My KonMari Journey: Clothes


Welcome to 'My KonMari Journey' series. Over the next few months I will be sharing my progress, as I make my way through the KonMari Method, based on the best-seller book 'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up' by Japanese organising enthusiast, Marie Kondo.

If you are new to my blog, Welcome! In case you missed it, be sure to read my Introduction and Getting Started post, so you know what the KonMari Method is all about and the reasons why I am doing it.

In a nutshell, Marie Kondo has four rules she recommends people follow when doing the KonMari Method:
1. Tidy in one shot, as quickly and completely as possible.
2. Sort by category, not by location
3. Selection Criterion: Does it 'spark joy?'
4. Order of tidying: Clothes, Books, Documents (Paper), Miscellaneous items (Komono), and Momentos (Sentimental)

As suggested in the book, I will start doing the KonMari Method with my own 'stuff' first, then I will work though the kids items, because I am too sentimental and would find it hard to part with their things right off the bat. I also need to get my head around this new process of de-cluttering, tidying and organising, so hopefully when it comes to purging my kids stuff, it will be a lot easier (well, let's hope so).

- CLOTHES - 

I recently completed the first category CLOTHES during my son's nap time (approximately 2 hours). I started with Tops, Bottoms, Hanging Clothes, Socks and Underwear and then worked through Handbags, Accessories, Clothes for specific events and Shoes.

At first I was intimidated by this category because I have a lot of clothes, especially clothes I've kept over the years for sentimental reasons. There are clothes I kept in the hope I would wear them again 'one day' - however that 'one day' will probably never come (I know that now). My body has changed since giving birth to my second child, so I don't wear the clothes I used to. This is something I am dealing with on a daily basis, and I am hoping to keep clothes that 'spark joy' and make me look and feel good.

 - BEFORE - 
As you can see in the photos above, my wardrobe and drawers are a complete mess! We have two wardrobes, one for me and one for my partner - one thing I have managed to do is keep these separate. I have not put any of my clothes in my partners wardrobe - something I am quite proud of actually. I had good intentions of hanging more clothes in my wardrobe since we moved into our new home almost 6 months ago, however that didn't last long. My drawers were a mixture of items - I even had my hairdryer in one of them (this confirmed I really needed this book, ha!)  I couldn't find anything to wear that I liked or that looked good on, so I am ready to go through what I have and only keep clothes that 'spark joy'! 

So let's get started...

1. "Tidy in ONE SHOT, as quickly and completely as possible" 
Collect ALL your clothes and put them on the floor. Empty your wardrobe, drawers, laundry baskets, coat cupboard - any where you keep clothes, grab them all and add them to the pile. You may feel overwhelmed, be amazed, shocked even at the magnitude of the 'mountain' you create but it's okay - You can do this! 

konmari_clothes_category

2. Sort by category, not by location
Once you have got ALL the clothing from around your home, you are ready to sort by category. Within the Clothes category, there are sub-categories that Marie Kondo recommends we go through when purging our clothes. I grouped my clothes into the categories she mentions in the book...
TOPS (shirts, sweaters, etc)
BOTTOMS (trousers, skirts, shorts, etc) ,
CLOTHES THAT SHOULD BE HUNG (Hanging Clothes) (jackets, coats, dresses, etc) 
SOCKS
UNDERWEAR

Sorting them into the sub-categories made things a lot easier and I was able to see what I was dealing with. 
Konmari_baskets_for_purging

3. Selection Criterion: Does it 'spark joy'? 
Now that you have all your clothes sorted into categories, the next thing you need to do is touch every single item and ask yourself - Does it 'spark joy?'. This might sound silly but when you touch something and ask the question whether or not it sparks joy, your body will react. If you get a positive reaction then you keep it, if you don't feel anything - let it go. Just by doing this simple task, you will see (and feel) the clothes that spark joy in your life.

konmari_clothes_spark_joy

While I was going through my clothes (specifically tops), I found this Silverchair shirt - my first concert at 17. When I saw the shirt, I remembered the concert clearly and how happy I was, however when I physically touched the shirt - I felt nothing. Weird! That wasn't the first time either, I had the same thing happen when I saw my P!nk shirt I got from her concert about 8 years ago. I thanked both shirts for the amazing experience and memory and put them in the discard pile. At first I was skeptical about thanking my clothes, however when I said it to these two tops - I felt free and at peace with my decision to part with them.

konmari_clothes_after

- AFTER - 
Look! No more containers stacked in my wardrobe. Woohoo! I am absolutely LOVING my newly de-cluttered and organised wardrobe and drawers. I have followed Marie Kondo's folding technique/method and find myself opening my wardrobe and drawers because it makes me so happy -  you could even say it sparks joy. I found these videos that show you how to fold each item, the KonMari way. My blogging friend, Karen from Mummy Do It also shares the KonMari folding method on her blog. You can see it here. 

After an hour of going through each clothing item I own, here is what I have purged - almost two rubbish bags full of clothes that don't spark joy. Phew! I can tell you now, it feels so good to say goodbye to these clothes that were taking up space in my wardrobe, drawers and in my home. 

purged_clothes_konmari

Once I finished with the actual clothes, I continued on with the Clothes category - Handbags, Accessories, Clothes for special events and Shoes. Here are my before and after photos. 

HANDBAGS
I love handbags, I really do. Before I moved in with my partner, I purged over 30 handbags! My Mum gave me one of her bags a couple of weeks ago, which I absolutely love, so I am keeping that one and the overnight bag pictured below. The rest of the bags, I thanked and put them in the donate pile. I don't think it will be long before I buy a new handbag, however I will only buy one that 'sparks joy'.
konmari_handbags

konmari_handbags_sparkjoy

CLOTHES FOR SPECIFIC EVENTS
(swimsuits etc) 
I only have one swimsuit and thankfully it still sparks joy, so it's staying.

 ACCESSORIES
(scarves, belts, hats etc)
Thanks to my many de-clutter challenges I have taken part in, I  have already got rid of the scarves that no longer 'spark joy'. I used to hang my scarves on a hanger, however after a while the hanger would droop because of the weight, so I am using one of my rattan containers to store my hats, scarves and belts. The container sits at the bottom of my wardrobe. 
konmari_accessories

konmari_scarves_organised

SHOES
I don't own many pairs of shoes, also thanks to my previous de-clutter challenges. I usually live in my jandals but I do have boots and heels for special occasions. I have them stored nicely on a shoe rack in the bottom of my wardrobe now - all in the one place. 
konmari_shoes

konmari_shoes_sparkjoy

And that my friends, is the first category of the KonMari Method - CLOTHES. (Big Tick)
What are your thoughts? How did I do? Does it inspire you to sort through all your clothes? If it does, good luck! You can do it! 

I am super excited about this journey and I would love for you to follow along in this process, better yet, join me - Subscribe to my Blog, so you don't miss a post and together we can tidy our homes and change our lives, once and for all. I will also be sharing my journey on my Facebook page, and Instagram, so be sure to follow me there too. 

If you would like to give the KonMari Method a go, and you don't have the book - here's a couple of checklists to get you started. Click the image below and Save/Print. 




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21 comments

  1. It's amazing how quickly you completed all your clothes. Your after shots look so good! I've started my clothes several times but I never get more than half way through a category. It takes me forever and I don't really have that many clothes!

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    1. I guess having them ALL on the floor, left me with no choice but to get them sorted, folded and put away! I also find setting a timer helps, or in my case my son's nap time. You will get there :)

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  2. I need to sort through my clothes again. I'm at the stage where I am kind of throwing stuff in and quickly shutting the door lol! I do a similar method when choosing what to get rid of. I figure if I have to think about whether to keep it or not then I don't really need it.

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    1. So true Tegan! I had a few items that I questioned whether or not to keep them, but I figured it hasn't sparked joy, so 'goodbye'! Good luck with your clothes

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  3. I LOVE this post. I have to share it on my Styled By Bec blog. I love that you felt your clothes to see if they sparked joy. What a great tip!

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    1. Thank you Rebecca, and thanks for sharing the blog love. I really appreciate it. This KonMari Method is truly life-changing and it really works when you ask yourself if the items 'spark joy'. You have to give it a go.

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  4. This is a great idea. I need to do a good purge of my wardrobe. It's a bit chaotic and there's lots in there that I don't ever wear.

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    1. I definitely recommend the KonMari method for the clothes! Lay everything out - EVERYTHING and touch each item, asking Does it spark joy! You will 'feel' it! If it does, keep it, if it doesn't - let it go! You can do it Jess!

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  5. WOW! That is super impressive but scares the hell out of me. My main worry is to know the 'joy' feeling!

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    1. Thank you Eva! I was scared too, thinking I would have no clothes left to wear, a lot of people who have completed this method, have felt the same, so you are definitely not alone. As for the 'joy' feeling - you WILL feel it! I promise you.

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  6. This is awesome, what a transformation. Ok, I really need to do this myself, you've inspired me!!

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  7. Well done with your journey so far. I think you have done way better with your decluttering than I did. Doesn't the folding make a huge difference? Thanks for linking back to me, and thanks for sharing with the Blog Fair.

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  8. I was totally amazed at how more I could give away despite having previously been ruthless, I thought.
    What blew me away the most though was folding clothes as KonMari said, how much more space I created in my drawers!!

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  9. I did this in January & my clothes & my son's are STILL organized. Unbelievable how well this system—thanking your things before giving them away—makes such sense. I've gone through half the house in a month & am loving it.

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  10. So happy I found your blog. I really need to do this and you have inspired me! I am struggling with Lyme disease so I will have to enlist help, but I'm motivated! Thank you for sharing your journey.

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  11. Just finished clothes too, and I feel the same, love opening my drawers to see inside! haha On to books next! So happy!

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  12. I'm a KonMari convert. I did my clothes about a year ago, blogged about it (as you do) and, amazingly, my clothes are still organised in the KonMari style. I love it. We are currently renting, so when we return home, at the end of the year, I will go through the process with the rest of our goodies as we unpack.

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  13. Thank you so much for blogging each step of your journey in such detail. I have read about the KonMari method before but actually seeing you go through it was a game changer. I have now gone through all of your posts and am back to this one to start my purge of clothing. I have now gone through all of my tops/bottoms/pjs/workout stuff/hanging and special occasion clothes and I came away with 6 garbage bags of clothes that are leaving my house! I can now easily close my drawers and everything fits! My closet is no longer about to explode! Not only that but I actually know what is in there. I have never before gathered everything by category - I always did it by location and this made a huge difference. I have had a lot of life changes and weight changes over the last few years and letting go of some of the clothes associated with those changes has been like lifting a weight off my shoulders. I am going to finish off the clothes category this weekend and then move on to books. I have taken your tip and as I come across books around the house I have started to group them so I won't have to dig so much when the time comes. Thanks again!

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    1. Sorry for the delayed reply 'Momofthree' - thank you so much for commenting! I am so glad my posts inspired you to start your own journey. I would love to hear how you are getting on with your journey now? How did you get on with books? Have you tackled paper yet?

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  14. Hello again! I have been back so many times to read your posts but kept forgetting to comment back. After I wrote that comment back in June, I went ahead and did all of my kids' clothes too. They sat with me and we went through all of their current clothing and then through the bins of clothes that I had been given for when they are older. None of them lasted to the end of the bins but I took out everything and with just a glance at each item was able to cut the number of items in half. I now have all of our future hand me downs easily contained, where before they were out of control! I think in total we donated 19 bags of clothing!! (My husband was inspired and went through a few of his drawers and came up with a bag of his own clothes to go in there too)
    I am very happy to say that four months after writing that comment, our clothes are still under control and I am all caught up on laundry! This is something I always struggled with before but now I am able to keep up without nearly the effort I used to need!

    A few weeks later I moved on to books. I donated 117 books and a very large pile of magazines! Now all of the books I own are ones that I love and I have cancelled all of my magazine subscriptions except one that my daughter likes to read:) It was much harder going through the kids' books than my own. So many great memories of being snuggled up in a corner reading to them! I kept most of their books but I think if I go through a few times, just donating a few at a time, we will end up with the ones that mean the most to us.

    Then came paper. Paper is my nemesis! I am still working on paper and have not given up! I did not realize how much paper we had accumulated! It takes a lot longer to go through paper I am finding. I have made good progress though. I have lost track of how much I have recycled and shredded but I will keep going! It is making a big difference in the feel of our house as piles have been disappearing and I have been working to not let new papers accumulate. My goal is to have paper done before Christmas and then move on to the next category.
    Thanks again!

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    1. Hi! You have done an incredible job! 19 bags of clothes!! WOW and 117 books...I can't wait to hear how you are getting on with paper...it's definitely a massive job! Good luck. x

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