Project 333 – Wardrobe Gaps

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Posted on April 23, 2015

There is nothing like a change in the weather to help identify gaps in the collection of clothes. After a long, hot summer that I thought would never end, the weather has turned quite cool.

My cool season selection is somewhat depleted with the departure of three tops at the end of last winter.

I had this red/white striped 3/4 sleeved one as well as two black/white ones of the same style. They were at the end of their life so I wore them to death on our holidays and then sent them to the op shop when we arrived home. However, I have yet to replace them.

I am not sure what I want so I expect I will need to make a concerted effort and have a look around. I also need another pair of trousers for work as I have one pair of black trousers.

Then there is the small matter of a coat. I have a long, navy overcoat which is over 20 years old but in perfect condition. It is more than I need in Queensland so I am thinking of parting with it and getting something more suitable. I envisage a hip-length coat, preferably charcoal grey or black.

I have been so busy at work for the past couple of weeks that I have barely had time to keep up with the basics of washing and cooking, let alone considering changes to my wardrobe. I hope to make time this weekend to look carefully at what I have and what I need.

Project 333 – Inspirations

Project 333 – Wardrobe Additions

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Posted on March 21, 2015

Adding to my wardrobe may seem to be contrary to the essence of Project 333 but it is not about denial but having a small collection of clothes that you love and wear. The more I work with what I have the more clarity I have about the direction I want to take.

Last week I bought a new pair of shoes but they do not really count as they as for walking (exercise).

I did consider actually selecting 33 items to participate in Project 333 this autumn (fall) as I am in the southern hemisphere. However, I am constantly drawn to the idea of a modest selection of clothes which can be worn year-round (with modifications) as we live in a warm temperate climate. I work in an air-conditioned office during the week and live on a small, semi-rural acreage.

I tend to wear separates – skirts/trousers and shirts to the office and a few years ago I only owned one dress. I have since realised that it was not really my choice – I love dresses – but dresses that I found suitable and flattering were difficult to find. I now have 5 dresses plus a dress suitable for wedding/special occasions. Additionally, I have fabric to make another dress and am seriously contemplating buying this one.

It is identical to these two dresses I already have in my wardrobe.

Along with a plain black and two black/white dresses these could form the basis of a year-round office wardrobe. I have a red jacket that can be worn with the two existing dresses and I would make or buy a navy jacket which could go with the new dress as well as the pink/red one.

My other proposed purchase is this bag.

I found it on Friday and plan to go back and buy it on Monday. I have been looking for a bigger bag for some months as I want to be able to put my laptop in it and still have space for a few personal items – purse, sunglasses, phone, car keys. My plan is to make this the one bag that I take to work so that I am not carrying a laptop case as well as a handbag. My small black handbag will still be used on all other occasions.

By judiciously choosing the additions to my wardrobe and removing those items that do not make the grade, I am gradually creating a collection of clothes that I love and which work together in a variety of ways.

Unlike the earrings, my clothes are definitely a work in progress and that will continue to be the case. What was perfect 3 years ago is now worn out, looking a bit jaded, no longer a perfect fit or just not a favourite. I can see my wardrobe evolving to match my changing style.

Project 333 – A New Beginning

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Posted on March 3, 2015

Some of you may remember this post from 3 years ago when I first dipped into the world of Project 333.

This is the list of what I chose for that first round.

~~Floral skirt~~
~~Black skirt~~

~~Grey trousers~~
Black 3/4 trousers
~~Jeans~~
~~Narrow-leg jeans~~
Charcoal travel pants

~~Pink suede jacket~~
Black cord jacket
Pink quilted vest

Turquoise cardigan
Black cardigan
Grey/cream polo-neck jumper

Turquoise striped shirt
Blue/white pinstriped shirt
Black/white striped shirt
~~Black/cream patterned shirt~~

~~Black/pink striped top~~
~~Black/pink squares top~~
~~Pink top~~
~~Red/white striped top~~
~~Black/white striped top~~
~~Black/white striped top~~

Navy rugby top
Navy/striped rugby top

~~Bronze/pink scarf~~

~~Black handbag~~ (not shown)

~~Black knee-high boots~~
~~Black ankle boots~~
Black shoes
~~Red lace-up shoes~~
~~Sandals~~

Of the 32 items listed, only 13 remain in my cupboard. The black handbag has been replaced with another as have the red shoes and the sandals. I grew weary of some clothes and others wore out. My style has evolved over time and some of the remaining items may yet be culled.

I have almost a month to finalise my autumn list as I intend to participate in the next round which will begin on 1st April. Even though it is officially autumn (fall) we can still have quite warm days so my challenge will be how best to manage a selection of clothing to suit the change of seasons. Dresses and light jackets or cardigans are a good option for work.

Here are some of the pieces I am considering.

What do you think?

Project 333 – One In, Two Out

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Posted on February 5, 2015

I think we have all heard the mantra of “One In, One Out” in order to keep the clutter under control. This week I have gone one better. I made this skirt last week.

Now I have sent these 2 skirts to the op shop.

I bought the navy/white one when we were in the USA in 2012 and it is wearing out. The lightweight fabric is pulling away from the seams at the sides of the waistband and I noticed that it has actually split along the fold of the hem in a couple of places so definitely time to go. The red/white skirt is one that I made a while ago. I attempted to make a pattern from the navy/white skirt. It was reasonably successful and I have certainly worn it many times but it is far from perfect. Now that i have a perfect pattern I will be using that for future skirts that I make. Time for these to go.

Sexism, Sadness and Simplicity

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Posted on November 17, 2014

The catalyst for writing this post came in the form of a post on a friend’s Facebook page where she posted a link to this article. While the ‘extreme grooming’ that is described in the article is about a television presenter, it can be seen every day in our offices and shops.

Then just to top it off I found another link via Facebook about the ‘social experiment’ conducted by Karl Stefanovic. He wore the same suit every day for a year – and no-one noticed. This was his silent protest to highlight the way his female co-hosts were constantly judged and critiqued on what they wore and their hairstyles.

These articles in the media highlight the unreasonable pressures and expectations that society has on women in general and more specifically women who are constantly in the spotlight such as television presenters. It saddens me to realise how much of this pressure is on women in all walks of life.

There have been small, incremental steps to break down these ‘societal norms’ but we must all be a part of the solution if things are really to change. The Little Brown Dress project by Alexa Martin in 2005 – 2006 chronicled her anti-consumerism stance in which she wore the same dress every day for a year. Like Karl Stefanovic, no-one really noticed. Project 333, is loosely based on the same principle – have a small number of clothes that you wear and love and realise that the world mostly does not care what you wear. Anyway, none of us should be defined by the clothes we wear.

To return to the first link in this post, make-up and grooming are yet another facet of us feeling the expectation that we have to present ourselves to the world in a certain way.

I have never been a great fan of make-up and tend to keep my make-up to an absolute minimum. I no longer colour my hair and have a small but much-loved selection of clothes. My clothes fit my lifestyle and I feel good in them.

What about you? Do you feel pressured to present a certain face to the world? Does your workplace have an expectation of how you are groomed?

Project 333 – Black & White

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Posted on October 30, 2014

From time to time I set myself mini challenges to force me to push the boundaries of my streamlined wardrobe. I decided that this week would be entirely monochromatic – a black and white theme.

The forecast for Monday was hot so I reached for this old faithful which I have owned for 4 years. There is so much to love about it – 100% cotton with a collar and cut away armholes AND made in Australia.

Tuesday was nearly as hot so another 100% cotton dress was a good option. This is the one I bought a month ago.

On Wednesday the temperature was more reasonable so I opted for black 3/4 pants with this blouse from the recycle boutique. I have worn it several times since I bought it a few weeks ago. It is destined to become a firm favourite.

Today I tried a previously untested combination. The black 3/4 pants got another airing but this time I teamed them with a black sleeveless fitted top and this blouse worn unbuttoned over it. The blouse is a very fine fabric and needs an appropriate coloured bra underneath it and as I only had a black bra clean I decided to be a little creative. While the outfit looked perfectly acceptable, it just did not feel right to me. I will keep the blouse to be worn as it was designed in future. I also think that I prefer this particular blouse teamed with my straight black skirt rather than trousers.

Tomorrow it is going to be quite warm so I plan to wear white 3/4 trousers and this shirt.

I have plenty of other black and white options but I will save them for another time. Here is a selection.

Project 333 – 3 In, 6 Out

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Posted on October 26, 2014

It is now 5 weeks since we arrived home from our trip to the UK and Ireland. Those of you who followed my travel blog will know that I travelled fairly lightly and had 6 tops earmarked to go to the charity bin at the end of the trip. In this post you can see the 3 tops (red, blue and black) and the 3 striped 3/4 sleeve tops that I had decided would need to go. They were all pretty much past their use-by-date as they had faded, had small stains and the necklines were stretched and out of shape. I wore them to death for the 6 weeks that we were away and was glad to see the back of them at the end of the trip.

I think I have enough short-sleeved and sleeveless tops in my wardrobe but the 3/4 sleeve ones will need replacing. That will be a project before next autumn. In the meantime I did buy 3 pieces on the weekend we arrived home. I did not specifically set out to buy any of them.

The Duke and I went to Maleny to pick up a few groceries and I decided to take a look in a small boutique. I found this dress which is 100% cotton, lined and cool and comfortable. The fact that it is black and white is an added bonus.

Next, we wandered across the road to a recycle boutique where I struck it lucky. This blouse is also cotton (with a touch of spandex) and I don’t think it had ever been worn. I discovered why that was probably the case when I tried it on. The top button was at the level of the bottom edge of my bra! It was an easy matter to make another buttonhole and add a button. Also, black and white!

Finally, I found a lovely stretch lace waterfall cardigan by Mela Purdie. This was also in the recycle boutique and a steal at $35 when it would have been around $250 when brand new.

I am really pleased to have found these pieces and feel that they are all worthwhile additions to my wardrobe.

Project 333 – Cinderella

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Posted on June 20, 2014

The whole essence of Project 333 is about owning clothes that you wear and love. As well as considering things like the style, colour and size of your clothes, you need to make sure that that your clothes are appropriate to your lifestyle.

So, what happens when life throws you a curved ball? I discovered this week that the work conference I am attending in a couple of weeks includes a gala dinner with a “Hollywood Glamour” theme. I don’t own a full-length frock, I’m 5’2″ tall, do not plan on wearing high heels and I have 10 days to create a red-carpet look!!

I canvassed a few options – buying in the city where I work, buying online, hiring or buying secondhand – either in person or online. If I had a bit more time I may have bought this frock online. I would have chosen the jade green.

I decided that my first choice was to see if I could find something secondhand so I went to the Lifeline charity shop located not far from where I work. It is in the middle of the city and generally stocks good quality items. I did not have any particular idea of what I wanted so was open to all ideas.

A skirt caught my eye.

I did not try it on straightaway but turned my attention to finding a suitable black top.

The skirt is clearly meant to be mid-calf length and it is slightly big in the waist for me, however, by allowing it to sit on my hips it becomes a floor-length skirt. The top is a crossover black knit by Alannah Hill embellished with feathers and sequins. It has 3/4 sleeves with drawstrings at the elbow. The length is perfect as it covers the top of the skirt but is short enough for me. I will either buy or make a camisole to wear under the top.

Teamed with my existing patent leather heels and a small black evening bag, I think I will be ready for the red carpet!

My shopping spree cost me $52 – $25 for the skirt and $27 for the top. I am not sure about the skirt but I can definitely see a place for the top in my wardrobe. It could even go with a pair of jeans.