Project 333: summer selection

This was originally part of my previous post but it was getting crazy-long and rambling so I decided to split it into two posts. Forgive me if this post is still a bit disjointed. 

I pulled out my clothing storage totes a few weeks ago and happily stored away the last remnants of winter.  I took out all of the summer clothes, sorted them quickly and immediately added some of them to my current wardrobe, even before July began. (We have been having a lovely summer and I love summer clothes!) I set aside a few things that I probably should have donated long ago.

And then I got really busy.

So for the last few weeks I have been living with a fairly full closet, somewhere between 40 and 50 items hanging out in there. There weren’t many spring items coming out of rotation, but there were quite a few summery things added in. Having more things in the closet didn’t make it easier to get dressed. If anything, I felt like it made my choices a little slower each morning. I was glad to have certain items available to me though, especially some new pieces I recently acquired.

Late in June I was given 2 nice purple tanks with a little gathered detail in the front. They are the kind of thing I was talking about to add a little “fancy” to my everyday tops (although I have postponed searching for the fancy date night/casual chic top that I really want). Luckily they were too short for someone else, which meant they were just right for me. I’ve worn each of those tops a few times since I got them and even though they overlap slightly with my lilac tank, I think they will be useful, and if push comes to shove I will choose them over the plain lilac tank.

As I mentioned in my last post, last month I also replaced my knee-length knicker shorts with a new pair of stretch cotton capri shorts, a little longer and looser. This was a straight one in, one out exchange, but the new shorts go with a lot more tops than the old ones so they should be very useful. I’m going to avoid grey bottoms in the future after realizing how many grey tops I have.

So for the past few weeks I’ve been swimming in clothes (relatively speaking!) and I haven’t had much time to do a proper assessment.

summer stuff coming out of storage, too many tshirts and so many dresses!

Most of my summer pieces in storage were either dresses or tshirts. I have a big pile of tshirts that I really have no intention of wearing again anytime soon. I think I will send the plain ones to the thrift store. The patterned ones have some sentimental value – not much, but just enough that I hesitate to let them go. (Of all the things I’ve ever donated, several printed tshirts are the only things I’ve really ever regretted getting rid of, especially when I made my tshirt quilt and didn’t have my favorite designs to go into it. But then again, I wasn’t all that cut up about it.) There are about half a dozen tshirts that will probably go back into storage. I’ve only added one tshirt to my wardrobe for thr summer and I’m taking a couple of others out, putting them in my closet “emergency” tote along with my swimwear, sarongs, and a few other extras.

I have also set these 3 dresses aside as an “emergency” special occasion capsule. The first is great for summer weddings, the second would be more appropriate for a work-related event, the third is more appropriate for a nighttime event. I don’t anticipate actually needing any of these dresses, but they are lovely, they fit well, and it makes more sense to have them hanging up and ready to wear than for them to be in storage. I have them on the other side of my closet so they aren’t in the way of the daily “which dress shall I wear?” process.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been looking at what I have and setting a few things aside to be stored. I put away a couple of skirts and probably still have too many out. I have more dresses than I really need. A few of my dresses are not looking too good on me this year – I have gained a little weight and although they are wearable, I don’t think I’m going to choose to wear them. I have plenty of other options. I tried them all on one day hoping one would work, but I just didn’t feel great. I wore something completely different. If that happens again I will put them away for the summer or more likely, add them to my growing donate pile. Why are you holding onto them now? you ask. They’re my 3 shortest, most summery, breezy dresses. They were cheap, but they are fun. They’re different from the other dresses I have. I like them and I want them to fit! But sooner or later I’m probably going to get rid of at least 2 of them.

I’ve been feeling resistant lately.

I was thinking about how I started P333 last summer and how hard it was to get anywhere near 33 items. I don’t like having things I could be wearing packed away. This has always been my point of resistance with this project, and it’s fairly easily overcome by just doing it anyway. I have learned that I get over it once the stuff is out of sight. But I’m always trying to whittle things down to the point where I have everything for the season out and part of my 33.

I also considered whether 33 might not be the right number for me, but I couldn’t really see why it wouldn’t be. I don’t have any special circumstances that make 33 difficult. I’m just resisting because I want to keep all my pretty lovely things, even if they don’t fit quite right or make me feel great. Clothes are hard!

While I was preparing these 2 posts I had a chance to really think about my wardrobe, and I think I’m doing just fine overall. I took photos of pretty much all of my summer clothes, and it wasn’t too much. I worked on my spreadsheet and started creating my list for this season, and again, it wasn’t too much. It might not be exactly 33 (depending on what counts and what doesn’t) and I’m still making exclusions (I’m only counting clothing, not shoes and accessories), but I think I’m in a pretty good place with just the right balance of discomfort (challenge) and room to do better.

You can see pictures of all my clothes here.

And see my spreadsheet where I track my clothes here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jo:)

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