Sigrid’s Project 333-Life is Short, Wear a Dress!

My Project 333 is based on the philosophy that we shouldn’t always wait for the perfect time to celebrate life. I live in Seattle where über-casual dressing is the norm, but I am ready for a change after slumming it in jeans and t-shirts for many years.

You can read more about Project 333 and capsule wardrobe dressing here:

http://www.theproject333.com

I need a wardrobe that covers the 3 F’s of dressing: flexible, fun, and fast. I am currently caring for my father whose health has declined, and will continue to do so for an extended period of time. The rigors of eldercare are such that many days I don’t have time for myself. However, I get dressed every day, so this is an opportunity for self-expression and a quick mood lift. We never know when either crises or opportunities will happen, so it’s nice to have smart outfits ready to go at a moment’s notice.

Since I wear petite sizes, I like the Eileen Fisher brand of clothing because they are cut properly for petite-sized women. The classic mix and match styles she designs are a good buy over the long term, and having interchangeable outfits is imperative for a minimalistic wardrobe. She also has an Eileen Green consignment shop about 3 miles from my home in Seattle, and this has been a great place to purchase nice clothing at a reasonable price.

I’m starting my Project 333 on September 1^st. This happens to be my husband’s birthday and the slide into the rainy season, so I wanted to have outfits that could stand up to warm weather or muddy roads. Seattle’s rainy season rarely gets below freezing, but it is frequently damp and cool. I mapped out ahead of time which garments I thought I would want to swap out as the weather cools.

Looking at the list, I am already wondering if I need as many clothes as listed. I am not an avid shopper, but despite this I have still managed to amass fair number of garments. I think I may be prone to shop sales, thinking I should buy something at a good price because I will need it later. I categorized my items for the project so I would have a better idea of which type of garments I really need. As items wear out, I will know which garments to replace and can avoid my sales hang-up.

Number	Item/Swap item	Category
1	Gray Silk Shirtdress	Dress
2	Black V-neck short sleeve Dress/ Black wool dress	Dress
3	Gray linen skirt	Skirt
4	Black and white straight skirt/ Gray flannel skirt	Skirt
5	Green Boucle sweater	Top
6	Charcoal wool menswear cardigan	Cardigan
7	Charcoal heavy wool cardigan	Cardigan
8	Yellow linen cardigan	Cardigan
9	Black viscose T shirt	Top
10	Red turtleneck	Top
11	White cap-sleeved silk t shirt	Top
12	Blue cotton ¾-sleeve t shirt	Top
13	Blue wool sweater	Top
14	Black blazer	Outerwear
15	Japanese cameo necklace	Jewelry
16	Magenta freshwater pearl necklace	Jewelry
17	Clear glass and silver lariat	Jewelry
18	3-strand freshwater pearl necklace	Jewelry
19	Light Yellow jacket	Jewelry
20	Wool coat	Outerwear
21	Trench coat	Outerwear
22	Sunglasses	Accessory
23	gloves	Accessory
24	Sun hat/ Handmade recycled heavy silk hat	Accessory
25	Green cotton scarf	Accessory
26	Handmade recycled heavy silk scarf	Accessory
27	Black flats	Shoes
28	Gray flats	Shoes
29	Black sandals/Black sling-backs	Shoes
30	Black Dress rain boots	Shoes
31	Gray Jambu sneakers	Shoes
32	Purse	Accessory
33	Messenger bag	Accessory

 

I took a few photos. Now I understand why the fashion industry uses models to photograph clothes; the clothes don’t look like much on a hanger. I’ll snap come more photos when I am wearing some outfits.