After about a six-month break, I’m ready to return to a capsule wardrobe for this fall. I’ve enjoyed some added variety in my outfits, but I feel like I’m spending too much time thinking about my clothes again, and I’ve also bought more things than I’d like over the past several months. So I’m returning to the Project 333 concept, but I’m modifying it a little this time.

When I did this last fall, I found that my wardrobe didn’t fully account for extremes in temperatures, which ranged from the low 20s to the high 80s here during my September-to-December capsule wardrobe challenge. At the beginning, I wished I’d had shorts and a pair of sandals, and by the end, I could have used some gloves and a coat that was more substantial than a trench coat or wool blazer. I also missed having a few items available to me, like a necklace.


The second time I did this, from January to March of this year, I didn’t love every piece I included in my capsule, and not all of the pieces worked great together. I found myself really wanting more variety, and when some unexpected work conferences were added to my schedule (including one in a very different climate), I ended up concluding my second round of Project333 a few weeks early.


So this time, I’m taking what I learned from my first two experiments with Project333 and changing the rules a bit. Instead of 33 items for 3 months, I’m giving myself 40 items for 3 months. Actually, I’ve selected 39 items and saved one as a wildcard in case I discover a need or want that I failed to anticipate. I’m including the warm-weather items I omitted last fall, along with a heavier coat, gloves, and a necklace. I’ve also added in a couple of extra toppers: a colorful blazer and a jardigan (cross between a jacket and cardigan), in addition to the three blazers and two cardigans I included last time. This probably seems like overkill, but I wear a blazer nearly every day at work, and having only the same couple of neutral options to work with for three months can get a little boring. Plus, not too long ago I bought a green blazer with the thought of wearing it to a speaking engagement at my undergraduate alma mater (the school’s colors are green and gold), and I really didn’t want to miss the chance to wear it for the occasion even though it’s not something I’d normally wear once or twice a week.
 I also added two dresses now that I’m no longer pumping and don’t have to worry about the practical considerations that go with that.

This capsule wardrobe contains a couple of items that were part of my previous Project333 rounds, but also a lot of different items that I really love and want to wear frequently. Some are things I’ve acquired over the past six months or so, and some are oldies but goodies that are staples for me. I feel confident that I truly like all the pieces in this capsule and will want to wear them over and over again. I’m also comfortable with the mix-and-match-ability of this set of clothes. Many are from the same brand, and I know these pieces are versatile and work well together.

The capsule is made up mostly of solid colors with the exception of one blazer and skirt (a matching skirt suit) with a very subtle plaid pattern. The colors are mostly neutrals and cool tones — black, gray, navy, ivory, tan, green, purple. They’re colors I like to wear, and they feel just right for fall.


Since I’ve already done this twice before, I probably won’t post regular updates about it here this time. You can see last fall’s wardrobe in my previous Project333 posts, and my wardrobe from this January through March can be seen on Instagram or the Alexigraph Facebook page. I’m thinking about keeping a list or photo record of how I combine the pieces each day, so if you’d like to see that (capsule wardrobe in action!), let me know and maybe I’ll post them.
 You can also watch Facebook and Instagram for highlights.

I’m going to start my three months on Tuesday, September 3, the day after Labor Day, and run it through Sunday, December 1 (although I might end up deciding to stretch it out a little longer depending on how things go). That’s just shy of 13 weeks. Want to join me? Tell me your plans in the comments, and keep me apprised (here or on social media) of how it’s going for you!