Project 55
(This is an old post that I didn’t publish before, and many things I don’t own anymore)
As of January 5, 2021, my wife and I have officially embarked on a journey of living with 55 articles of clothes and shoes for the next 3+ months. Similar to Project 333 from Courtney Carver, but with slightly different rules. Rules tailored to our life.
Project 333 advocates for living with 33 articles of clothes, shoes, accessories, jewelry, and outerwear for 3 months. In 33 items for 3 months of your life, you don’t count your wedding ring or another sentimental piece of jewelry that you never take off, underwear, sleepwear, in-home loungewear, and workout clothing that’s only worn to workout.
Although Project 333 sounds interesting to us, we opted to try something similar, but also different. Something stricter. Thus Project 55 was born.
At first, we both thought that 33 items are hard to live with, but then we realized that because of our mobile lifestyle, it’s better to be able to live a few months with fewer things – with things that can be easily transported in luggage as we wander the world.
Unlike Project 333, Project 55 include:
- Clothes
- Underwear + socks
- Workout clothes
- Leisure/home clothes
- Sleepwear
- Accessories (scarves, hats, gloves, belts, bags)
- Shoes
- Outerwear (jackets, coats, blazers…)
Project 55 doesn’t include:
- Jewelry
- Watches
- Perfumes
- Umbrella
- Shared items (in our case one gym bag)
(we don’t wear lots of that either)
After cleaning our already minimal wardrobe, our closet looks amazing. Containing only the most important items. I also created a home and workout uniform that I wear all the time. There are many benefits of wearing a uniform that I’ve already covered in previous posts.
With just 55 items everything is easily accessible, neat, simple, functional, and minimal.
Some of you may be wondering: “And how do you do laundry with a minimal amount of clothing?”
Easy, we both have enough and wash our clothes on regular basis, so we practically never run out.
I am sure there are challenges, but that’s why Project 55 is considered challenging. Even more than Project 333, because it is more restricted.
Number 55 works well for us. Maybe you need 60, or 80 or 100 things if you combine all the clothes and footwear. But, more often than not, we need far less than we think we do.
Just box the rest of your stuff and put them away somewhere you won’t see it for the next 3 – 4 – 5 months. You decide what works best, what is enough for you to live, work and play in it.
People living in warmer climates may find it easier to have 1 or 2 capsule wardrobes per year, and people living in colder climates may find it better to have 3 or 4.
Why 55 things?
As we are an international family, we opt to travel from one end of the world to the other fairly often. Then it’s easier to pack up fast and travel light. Using fewer items in our daily lives gives us that freedom.
P.S.: 5 is my favorite number, so that’s one of the reason too 😊
Benefits of A Simpler Wardrobe
There are also lots of benefits of a simpler wardrobe. Benefits so important they cannot be neglected.
1. Minimizing Your Wardrobe Often Inspire You to Minimize Your Whole Life
When you minimize your wardrobe and realize that nothing bad is happening; that you’re not deprived, you can immediately feel the benefits and perhaps this will inspire you to minimize your whole life.
2. More Time
3. Spend Less Money
It is far better to use your money for debt reduction, savings, or investing than to spend it on clothes, and other non-important knickknacks in our lives. Maybe you want to travel the world or help someone in need, but the main excuse always is money. By dressing with less you will never have that excuse again.
4. Wear Your Favorite Clothes All the Time
Why do we have 50 different outfits, but only wear 2 or 3 most beautiful and comfortable? Why not eliminate the rest, and leave only those 2 or 3 that we can wear all the time.
5. Always Look Stylish
6. Eliminates Decision Fatigue
7. Feel Happier and Lighter
With fewer items you feel lighter, you feel happier, and you have more freedom to choose things you want to do – things that really add value to your life.
My 55 Things
Time frame: January 5 to April 5, 2021.
Season: winter
Outerwear:
- Black coat
- Brown winter jacket
- Black leather jacket
- Grey wool blazer
Formal:
- White formal shirt
- Blue formal shirt
- Stripped blue formal shirt
- Light grey shirt
- Indigo jeans
- Navy blue pants
- Dark grey sweater
Workout:
- Black shorts
- Navy blue shorts
- Black workout T
- Black workout T
- Black workout T
- Tracksuit (I use it only to go to the gym and back)
Home uniform:
- Dark grey sweater
- Light grey sweater
- Black sweat pants
- Navy blue sweat pants
Sleepwear:
- Pajama
- Pajama
Underwear:
- 10 pairs of underwear
- 10 pairs of socks
- Black undershirt
- White undershirt
Shoes:
- Black dress boots
- Brown formal boots
- Black derby’s
- Black sneakers
- Navy blue gym sneakers
Accessories:
- Black and white scarf
- Brown scarf
- Grey scarf
- Winter hat
- Black gloves
Are you ready for a challenge?
Cheers!
–
If you found value in this post, please consider buying me a coffee or simply share this post with your friends and family.
Every dollar is greatly appreciated and will keep the True Change Today blog 100% advertisement-free.
