Seven Tips For Cutting Back Your Closet

It’s been almost five years since I discovered Courtney Carver’s Project 333, the “dressing with less” program.

Since then, the capsule closet movement has grown immensely, and it’s easy to get lost in a rabbit hole of posts on the topic.

With five years now of reducing and capsuling under my belt (hah!), I thought I’d offer up a few tips and tricks I’ve learned in that time for those of you who might be interested in starting to cut back your closets in a similar fashion.

Seven TIPS For CUTTING BACK YOUR CLOSET

Tip No. 1:

If you love clothing and aren’t feeling any pressure whatsoever to change your closet or buying habits, stop reading now! You do not need this post (but thanks for reading this far). I was like that for many, many years. There is nothing wrong with keeping on the way you’re keeping on. At all. When I came across Project 333, I had been frustrated with my wardrobe and its impact on my life for a long time and was seeking ways to change. If that sounds like you, read how I got my start, and, more importantly why, here.

Tip No. 2:

Read this by Courtney. She really still is my go-to person when I’m looking for inspiration and motivation in this area. If you’re going to get lost in a blog, get lost in hers.

Tip No. 3:

It’s really important when you first start cleaning out your wardrobe, and all those plastic bins shoved under your bed or in the back of the closet or down in the basement, that you pull out every single item of wearable you own. Everything. I even try to make sure all of my laundry is done before I start digging through so there aren’t a ton of random stinky outliers.

Tip No. 4:

Start the process by making three piles: 1) Keep for sure. 2) Try on/maybe keep. 3) Donate (or dispense of/recycle in some way, if torn or stained and you can’t donate). At this point, don’t worry about how much goes in each pile, just work quickly through every item. Once you’ve done this, try on every item that was in Pile 2, and redistribute to PIle 1 or Pile 3. Bag up Pile 3 immediately and set aside.

Tip No. 5:

Honor your emotions. This process can be overwhelming and exhausting. You may think they’re just clothes — what’s so difficult? But really, you’re digging through years of your life, history and memories, and maybe tackling body issues. You’re trying on a bunch of clothes, some that will fit and some that will not. And at some point you may just hit decision fatigue. Set up somewhere where you can leave all your piles for a night if you can’t finish the process in one sitting. Recruit a friend to help, play uplifting music, drink a glass of wine.

Tip No. 6:

If you want to aim for a certain number of items to keep for your daily wardrobe, or formally do a Project 333, go ahead. However if this is your first big clearing out, you might just want to go the route I did, which was doing two years of this process each season before I committed to Project 333. Put back in your closet all of the keepers that are seasonally appropriate. Box up all the keepers that aren’t seasonally appropriate and store somewhere. Bag up the donations and drop them off somewhere as soon as you can (or plan a clothing swap with friends).

Tip No. 7:

Celebrate! Wear all the things. Enjoy all the things. Rinse and repeat — in three months or six months or whenever the season shifts and you need those sweaters (or tank tops). Note: I do still make one big pile (that’s gotten much smaller over the years) every single time I refresh my capsule closet.

Have questions I haven’t answered? Happy to answer them in the comments below!

Dear Jean(s)

Dear Jean(s),

I've had to make some difficult decisions lately. I don't think you'll be surprised about where this is going, but I need to be clear for both our sakes.

This relationship we have — it's just not working anymore.

We've been together so long I can't even remember when we first met. Way before I started in with Project 333. (You had no idea what we'd be getting into, did you? Honestly, I didn't either.)

You and me — we weren't love at first sight, but more of a gradual coming-together over a few years. And then we were hot and heavy for quite a long time. Out for pizza on Friday nights. Country dancing weekly. Walking the pup. Heck, you traveled everywhere I did this year — which was quite a commitment. Those TSA folks can be a bit grabby.

Unfortunately, these last six months ... well, things have shifted.

I'd say it's not you, it's me, but actually I think it's both of us. We've gone different ways. The way you hang about, it's not as cute as it used to be. (In fact, it's not at all flattering.) To be honest, I'm concerned about you. You're just not holding up the same. And you seem to be a bit frayed around the edges.

I know I've changed too. I've been asking for more out of the ones I really care about. I've not hung you out to dry, but I have been turning on the heat and tossing you around a bit. I'm sorry if it's been more take than give on my part.

I'll always look fondly on our time together and I wish you the best. I know there's someone out there that will once again fit to you like a glove. And though there will never be another one just like you, I'm certain there's someone new out there for me too.

All my best,

Kirsten

My Project 333 transition month

It's September and I should be starting a new three-month cycle of Project 333 (thanks to the switcheroo of my timeline that I did earlier this year).

But instead, I've decided to take what I'm calling a transition month.

As I dug out my stored clothes for fall and winter, I pulled out lots of items that made me go, "Hmmm." I haven't worn many of these pieces in nine or more months and I honestly don't know if I want to wear them or not.

My body has been shifting — a blend of food-heavy press trips and irregular exercise.

My taste has been shifting — I'm becoming more and more aware of what I really like to put on my body every day.

And my life has been shifting — I picked up an ongoing freelance gig that requires me to have a few professional items, which because I'd gone to working from home and coffee shops two years ago, I'd basically eliminated from my closet.

With that, over the past week I pulled out every item I own and placed each in one of five piles:

1) To swap or donate (I've got a large bag so far)

2) To consign (Another large bag so far, and if my local shops don't want these pieces, they go immediately into pile number one)

3) To store (for a different season — three medium-size plastic bins for this use)

4) To for-sure-include in the next cycle

5) To test

It's pile number five that I'm playing with during the month of September.

I started by making sure everything up for consideration was washed and visible in my closet. This category includes about 60 items right now — and because we're still getting 80-degree days, but temps will drop fast come October/November, it ranges from tank tops to heavy sweaters. My goal during September is to wear each of those 60-some pieces at least once. From there, the item gets redistributed to one of the other four categories.

Just yesterday I donned a denim skirt and a striped flowy top, neither of which I had worn in quite some time. I liked the skirt. It went in the probably-include pile (I need to see how many other denim skirts I end up with first). I did not like how the top fit. It's going to my next swap.

This whole process brings home what becomes more and more clear to me each cycle in regard to a capsule closet or minimalist approach:

You need to make it work for you.

Earlier in my journey, the guidelines and structure of Project 333 were exactly what I needed to get started. Now, I blend Courtney's suggestions with my own, and feel no qualms about the integration. In fact, it's fun.

My goal this month is to get my closet down by about half. I do still use "33" as my guideline. (I've always been drawn to the number three so for some reason it feels right.) I also want to leave a few slots open to add a couple "business-y" items.

Courtney writes in a recent blog post that there are five essentials to a capsule wardrobe:

Peace     ::     Ease     ::     Love     ::     Clarity     ::     Space

Letting go of the mass of clothes I used to mess around with every day has been physically freeing. But perhaps even more so, it's been emotionally freeing. It's not for everyone, but if you think it might be for you, I encourage you to give Project 333, or some variation on it, a try.

Yoga, hiking and more with Aventura

I knew when I was asked to be an ambassador for Aventura that melding its responsibilities and Project 333 might be challenging.

One of the key duties of an ambassador is to accept free clothes and try them out (I know, rough gig). (One of the other duties is to share great discounts with my readers, so hang in there until the end and I'll explain how you can earn a 60-percent-off discount card.)

What I didn't know at the time was that ultimately the clothes I received from Aventura would become some of my favorites for teaching yoga, working out and adventuring — all categories that are not part of my 33 core items.

[Wipes brow and sighs with relief.]

Weekly, you'll find me at my home studio Root teaching restorative yoga in either the Floral Capri Legging or the Lily Capri Legging. I've worn a lot of leggings over the years and these are some of the best. Cute, but subtle prints — the Lily, in black, has tiny, tiny dots of black and grey; shirring at the ankle; a comfortable waistband. And a thick enough stretchy knit that those around you won't get an inappropriate peek at your underwear. They also wash well, necessary when you wear them a lot.

On top, you'll see me often donning either the Lantana Hoodie or the Kyle Wrap. The Kyle's sleeve ruching gives this piece a little fun flare, and the burnout fabric of the Lantana draws interest. Both are lightweight, good for layering over a tank.

I love scarves and the one I've been living in is the Marnie. Not only is it the perfect length for a once-around-the-neck wrap, but the blue-cream blend works as a neutral, particularly when wearing denim. And it's so soft that it's doubled as an eye covering for a handful of my students during yoga class. My Marnie has already traveled on three trips with me.

I can't end this post without a quick nod to the Keeva Skort. A little bit of Spandex added to recycled polyester gives this skort just the perfect amount of stretch for hiking. The mesh shorts beneath allow for jumping on a bike for a quick trip downtown. And the side pocket holds a cell phone without dragging the fabric.

If you'd like to try out some Aventura clothing for yourself, all you need to do is comment below and let me know what fun outings you have planned this summer that Aventura could help you enjoy. Thanks to the company, the first 10 individuals to leave me a note between now and July 1 will receive a code for 60-percent-off a one-time purchase of up to $250 in clothing and accessories.

Happy adventuring!

Project 333: the slightly-frustrated-but-figuring-it-out post

This is my third official cycle of Project 333.

And my first to really struggle with it.

June should be the third month of my second quarter. But because of the struggle, I've decided to learn from my mistakes and start fresh with a new "quarter" for June-July-August.

What's been going on that's made this quarter so difficult?

First, we've had lots of unusually cool, cloudy and rainy (and snowy) weather this spring in Colorado. Which has meant I've been layering like a fiend over summer-ish clothes, or shivering when I don't really need to be, and that's just made me cranky.

Second, after two cycles of winter-wear, I rotated out quite a number of pieces, and rotated in lots that were either brand-new, new-to-me (via a swap), or had been firmly packed away for about a year. As I began to wear them, I realized I didn't actually like them, or they didn't fit quite right. So I'd wear a skirt once, and have a "meh" feeling about it, but put it back in the 33 rotation.

And then I would avoid it, shoving it to the far end of the closet. I did this with numerous items, which meant I really didn't have 33 items to play with anymore.

Third, I've been reading more blogs and books about minimalist wardrobes and lifestyles (including The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo). After seeing the clothing section on Paris To Go, I was both inspired to cut back even more than I already have and appalled that I was struggling with 33 pieces, when she lives with basically 10 core items ... inParis.

In order to be successful with a capsule closet, I've learned a few things.

1. For me, an overwhelming majority of the items in my closet during a cycle must be able to be worn in mix-and-match ways — whether through layering or just shifting tops with different bottoms. I knew this in my head, and having read others' experiences, but it didn't hit home until recently. What it means on a day-to-day basis is that there can really only be two or three outliers in my wardrobe, by style or color; and overall, a complementary color scheme is key.

2. I still love clothing swaps for all the reasons I wrote about in this article for The Simple Dollar, but I'm starting to get more and more enjoyment out of the process of swapping than picking up items for myself. In other words, the connecting with girlfriends, helping them discover new styles, giving them a place to recycle pieces they're having a hard time letting go of, and delivering donations after the fact. Swaps, for me, have mostly become a good place to grab a few outliers. Like that black and turquoise dress in the photo above. (And at my last swap, the most awesome MASH T-shirt ever, perfect for wearing while watching the entire series as part of my #41before42 project. Seriously. Thanks again, Claire.)

3. It's OK to stop, take a deep breath, and shift gears. Yes, I would have liked to have finished off this three-month cycle for a sense of completion. Yes, the J part of my INFJ personality cringes at my "not following the rules." But then, those "rules" were — are — self-imposed, and sometimes it's more beneficial to let go.

I recognize this type of process isn't for everyone, but I really do like it. Even with the slight frustrations of the past two months — and, who knows, that may have had more to do with the heavy clouds hanging overhead more than anything — I enjoy organizing, cleaning out and rethinking my clothing.

So with all that, I'm approaching this June-July-August capsule with a bit of giddy excitement. As of today, I have 28 of my 33 items ready to go, and I'm leaving five spots open so that I can intentionally shop for pieces I would like to add over the summer.

And even though I feel better about my layering options, I'm crossing my fingers that the summery weather that seems to have finally hit our area sticks around for awhile.

P.S. Because people ask me this all the time, I've designed my version of Project 333 to focus on 33 core items for three months. After multiple years of cutting back, and (almost) three fully committed cycles, I no longer include outerwear, shoes or accessories. And as Courtney Carver designed the program in the beginning, I also do not include workout wear (which includes yoga-teaching wear for me), adventuring gear, underwear or pajamas. For this cycle so far I've got 12 tops, one sweater, two jackets, one pair of dressy black pants, three pairs of jeans, three skirts, five dresses and one jumpsuit.