I was so excited when it rained this morning. As a New England-Los Angeles transplant, it is taking a while for me to adjust to the dry heat of such overbearing sunlight. I’ve also been wondering what might happen to my fall-winter wardrobe; if I practice what I’ve been preaching throughout this Wardrobe series, I have to give away whatever I don’t use. Thankfully, Los Angeles showed signs of autumn (and drought relief!) today with a little morning rain. The past few weeks have been scorching-hot and I’ve wondered whether I should just throw out all of my sweaters and pants. But not yet! Here I’ve worn my favorite fall outfit combo: skinny jeans and boots. May this cozy weather continue!
Outfit #8: Ann Taylor Jeans + silk shirt + beige scarf
I have been looking for ways to wear the beige scarf I added as one of my precious 11 pieces for my take on Project 333. Since I’m trying to be more creative with my long hair, I decided to weave this scarf into my “maiden braids” today.
I’ve worn maiden braids periodically throughout this summer, especially when I’ve tired of the single bun I usually pin on the top of my head. Instead of wrapping the scarf like a headband, I figured I would weave it in.
And for a pop of color in this otherwise neutral outfit, I wore this copper-orange lipstick– to further celebrate the advent of autumn, of course.
What I learned from Project 333
About a month ago, I decided to take up Courtney Carver’s wardrobe challenge, Project 333, and put my own spin on it. Instead of wearing 33 items over the course of 3 months, I decided to try 11 items over the course of 1 month. My goal was not so much to dramatically downsize my wardrobe (though I did downsize a lot), but to change the way I looked at each selected piece, and to wear them in a versatile manner. I have practiced dressing up my favorite jeans; creating a jumpsuit look; pairing a polished bold look for summer; a denim and dress combo; a grown-up back-to-school outfit; a fun lace and denim outfit; a yellow dress for evening; and finally, my transition into fall pictured above.
The biggest lesson I learned from doing this was much less about clothing and fashion than about learning to be creative with my resources. I’ve realized that having more possessions does not automatically equal having more choices; it simply means having more choices without needing to think. But the truth is, we all have some resources, if not much. And we can all think creatively about all the different ways that our resources can be used effectively. I’ve developed a deeper appreciation for DIY home projects; for simple recipes and methods of travel or hospitality; and even for thoughtful gifts, bold fashion inspiration and funky new hairstyles. There are so many ways to be creative. And when we have too much stuff, we can lose the need (and eventually the ability) to be creative with our resources.
Now it’s your turn. For those of you who have been following this feature, I would love to hear your thoughts via email or in the comments below. Would you try something like this? What pieces would you pick? Would you rather do Project 333 or my take, which I might call Project 111? How do you shop for clothing and shoes? Tell us all about it!
