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Fall Colors and Project 333

October 6th, 2011 Kristi Leave a comment Go to comments

To me, participating in Project 333 means a few different things. It means a shopping moratorium on clothes for three months. I’m not a big shopper, so it also means cutting out making dream lists of items I need or want and knowing that for three months I will be making do.

In addition, Project 333 means a more intensive and reflective analysis of what works in my wardrobe and what doesn’t. It has only been a few short days and I’ve already learned some lessons that I will share below.

One exercise I encourage everyone to do is to really analyze how an outfit makes you feel. That can be as simple as saying, “This makes me feel good.” Or as thoughtful as saying, “This makes me feel dark, brooding, and sexy.” Or maybe it is “I feel drab” in this outfit.

Here are some conclusions I’ve already come to:
* I adore chocolate brown clothes.
* My new white tee is unwearable. It is so large that it falls off my shoulders and swoops beneath my bra!
* My straight leg black jeans are too tight right now and therefore, not flattering, so I won’t be wearing them.
* My new red tee is really tough to pull off. I dislike a red tee and black pants. I also realized I don’t like it with my brown velvet pants, either. Basically, it works somewhat with my blue jeans, but I’m realizing a red top doesn’t really go with my other clothes in a way I find aesthetically pleasing.
* My dolman sleeve tops I loved last winter only work with my black jeans tucked into my Frye boots. As I’m not wearing my black jeans for awhile, they are really useless. When they are worn with my other pants, they make me feel dowdy.

I’ll try to post some outfit photos. Meanwhile, the temperatures soared to nearly the 90s here, nearly foiling my 333 wardrobe plans. Velvet pants are not good on a hot day. I decided to wear one of my LBD and dug out my summer flip flops and my husband’s cowboy hat.
I never bought my navy converse tennis shoes, so the flip flops will replace that item and the cowboy hat will replace my white tee.
Voila!

PS. Check out The Closet Therapist. She is also undertaking the project for the same time period!

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  1. Aesthetic Alterations
    October 6th, 2011 at 10:55 | #1
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    That’s surprisingly warm for this time of year in the Twin Cities! It’s as hot there as it is here (and maybe a few degrees more).

    What you’ve learned is so interesting. I especially love the lesson about dolman sleeves–they look so much nicer with skinnier styles below.

    I hope the rest of your project is fun!

  2. The Closet Therapist
    October 6th, 2011 at 11:42 | #2
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    Wow! You are adorable. I really love that pic an your outfit with the bike. How cool that a cowboy hat is part of your list!

    xo

    Jennifer

  3. Phyllis
    October 6th, 2011 at 15:38 | #3
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    I just love this photo of you. Total cuteness!

  4. Stephanie
    October 6th, 2011 at 17:49 | #4
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    I like the photo too. The hat is a good choice! It adds a lot of style. I’m going to start asking myself how outfits make me feel in them. Great idea! I feel the same about red. I love bright red, but its hard to wear.

  5. Nanne
    October 7th, 2011 at 02:23 | #5
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    You look so cute in that photo! I found it really interesting to read about the 333 project, and while I’m not sure I’ll take part, it really got me thinking and I made a list just to see what I would choose if I was participating. The biggest problem for me would be that jewelry and scarves are part of the 33 items, as I love to change these up to accessorize my outfits. But it’s actually a great way to get a better overview of one’s wardrobe. And you know, I don’t like black with red eiter? Not bright red, anyway. My reds are coral for summer and rust/cranberry for winter, which I feel goes better with both black, brown and navy. Good luck on the project!

  6. Rebekah
    October 18th, 2011 at 18:11 | #6
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    I love fall. I love this photo – very striking with the dark dress, serious expression, and the passionate vibrancy of the burnt orange tree leaves.

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What is it about those Italian women? You know the ones I’m talking about: beautiful, sexy, dressed to the nines just to take the kids to the park. They have a certain something that is indefinable. It is in the way they dress, the way they prepare their meals, the way they spend their leisure time.

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La bella figura is much more than your appearance. It goes much deeper than that. It is about how you act. It is about how you treat others. It is about how you care for yourself, your home and your family. Living a life in line with la bella figura doesn’t take money. In fact, it is more about how to have class without a lot of money. Many guys who aspire to be a PUA are actually pursuing the La Bella Figura Lifestyle.

Someone who exudes la bella figura will have clean, pressed clothes and be well groomed. They will not be rude or sloppy. Their fingernails will be impeccably groomed. Their hair shiny and clean and their shoes will be polished. They will not have stray threads hanging from their suit hems. They will not be driving a car in need of the car wash.

La bella figura means driving that 15 year old car and meticulously cleaning it and caring for it. It means keeping your belongings in good repair. It means taking time to clean your house and not cluttering it up with meaningless objects.

When you focus all your spare energy, time and money on the things that bring you the most amount of pleasure, then you are truly living a life in line with la bella figura. The best part about it is that you don’t have to be Italian to do so. You just have to think like an Italian.

Italian children are raised to present la bella figura in whatever they do. From the time they are small and are groomed perfectly to attend church or school, they know that appearances count. They count because it is the first thing people judge about you. That first impression does matter. Appearances are also important because when you take the time to look nice, you are showing that you care about yourself. When you care enough to look good, it shows you have good healthy self esteem. Nothing is more attractive than self confidence.

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Having la bella figura means presenting yourself in the best light possible in all your interactions.