Lessons from Project 333

I've just finished 3 months of Project 333, where you wear 33 peices of clothing for 3 months.  I chose a modified approach -- I didn't count shoes or accessories in my 33 pieces, and since this was an exercise in editing my closet, I gave myself carte blanche to donate anything that wasn't working and replace it (it couldn't stay in my closet, though!).

Throughout the project I kept a spreadsheet of what I wore, how often, and my thoughts on the individual pieces and outfits.  I found this the most useful part of the project, allowing me to refine what worked, what didn't, and why.  You can check out my spreadsheet.

One of my favorite outfits from the last 3 months

Here are 10 of the lessons I learned during the project:
1)  Fabric matters -- pay attention!
2)  Dress for the life you have.
3)  Comfort trumps style (but both together are great!).
4)  Know what colors flatter you.  For me, "soft autumn" colors like muted reds, greens, pinks, mustard yellow.
5)  Know what flatters your shape.
6)  With a small closet, everything has to earn it's place.  If it's not carrying it's weight, let it go.
7)  It's OK to wear the same dress 5 Sundays in a row, or the same skirt twice in a week, especially if you feel fabulous in it.
8)  1 piece you feel fabulous in is worth 3 that you feel OK in.
9)  Accessories can add a lot of variety.  (This project pushed me to use more accessories to spice up my wardrobe of basics.)
10)  It's OK to spend a lot on one piece you will wear a whole bunch.  It doesn't make as much sense to spend a lot on special occasion clothes.