Project 333 Archives

My 2nd Most Popular Post – Project 333 for Warmer Weather – Shifting Basics

For a couple of years when I still had an office job, I tried to participate in Project 333 - wearing a 33-piece capsule wardrobe exclusive for at least a month. This post shows how I was trying to migrate certain pieces out of my capsule wardrobe, and what I would substitute as the weather warmed up...

The general thesis behind this idea holds true for any garment in which you seem to live... If you wear jeans constantly in the autumn and winter, maybe you could consider denim capris, or shorts, or maybe chambray pants for warmer weather? The same garment, in terms of color and cut, but lightened up...

Should I look into these "substitutions" more in the future? Let me know!

(And yes, planning for warmer weather right now feels ... View the Post

Planning Your Complete Wardrobe – Maybe I Should Start with the Real World?

I have absolutely NOT forgotten about my desire to figure out a way to have an overall wardrobe plan - something that I think we first discussed back in July?

Theories were posited that one could choose a specific number of each category of each garment, and a certain number of pieces for each season, etc. etc. But it all felt.... forced.

So I'm going back to reality - what is currently in my closet? What have I worn in the last month or so? Maybe I should start with what I actually OWN AND WEAR, and then see if I can make sense of that...

For now, I'm sticking with a target number of 52 - i.e. one piece per week, or 13 per quarter. So right now, I isolated in my closet the last 26 pieces of "non-gym" clothing that I've worn or ... View the Post

How to Choose Navy and Grey Neutral Building Blocks for a Capsule Wardrobe

This all comes together so well - navy and grey is a really seasonless, timeless color combination! I love a good classic capsule wardrobe...

Let's start with a reminder of where we're headed, more or less. Last week we covered choosing neutral building blocks using this template:

First up is building from the "bottoms" up! This might feel counter-intuitive, but I still think that it's the most logical approach; these are the pieces that for many are hardest to find/fit, and they're the pieces that get worn most often. These really need to be great!

And I'm going to put it on record again - if you find something (pants, tee shirts, whatever) that you really love and know that you will wear a lot, buy multiples! Buy three, four - heck, ... View the Post

How to Choose a “Project 333” Wardrobe Based on a Scarf – Ted Baker London’s Gem Garden

Monday I put together a wee wardrobe based on a most beautiful scarf, and today I'm going to add some accessories. Given my incredible fondness for numbers, I early on realized that the overall number of items here was going to be very close to 33, so I specifically aimed at that number...

First, let's refresh our collective memory of the scarf, and the colors we were using:

In case you didn't see this on Monday - the scarf is also available with a cream background in place of the black. Did you need more temptation? And this design/pattern is also available in other sized scarves, as well as some lovely bags!

And these were the pieces of clothing that I chose; there are 18 pieces here, so I'm going to gradually add 15 accessories to ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333: Combining 2 Color Schemes from the Capri Scarf

SOMEONE had a brilliant insight, in yesterday's comments - why not combine these two wardrobes from the last 2 days?

This is a perfect Project 333 - it actually comes in well below 33 items...

And a long summer travel wardrobe? Perfect. The two neutrals give you plenty of "non-white" core pieces for travel days, and the neutrals play quite nicely together, too.

Here's our expanded color scheme:

And you recognize all of the clothes and accessories from earlier posts:

But here's where the fun really starts - LOOK at this wardrobe!!! You might need to toss in a pair of shorts (grey sweats, or white linen?), but otherwise, I can't think of much for which you wouldn't be prepared. This isn't necessarily a wardrobe for ... View the Post

The French 5 Piece Wardrobe, The French 10 Piece Wardrobe, Project 333, My Capsule Wardrobe

Everywhere you look, there's a "number" wardrobe that's recommended to make life easier! I am as guilty of that as anyone, because I like nice, tidy, finite wardrobes, and I'm crazy about numbers.

But what do all of these number ideas teach us?

The French 10 Piece Wardrobe

To me, this idea translates into a core wardrobe with lots of versatility that is the canvas upon which you demonstrate your personal preferences, whimsy, and style. Ten pieces of clothing is a pretty excellent number for those of us who are out in public 5 days a week, in that it provides a week of "tops" and a week of "bottoms".

By the way, I'm linking to similar items to mine, because in some cases my particular garment is long off the ... View the Post

What IS my signature accent color? Capsule Wardrobe Project 333

Despite the fact that I don't report in regularly on my progress, I do keep track of what I wear, and what's getting appropriate usage, and what's wasting closet space. As much as I always get compliments when I wear blue, I never really feel quite myself when I'm wearing it... except denim...

And, as I always have, I'm drawn to red. Always... So when I did my readjustments for Project 333 starting Monday, I added in both a red tee shirt and a red sweater. They're from L.L.Bean (those people NEVER give me any credit for promoting their clothes, the silly louts), they're festive, and I love them. Also, I'm replacing the non-existent blue jeans with my beloved black velvet skirt! My paisley pants are too cropped, and too cotton, to ... View the Post

A Capsule Wardrobe Project 333 Update, and a Request

I don't talk about it much, but I am pursuing Project 333 in an effort to really learn WHAT I wear most, and what I should thus be keeping in my wardrobe, and perhaps investing in when I start shopping for clothing again. (I don't plan to buy anything for at LEAST 2 or 3 months, at this stage...)

This is the clothing that's currently in my Project 333. I've got two things in here that aren't making much sense - the short-sleeved COS dress is wonderful, but I'd have to layer it, and for some reason that seems to keep it in the closet rather than on the back.

And the blue jeans? I don't HAVE blue jeans anymore... They got to be so much too big that they were donated. Things are not pretty when you're ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333, Planning, Packing, Paris, and the Unexpected

I leave later today for Paris... and Yes, I'm excited! It never gets old, and I never get tired of doing the same things, going the same places. This trip will be very different from most of my recent ones, because I'm going with someone who's never been there. This will definitely add some new perspectives to how I see the city.

My carefully schemed packing is going to be changed slightly, because the weather in Paris is quite a bit warmer than it is here in Chicago. This makes me think AGAIN that it's only reasonable to be prepared for weather changes when you travel.

Last week, in Chicago, the weather went from air conditioning overnight to weather cold enough to wear gloves. Literally, in less than 12 hours, we ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333 Autumn 2014 – I’m IN!

No, it's nowhere NEAR cool enough to wear autumn clothes in Chicago - I think right now the temperature could be around 90, the humidity nears 3 digits (I swear it goes over 100% - it's like swimming in a bathtub...) and we're going to get thunderstorms any time now. But I am travelling very soon to cooler climes, and it's only reasonable to be prepared when the weather whiplashes us into cold, as it will...

My clothing requirements become more and more simple; after I spend eight hours a day looking at thousands of garments and accessories for The Vivienne Files, I only want to wear black or grey. Maybe some pearl jewelry. Maybe a scarf! I now understand why some fashion designers wear only jeans and black tee ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333: Earrings

Earrings are far from an essential part of any wardrobe, but I wear them every day; I find that I really hate the look of the holes in my ears without earrings. But most of the time I prefer to wear only small stud earrings, or very modest hoops - I'm not terribly keen on large earrings on me...

These are the core of my day-to-day wardrobe:

Pearls, or another lustrous stone in a neutral tone, are a good starter:

A metallic stud is always nice:

It's generally handy to have a somewhat dressy earring for those occasions:

And a small earring in an accent color is fun:

If you're a hoop earring type of person, the options are many: ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333: Bracelets and Necklaces

Bracelets and necklaces are also items that absolutely nobody MUST have in their wardrobe; women have lived completely fulfilled and productive lives without them. But for me, this is the core of what I will be wearing through the autumn and winter.

Note that I wear both silver and gold, mostly because I have a Trinity ring as a wedding ring, and my watch has a yellow and white gold band. As will ALL things style, your mileage may vary.

Pearl bracelets - there are SO many beautiful ones available:

Pearl necklaces with some black detailing - I would buy two of these and layer them together:

A nice simple gold necklace:

Pearls and gold together:

And maybe a silver necklace too: ... View the Post