Project 333 Challenge: Stress-free Ways To Get Started

A new season of the Project 333 Challenge is right around the corner. If you want to curb shopping and spend less or you are curious if dressing with less will result in less stress, give this minimalist fashion challenge a try.

Whether you’ve been thinking about starting the Project 333 challenge for awhile or you are hearing about it for the first time, I’m here to help you get started. I started the Project 333 challenge way back in 2010 and I’ve been following these fashion rules since the beginning. All you have to do is to choose 33 items (clothing, jewelry, accessories, shoes) to wear for 3 months and hide everything else. Spoiler alert: doing it is so much easier than thinking about doing it.

When considering the Project 333 challenge, you may think …

“I could never get down to 33.”
“My weather changes too much.”
“I have a job.”
“But I love shopping.”
“Seriously, I have to include shoes?!”
Another version of “I’m interested but I can’t do it.”

After all of these years, I understand the challenges that might come up for you. This article might be just what you are looking for. Many years ago, Project 333 began right here. I thought it would only last for 3 months but instead, people from all over the world have joined me to see what happens when you dress with less. Here’s what we’ve discovered.

When you dress with less, you …

save money.
have more time.
reduce decision fatigue.
enjoy your mornings more.
get to wear your favorite things every day.
get curious about how less may add value in other areas of life.
create room to discover what you are really interested in.
realize that no one cares what you wear (or do).
can get really creative with the 333 challenge
rarely run late deciding what to wear.
smile more and stress less.
have peace.

How a challenge or experiment can take the stress out of making a change

When it’s time to change a habit or change our lives, it can feel stressful. An all or nothing, push through at all costs approach usually ends in overwhelm or burnout. A challenge or experiment gives you space to be curious without the pressure of having all the answers. I like challenges like Project 333 and others that allow us to sample simplicity and living with less without a firm commitment. You can see what works best for you before getting rid of all of your clothes for instance.

How to get ready for the Project 333 challenge

There are a few different ways to get ready for the Project 333 challenge. None of them are the right way or the best way. It all depends on how you like to approach something new. You know you better than anyone else so pick the way that seems the easiest, the the most fun or the least stressful. One of the main reasons I started this entire challenge was to lower stress. Keep in mind (when your mind wants you to believe otherwise) that this is an experiment, not an emergency.

1. I call the first 333 method “Keep it simple”

If at first glance you think the Project 333 challenge sounds interesting, low-risk and maybe even fun and are ready to get started, this is the method for you. All you have to do to put together your minimalist wardrobe is:

Choose 33 items (clothing, jewelry, accessories, shoes) to wear for 3 months. You don’t have to count workout clothing, sleepwear, in-home lounge wear or underwear.
Hide everything else.
Remember that this is not a project in suffering. If you need to replace something, do it.
Have fun, be curious and if you are game, let me know what you discover at the end of the challenge.

2. The second 333 challenge approach is the “Have a thorough understanding of what you are getting into” method.

If you like to research and really understand the ins and outs of something new, you’ll enjoy this method of getting started.

Listen to this step-by-step coaching call that will help you create a capsule wardrobe.
Read the Project 333 book for step-by-step instructions.
Carefully read and understand ALL of the Project 333 rules.
Read more about Capsule Wardrobes here.

3. I call the third 333 method of getting started, “Break all the rules and do it anyway”

In Project 333, The Minimalist Fashion Challenge That Proves Less Really Is So Much More, I wrote a chapter called, Unruly. I tell you how to break the rules and still make this a powerful challenge for you. After all, by trying the Project 333 challenge, you are already a rule breaker. You are a fashion rule breaker, a consumer rule breaker and a society rule breaker. If there’s something about the challenge rules that completely freaks you out, don’t let that be a rule breaker. This is not an all-or-nothing proposition. Don’t dismiss the whole thing just because there is a small part that you don’t think you can deal with.

Some examples of Project 333 challenge rule breaking include: 1. You wear a uniform to work. If you wear scrubs or another type of uniform to work and need multiples, count all of your uniforms as one of your 33 items. 2. You worry about weather changes. If you feel tempted to build in extra pieces for weather, consider packing a small box of extras you can easily access if you need them. 3. You think 33 items isn’t enough. The funny thing is, even though you may have hundreds of items in your closet, you’re wearing only a fraction of them. Thirty-three is enough for most of us, but it’s also an arbitrary number. If you’d rather do a Project 335 or 340, go for it. This experiment will be successful as long as you’re testing your limits to understand what “enough” means to you.

But what should I wear?

Wear your favorites. Wear what fits your body and your lifestyle. In the photo above, you’ll see the start of my upcoming spring capsule wardrobe. I’ll add a few pairs of shoes, outerwear, accessories and a few more clothing items that fit my minimalist lifestyle. In almost every season, I include the same pair of jeans, sweaters, a black tank top, black scarf and other similar articles of clothing. I don’t have 33 different items every three months. I’ll never tell you exactly what to wear but here’s what I’ve included in some of my Project 333 capsule wardrobe collections.

Capsule Wardrobe Summer.
Capsule Wardrobe Spring.
Capsule Wardrobe Winter.
Capsule Wardrobe Fall.
See more of what I wear on my Instagram Reels. Like this one!

Are you ready to try the Project 333 challenge?

Yes, I’m in!
Yay, I love that about you! Jump in. Clean out your closet for good, hide your other stuff for 3 months and get started. If you are on Instagram, share before and after closet pictures, or your daily outfits with hashtag #project333.

I would but because of (insert one of the popular excuses listed above), I can’t.
I so get you! I felt that fear too before I got started but I started just the same and I’m so glad. I realized I had been imagining all of the things that could go wrong and they never did. When I started this challenge, I thought it would be so hard, but it wasn’t. In fact, it made most things easier. Even though you have permission to break the rules with Project 333, perhaps there is some benefit to really going for it.

The Project 333 challenge has been featured in Real Simple and Oprah magazine. It continues to surprise and delight me when I hear from people who have practiced for years or are just getting started. Please let me know how it goes for you!