Project 333 - February 2016

So I spent some time on my wardrobe today: not all the time I need to spend, but a decent amount.  I didn't get anywhere near looking at the various things that are boxed up, but given how long those boxes have in general been packed up (since before we moved into this house) those items will no longer fit and will basically go straight out, either into the bin or to my church's Community Shop.  I already have two boxes ready to go, including about six winter skirts and three blouses that I cleaned out of my closet today (all two to three sizes too small), as well as throwing out 4 discoloured white blouses, one handmade skirt that has served me very well for over ten years, a denim jacket that was discoloured at the neck - and thus isn't worth sending to the shop - and a stained longline cardigan that I do not want to get rid of but have to.

I also made some progress on putting together my February Project 333 capsule.  As I mentioned in my previous post, this capsule is just for the one month, to get me back into the cycle that I feel works best with the climate where I am.  Some of my considerations for my February capsule include a weekend in Sydney to attend a concert at the Theatre Royal; the general climate for February (hot, generally with highs above 30); and the fact that my capsules don't actually cover my work clothing, which is a uniform.

As for my actual Project 333 - currently my plan is as follows:

• one white denim jacket
• two dresses (one sleeveless maxi, one skater)
• four tops
• one cardigan, one long sleeved blouse to be worn as a "topper"
• three skirts
• three pairs of 3/4 pants
• (current total: 15 pieces)

Things of note: I find it really difficult to photograph my clothes, so I try to pic up photos from the internet, preferably from whatever store I've bought it from, but when I'm trying to get photos of older items (or I forgot to find the photo when I bought the item) I just go for vague approximations.

Clearly there is no defined colour palette, which is related to another problem I've discovered: I have far more bottoms than tops.  Which is totally not a balanced wardrobe!  So, there may be some top-shopping in my near future.  I would love to find a more palette-appropriate top that I could swap in for the coral, which really doesn't suit my other colours for this season.  

I honestly don't know whether I should add one pair of long pants in case of unseasonably cold weather, but with a pair of 3/4 length jeans in the mix I think I ought to be fine, especially as February is often the hottest month of the year.

Except for the dearth of tops - and needing to make a decision as to whether I add two or three t-shirts for out-of-the-house wear - I think this may be the clothing part of the capsule.  Which is not bad at all (but this is, again, only for a month.  Three months provides a greater challenge due to climate variations).  I'm hoping I can choose four pairs of shoes, and then toss in accessories.  The current numbers would leave me with space for about seven accessories, which for me would be a LOT.  (That said: two bracelets, one necklace, leaves only four pairs of earrings which - not actually a lot.  But then, I've never really had any intention of including accessories (or shoes) in my P333 capsules.

There's still two days left in this month, so I hope I'll be back on Sunday with the final word on my February collection.

(Hopefully) coming soon: more Project 333

If I ever actually wrote all the posts I promised for this blog, it would be a very different blog!

I've been wanting to get back into Project 333 for a while now, but I've never been organized at quite the right time.  As I may have written here before, the Jan-Mar/Apr-Jun/Jul-Sep/Oct-Dec breakdown simply doesn't work for seasons where I live.  It seems to me to make more sense for the breakdown to be Mar-May/Jun-Aug/Sep-Nov/Dec-Feb.  But I'm also in a headspace right now to get back into Project333, and I don't want to hang around until March before I start, as I'm certain I'll lose that momentum.

So on Friday I'm going to be putting together my February-only Project 333 wardrobe - and entering items into Stylebook if they aren't already there.  Part of my Project 333 is going to be tracking what I wear (OTHER than my work uniform, which I wear four days a week, and is very boring and I'm so very over it), because I do want to smarten up my wardrobe.  I said this about six months ago, and it's still the case.  Particularly as it's been warmer these last few months, I've fallen back into jeans and t-shirt, especially baggy t-shirts, because I'm having body image issues.

So - hopefully I'll be back again on Friday or Saturday with a report on my chosen wardrobe for the month of February.

Clothes OMG

I'm trying to revamp/reinvigorate my wardrobe.

My current job requires an actual uniform: there are various options, but I've settled on a polo top and black bottoms, almost entirely black trousers in winter and black 3/4 length trousers in summer. 

But having worn a uniform for five years, my general wardrobe has fallen into jeans and pop culture t-shirts. This summer I had two church-worthy tops to swap between Sunday by Sunday. 

But it's jolly difficult to buy anything that looks good, fits well, is good quality and isn't out of my budget. I've been scouring blogs: from Putting Me Together to the Vivienne Files to Unfancy.  I like the idea of capsule wardrobes; I'm trying so hard. 

Thing is, I'm not skinny. Or well off. I've got an overseas wedding to save for, and previous credit card debt to pay off. I want more purple and bright pink in my wardrobe and as much as it suits me, I'm getting sick to death of coral.

There's a long way to go.  As much as this weekend we're going to the city, I can't imagine that I'll really have time for shopping.  Even if I did.. cost.  Always an issue.

I'm investigating other options.  Buying online and such like.  People in the US make it sound so easy, but of course here in the damned Antipodes...

Updates as necessary...

June goals - end of month

At the end of the month it's important to evaluate whether or not the goals have been met, and whether they need to be rolled over to the next month.

Goal 1 - the closet purge.  Not completed.  :-(  Washing has begun, but there's still more sorting and purging to happen.  I'm hoping I can work on this a lot in the next week while I'm on annual leave - so this will be rolled over to July.

Goal 2 - Project life catch up. I've made definite progress, and in some ways this is a silly goal, because it will never be entirely met.  But I'm happy with where I am.

Goal 3 -  Household file.  Not done, in part because the printer isn't hooked up yet.  Rolled over to next month :-)

Goal 4 - blog about Project Life.  July has been declared PL month :-)

Goal 5 - the Tea Towel Stole.  That's not done, but I have completed the Kobo Cover, blogged about my UFOs, AND begun on the Great Big List of UFOs.

Goal 6 - 40% on Goodreads goal for the year.  Not there, but I've made some progress.  This month at least I won't be rolling this goal over.