How the ‘333 method’ could help you downsize your wardrobe to save time and money

“What am I going to wear today?” This eternal question points to a struggle that many of us have on a daily basis.

But the 333 method, which invites you to rethink your wardrobe to reduce your mental load and your ecological impact, might help it become less painful.

Choosing an outfit for the day each morning can be a real ordeal. Lack of time, lack of ideas or even lack of clothes… And of course, wearing the same thing you did yesterday is out of the question!

And yet TikToker Mia Stone proposes a method that does exactly that in a video that has racked up over a million views, unveiling her summer clothing capsule made using the 333 method. So what exactly does this method involve?

Inspired by a book by Courtney Carver, the 333 method is all about adopting a minimalist wardrobe. However, there are two different ways of approaching this method: the 33-3 or 3-3-3 method.

The first involves selecting just 33 garments from your closet and sticking with them for one season (about three months).

The second, adopted by Mia Stone, involves selecting three bottoms, three tops and three accessories.

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Stylish outfits without fuss

This type of 333 approach allows you to design a minimalist wardrobe that is self-sufficient as it’s composed of timeless essentials.

For example, for Mia Stone, this means cream tailored pants, white shorts, black linen pants, an ecru tank top, a black top, a cardigan and sandals.

By opting for a casual chic, European style, she manages to put together more than 20 outfits from the same clothes. All you have to do is combine the elements.

In fact, women spend more time choosing their outfits than men do, and that time can add up.

According to a survey carried out by the British brand Mark and Spencer on 2 000 women aged 18 to 60, and published in the Daily Mail, they spend 17 minutes a day choosing their outfit, compared with 13 minutes for men.

With the 333 method, women could reduce that time and reinvest it in another activity. Not to mention the potential financial savings.

When saving goes hand in hand with sustainability

The 333 method adapts to the seasons. All you have to do is select 33 garments and mix and match them endlessly for three months, the length of a season.

Over the course of a year, that comes to a maximum of 132 pieces, including accessories (belts, shoes, handbags).

A money-saver for women, who for instance in France spend, on average, €97 (about R1900) a month on clothing, and who only wear two-thirds of their wardrobe.

According to Ademe, the French agency for ecological transition, of the four million tons of clothing disposed of in Europe every year, 80% is thrown away and incinerated.

Only 10 to 12% of this goes back into the cycle by being resold second-hand.

“The problem is that the poor quality of the clothes makes them difficult to reuse, and their resale unattractive when compared with brand-new, inexpensive clothes in the stores,” explains the organisation.

The 333 goes against the grain of fast-fashion, focusing not on quantity but on quality. The aim is to buy less, but better, so that clothes are durable and therefore reusable.

Buying sensibly and locally would considerably reduce the ecological footprint caused by overconsumption of textiles. Reusing clothes is no longer a problem: it’s a solution.

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Confronting preconceived ideas

But there remains one counterargument regarding this method: the fact that it demands that one wear the same clothes every day.

Even if mixing different pieces leads to a variety of outfits, they remain fundamentally the same.

As the project dictates, you don’t have to change your clothes, but rather their combination. Does it matter? Does anyone notice that you’re wearing the same clothes?

Cyrus North tackles that question with his recent YouTube video, “la vérité sur le minimalisme (pas fan) (the truth about minimalism − not a fan)”.

A few months ago, the famous French Youtuber explained that he had been trying to adapt his lifestyle and wardrobe according to the 333 method.

He also worried about what his loved ones have thought about his outfits.

One by one, he asked them if they’ve noticed any repetition in his wardrobe. Only one remarked that he had worn a sweater more than once. All the others noticed nothing.

In fact if you spend a lot of time creating various outfits, it’s likely more important to you than anyone else.

Proponents of the 333 method explain that their satisfaction comes down to the greater ease, economy, speed and, even, stylishness!

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