keep it simple, stupid

I recently caught wind of an idea that has been around for a handful of years – you VOLUNTARILY pare down your closet to only 33 pieces of clothing/jewelry/bags/shoes for 3 months.  The idea is that by simplifying your closet, you find space for happiness and you fine tune your “look” and approach to fashion.  Part of me is aghast and yet strangely interested in the concept.  If you google “33 pieces of clothing” you get great blog entries but I suggest first reading the article from the woman who started it, Courtney Carver: http://bemorewithless.com/minimalist-fashion-projects/

Here are the basic rules:

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, underwear, sleep, in-home lounge wear, and workout clothing (you can only wear your workout clothing to workout)

The idea is to make a seasonal wardrobe and box up clothes that you want to keep but are planning not to wear during the next three months.  Part of the process is being honest and ruthless.  Get rid of clothes that do not fit and that you do not wear often.  Then, after the 3 months, you switch out items to better fit the weather as well as rotate things in and out. 

What kind of work would I have to do?  A quick count has me over 150 pieces of clothing/scarves/purses/shoes that are currently in my closet and drawers (and note that this does not count the winter clothes packed away under the bed).  I think I could reasonably get down to about 75-50 pieces for the summer.  The extra challenge would be to find space to put the clothes that I want to keep but that did not make the cut.  In a small house my closet IS the place where I am able to store clothing. 

Over the next few weeks, I am going to try to reduce my summer closet to about half of the size that it currently is (as stated above, to about 75-50 items).  I will start with making piles of give-away, keep-but-put-away, and keepers.  I will include shoes and scarves but I am still on the fence whether to include jackets and bags and jewelry.  And, to make it less troubling, once I get the reduced closet, I am going to try for only 1 month.  I will re-evaluate at the end of June to see what I think.  Then, I may tighten up and try to reduce again for a month.  Baby steps are the only way this is going to get done. 

Is cheating likely?  Yes.  I really really like variety in my clothes and wearing similar outfits week to week has me bored just thinking about it.  So, it will be interesting to see how this experiment goes. 

But I do know that these guys are making the cut.

 

thrift

Recycled (soul)

And trying to build karma (for the next life)

to infinity and beyond

Infinity scarves are everywhere and with good reason – they are cute.  I converted a normal fringed scarf to an infinity scarf with a quick line of sewing and trimming off the extra bits.  Happy with the result. 

I do think about the naming of this type of scarf.  Infinity  or circle scarf- just a scarf that has no beginning and no end.  It could have easily been called a donut.  Or an universe scarf.  Or time.

tubed

Until recently, I only had a metal tube bead.  Now I have a necklace.

(I had purchased it months ago.  See: http://practicalandperfect.blogspot.com/2013/12/beads.html)

I realized that if I deconstructed a chain necklace with a needle-nose pliers, I could actually put the tube on the chain.  Look at me.  Thinking.

reunited and it feels so good

Twice a year I have a fun project where I change about a third of my closet.  And by fun I really do mean fun.  In spring, I put away my bulky sweaters, turtlenecks and warm scarves, and out come the skirts, shorts and sun dresses.  Good-bye boots and hello sandals.  I use a few under-the-bed-storage boxes that are each filled to the brim. 

I have a tiny closet but I think I would have this seasonal migration even if I had a larger closet.  There is something good about storing away items that you are kind of tired of and being reunited with favorites that a younger-you put away for the future-you to unpack.  A kind of short-term time capsule of your fashion sense.

I take advantage of this changing of the guards by making decisions on pieces of clothing that I have not worn often enough, feel no longer suit me, or are obviously no longer cool.  If I am on the fence about keeping a winter item, I will put away to make the decision when I unpack the item in the fall. 

This time I easily filled about 3 grocery bags with clothes, shoes and jewelry.  Most of this will go to Goodwill.  

 

I always learn a bit about myself during this process.  I have a lot of summer shoes.  I have many boring pants.  And, my shirts are definitely more in the range of pink/red/orange.

 

But more than learning about myself, I start to get more excited about the summer – here comes the warmth that allows one to wear skirts and shoes without socks.  However, I have learned not to pack all my cardigans away since it is evitable that the office will be stupidly cold.  Yay summer!