will probably work for an emergency. I talk more about emergency bag contents in this post:
If your emergency bag is set, then consider selling the items on one of the three consignment sites mentioned above. I did this while I was curating my closet down to it’s perfect size.
Now, the goal wasn’t to make money. It was really to ensure that it would actually be used again. Like I mentioned above, donated clothes still oftentimes end up in the landfill or shipped to Africa. Another option would be to do a clothing swap with some friends. The more we can prolong the use of our clothes the better!
Recap
Long story short, the best thing we can do to fight the environmental effects of fast fashion is to limit our consumption of new clothes. The more we can use what we have, shop secondhand, and choose clothes that will last us longer, the less waste we create.
What do you think? Will you take the Project 333 Challenge?
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