PROJECT 333-What's In My Wardrobe?

Hello!
So here is the itemised blog post featuring (almost) all of my final pieces for Project 333.

I have written them all down so hopefully, you can get a better idea of what a 33 -piece capsule wardrobe looks like. Y'know what-you actually get more to work with than you think!

A few pieces I haven't photographed because I wear them but they need replacing soon. They're fine for working from home and going for walks (aka my life right now) but ideally, I would like to find 'new' secondhand versions that have a lot more life left in them.

Trousers
-BLACK LEGGINGS* (not pictured)
-BLACK JEGGINGS* (not pictured)
-HIGH WAIST BLUE JEANS*

SKIRTS
-KHAKI SKIRT*
-NAVY SKIRT*

DRESSES
-BLACK BODYCON ROLL NECK*
-PAISLEY SHIRT DRESS*
-LACE DRESS*

FANCY TOPS
-EMBROIDERED TEE*
-SHEER BLACK BLOUSE*

JUMPERS/SWEATERS/JACKETS
-CAMEL R0LL NECK*
-MUSTARD ROLL NECK*
-RAINBOW KNIT*
-STRIPE JUMPER*
-BLACK CARDIGAN*
-DENIM SHIRT*
-PRINTED BLAZER*

TOPS/TEES/BLOUSES
-PLAIN STONE TOP*
-PLAIN MUSTARD TOP*
-PLAIN BERRY ROLL NECK
-PLAIN BLACK ROLL NECK (NOT PICTURED)
-STRIPE TOP
-HEATTECH FLORAL TOP
-ORLA PRINT TOP*
-HIPPY BLOUSE*
-FLORAL ROLL NECK*

SHOES
-DR MARTENS
-DR MARTENS VELVET
-HEELED BOOTS

COATS
-KHAKI PARKA
-FAUX SHEEPSKIN*
-FAUX LEATHER*
-PAISLEY BOMBER*
-BLACK FAUX FUR CAPE*

ACCESSORIES
-MATT AND NAT BAG
-ORANGE SCARF*
-RED FLORAL SCARF*
-WITCH HAT*
-FLOPPY HAT*

All items marked with a * were bought secondhand :)

So that is my rough version for January/February and March, I still need to tweak a few bits but I think that a capsule wardrobe will never really be 'finished' I think it's an interesting process that will grow and evolve over time. So I have 39 items right now but like I say some will probably get swapped around. Plus I should probably skim down my roll neck and coat habit :')

Also, I'd like to talk about the cost of a secondhand capsule wardrobe. Some of these pieces I've had for ages and I still wear them all the time. For me, it's not about going out and buying the perfect capsule wardrobe for the sake of it. It's a longer process. It takes time to find the right garments secondhand but I will say that you should enjoy the process. I'm so happy that I have a wardrobe of clothes that I love, that literally cost me less than £50 for all of the secondhand pieces combined. If you are a serial high-street shopper than that probably seems shocking! I just want to share with everyone that secondhand does NOT mean low-quality, fast-fashion cast-offs or grannies clothes. I like to think that my wardrobe has some classic pieces and that it reflects my personal style.

I think that's enough for this post but please share with me your thoughts on Project 333, if you're taking part yourself let me know how it's going :)


Thanks for reading,
Rachelle xxx

PROJECT 333: It Begins...

Hello!
Recently I have been really inspired to create my own capsule wardrobe and invest in things that will last me throughout the seasons. I read about Project 333 last year and knew I wanted to give it a go.
Amidst a huge clear out and then three months living from a backpack I kinda forgot about the project until I watched 'Minimalism: A Documentary About The Important Things' on Netflix last week, and it features the creator of the project and re-lit the fire in my belly! (P.S You should totally watch it!)
I know that I can live with very few clothes as I spent three months living out of a 40L backpack. A few dresses, shorts and lightweight tees were perfect for travelling around the warmth of SE Asia however when I got back to the UK in the middle of winter, I knew I'd definitely need to add a few more layers and cosy clothing.


I'm currently staying at my boyfriend's parent's house until we find a place of our own. So, I actually only have a capsule wardrobe here with me, although I have six bin bags full clothes in the caravan ready to go when car booty season arrives.

I've done my primary sort out for my JAN/FEB/MARCH capsule, I have around forty items and it's very obvious that I have some sort of jumper and roll-neck obsession. I LOVE THEM ALL. I'd rather have two pairs of trousers and ten jumpers. So it does need a little refining...

I'm going to venture out to the charity shops and see if I can find the perfect denim pencil skirt, along with a good dress that I can wear over my jazzy tops and by itself too.
I'm pretty good at spotting practically new things at the charity shop (If I say so my'sel) and I know a good brand when I see one, so hopefully I can still buy a few 'new to me' bits.

I know when I was at university, with my part-time job and student loans I always went for quantity over quality. My mindset was: studying a fashion course should mean that you always express yourself through new pieces, so I wasn't too keen on repeating outfits and I always tried to switch things up. In first-year, Primark was my usual haunt along with student discount days at New Look.

Looking through my wardrobe now I don't have a single item of clothing that I bought new during that time frame, they either fell apart or were very faddy trends that would look ridiculous now!
In fact, I'm proud to say that over 90% of the items in my wardrobe have been bought secondhand.
Now my aim is to buy classic pieces that will withstand my '30 wears'* initial test but will last for years to come.

* I can't remember where I originally saw the 30 wear idea, but if you can't commit to wearing something at least thirty times it ain't for you!

So I'll be writing about my experience with living with less and hopefully it'll have a positive outcome. If you're interested in taking part in the project, let me know! It's always great to have a little online gang of folk with similar interests :)

Do you think you could survive with only 33 items of clothing for three months?

Thanks For Reading,
Rachelle xxx

What I Thrifted This Month: MARCH

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to my new feature- 'What  I Thrifted This Month'!

I'm a regular in the secondhand clothing game so I thought I'd show you my purchases each month. I've decided that I'm not going to buy any new clothing* (*apart from underwear, tights & socks) because I've been finding brilliant pieces in the charity shops lately.
Plus I'm trying to reduce my impact on the environment and of course, buying new clothing contributes to that! Honestly, it's got to the point where I rarely buy anything new anyway, I often browse TKMaxx and have a little mooch on ASOS but I haven't bought new clothing for a while.

Another point is that I'm trying to create a super-duper capsule wardrobe of my favourite pieces and long-wearing basics. I'd love to be able to wear lots of different outfits with a few fun building blocks. I'm not the kinda gal who's going to don a basic, neutral wardrobe, I love colour and print far too much for that!

So without further ado let me introduce you to my March thrifted finds...

Nightingale T-shirts
So at the charity shop where I volunteer we had a lot of donations that were the brand 'Nightingale'. I've never heard of them but after a lil Google it seems like it's a jazzy brand for the more mature woman :')
Anyway that's totally fine by me, the black tee is a thick, ribbed cotton which is a clothing essential in my eyes. Perfect for layering up and still on trend.
The red, patterned tee is amazing, again it's a thick cotton with a crazy eighties print all over it.
I think they were around £2 each.

Monochrome print trousers
I just love the print on these trousers, they remind me of henna tattoos. These are by George and they are my new lounge trousers. They come up a little short on my giraffe legs but I kinda like the cropped look. I think in the summer I could possibly get away with wearing them as casual hippy trousers.
They were £1.50.

Cheap Monday Jeans
These were a brilliant find! I was mooching Preston flea market as I some time to kill between trains and I went to the stall which is literally a mountain of clothes. I've had some good buys from here before such as a vintage Laura Ashley dress and a Topshop faux leather skirt both cheap as chips. So I had a little scour of the pile and I saw this label peeking out at me. I had ordered some Cheap Monday jeans a couple of years ago from the Urban Outfitters sale but had to send them back as they were too small. So I dug them out of the pile and whaddya know-my size & leg length! For any of you taller ladies out there you know how difficult it is to find well-fitting jeans that are long enough in the legs, so I was definitely bagging these. I asked the man how much he wanted?
'Errrr 50p love'
YASSS
So I put them through the wash as soon as I got home and when they were dry they were perfect fitting. I also had a look on the Cheap Monday website and this style are still retailing for £55! I love it when that happens.

River Island Print Trousers
I realise that this is quite a 'trousery' thrifted feature and that is because I only owned 4 pairs of trousers before this month, Three of them being jeans. Sometimes you just want some fun trousers that are really comfortable too.
I've already worn these and they are really comfy, I wore some thermal leggings underneath coz A. it's still freezing and B. I'm a reponsible adult haha.
They also take up very little space so I can definitely see them coming with me on travelling adventures.
They were £3, similar River Island styles are retailling at £40 on their website!

So that's my March finds, 

Have you found any charity shop bargains recently?

Thanks for reading :)

Rachelle xxx