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In this post we share our notes from Courtney Carver’s “Project 333”, a fashion challenge designed to force us to reexamine our relationship with stuff.
In the process, travelers readying themselves to live out of a backpack/carry-on for long-term travel can experiment with living with less.
What is Project 333?
In “Project 333: The Minimalist Fashion Challenge That Proves Less Really Is So Much More”, Courtney Carver challenges us to simplify our wardrobes.
Carver writes, “When you realize how much stress you can release, how much space you can create, how much money you can save, and how much joy you will experience simply by reducing the number of items in your closet, you’ll wonder why you didn’t start sooner. This challenge begins with a focus on less in the form of fewer items in your wardrobe, but the results and insights you’ll glean will have very little to do with what’s on your hangers. Instead, they’ll be focused on more of the good stuff, more proof that less is, in fact, so much more. If more isn’t working for you either, try less.” (Be More With Less, 2023).
Project rules:
Select 33 items from your existing wardrobe to include:
- Clothing
- Accessories
- Jewelry
- Shoes (one pair counts as one item)
Wear only these items for the next three months hence “33 items in 3 months –> 333”.
How might Project 333 help me prepare for long-term travel?
This challenge serves as inspiration for those who are thinking about backing/one-bagging for a long period of time. By having to cull and simply your wardrobe to meet the challenge rules, you can shift your mindset from a closet with hundreds of options to a curated set of clothes during your travels.
Carver lists some travel recommendations:
- Pack for half your trip.
- Creating packing lists.
- Understand your laundry opportunities.
- Know when to fold ’em. (Engaged Abroad note: fold vs. roll vs. stuff etc.)
- Create a travel-day uniform.
- Remember…”just in case” means never.
- Don’t forget what matters.
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