These past three years have been a whirlwind in terms of "stuff." In a short time I've moved from my house in New Jersey, into my dorm in Manhattan, back into my house for the summer, then into my apartment in Queens, and finally now back into my house for the arrival of baby. During all of those moves, the weight of the amount of stuff I own - both literally and figuratively - has worn me down.
During the move-in at the dorms, as the upperclassmen helped me cart my stuff into my suite, one guy made a comment about how much I had packed. In truth, I had completely overpacked; by the end of the year I had barely used most of the stuff, and never even touched certain things.
Moving out of my apartment in Queens was another experience altogether. I had accumulated so much stuff over the course of a year and a half - clothing, shoes, home decorations, furniture, pots and pans - that it took about three trips by car and one trip with a UHaul to empty my little studio into my parent's already small house.
It's shameful how much crap - and that is what it is - one person not only buys, but holds onto.
With the move back to New Jersey and the baby coming, I've realized the necessity of downsizing. Being pregnant, I have no energy - mentally or physically - to do multiple loads of laundry on a Saturday, when I could be doing other things. I don't want to have to spend hours organizing my things into piles, and then into littler piles, and then have to find a place to put all those piles. I've been feeling like my possessions are just that - piles of worthless things!
As Tyler Durden puts it in Fight Club: "You are not your fucking khakis." I've felt so bogged down by stuff and the time it takes to maintain, care, and clean that stuff, that I've forgotten I am not my "khakis," my clothes, my accessories or my little nic-nacs that I hoard because it makes me feel sentimental when I look at them.
The main problem is my shopping habits, which is an issue for most of the women in my family. Shopping is how we bond or what we do when we're bored. Over the years of these impulse trips, I've collected a lot of clothing that either fits me poorly, is now out of style, or that I never really liked in the first place. My closet (specifically my closet floor) is a graveyard for these purchases.
Taking a semester off of school and moving away from the constant hustle of New York has allowed me to do some self-reflection. Living in a city forces you to get sucked into the tide of consumerism, buying things you don't need to impress people you don't care about. Trying to fit in with the nightlife scene, especially at the clubs, is impossible. "Keeping up with the Joneses" in a city that has hundreds of Joneses is a lesson in futility. The experience has left me with one too many ill-fitting, flashy party dresses that I would wear once I lost those elusive ten pounds. Living in the suburbs is far less stressful. At heart, I am a "jeans and t-shirt girl," and that casual look is embraced here.
All of these factors combined forced me to make a change and take control. Sustainability is a major concern for me, and my lifestyle and habits are simply not sustainable. In addition, I've always been interested in the aesthetic of minimalist living. After pouring over countless blogs, I stumbled across the 333 Project. The challenge invites you to reduce your entire wardrobe to 33 articles of clothing, shoes, accessories & outerwear (excluding things like underwear, loungewear and pajamas) and wear only this "capsule wardrobe" for three months. Everything that doesn't make the cut is boxed up, taped up and reevaluated once the three month period is complete. It is a challenge in simplifying your wardrobe to articles of clothing that fit best and look best - the "favorites."
Considering I am dressing for maternity for the next three months, the challenge came to me at the perfect time. I was able to quickly pare down my closet to a fraction of what it once was. What didn't fit was gone. What I didn't like was gone. Without even thinking, I got my wardrobe down to my favorite 40 items. The hardest part of the challenge was packing away those last seven articles. The two places I "cheated" was with heels and sweatshirts, as I didn't count either as a part of the challenge. I ended up with four full boxes of clothing, and in one day my closet went from about 200 items to 33.
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| COULDN'T PART WITH MY SHOES! |
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| THE BOXES |
After a full day of organizing and packing I chose:
- 5 sweaters
- 11 shirts
- 4 skirts
- 4 pants
- 1 dress
- 5 accessories
- 1 jacket
- & 2 of my most frequently worn "everyday" shoes
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| EXAMPLE OUTFITS |
Although I now only have 33 pieces in my closet, there are countless outfits at my disposal. Everything matches and fits me perfectly. It is a snap getting ready in the morning, and I now feel like my bedroom is free of clutter and excess. Laundry will have to be done more frequently, but it will never build up to unmanageable and overwhelming heaps. I hope that by the end of these three months I will be able to live more sustainably and correct my shopping habits. With a decluttered space comes a decluttered mind and I aim to live more simply.
- Sam
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