Fashion Fix: The KonMari Method

I think I’ve seen more KonMari videos on Facebook than cute cat videos lately. That’s saying something!

KonMari, if you’re not familiar, is the brainchild of Marie Kondo, a Japanese organizer who wrote a book called “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying: A Simple, Effective Way to Banish Clutter Forever” and it’s taking the world by storm. I read the book right after I redid my closet, and I’ve been taking her advice ever since.  Now, not all of it works for me — I am never going to fold all of my shirts; I like hanging items; and I will put certain items where I use them for convenience– but as a whole, the book is solid.  Here are a few of my favorite tips from her book.

KonMari: Don’t Keep Stuff Just Because You Think You Should

I have several items in my closet that were really hard to part with — high end stuff I’d held on to for years (and hadn’t worn in an equal amount of time); sentimental items, or items that I was trying to fit in but just never did. Kondo advises thanking the item for what it had provided you — even if it was just the thrill of buying it– and giving it to charity. Once you realize that you don’t have to keep something just because you bought it, you’ll start getting rid of things much faster and end up with only the things that you really like.

KonMari: Declutter One Thing At A Time

If you’re organizing clothes, do all of your clothes at once.  Same if you’re decluttering papers or books.  If you do it all at once, you get a better idea of what you have and can make decisions more efficiently. If you can see all of the books you have in your whole house, you can better assess what you have and identify the ones that need to go. (And with books — if you haven’t finished it, ditch it!)

KonMari: Storing Things in Drawers

This was lifechanging for me. I KonMari-d my dresser drawers and now I can actually see which underwear, bras and workout clothes I have!  Instead of piles of shirts and panties, you can see every item in the drawer so nothing gets buried at the bottom.  For underwear and other items that may have issues standing up on their own, I love using the Iris Mesh Baskets which, in the smallest size, are fantastic for tucking into drawers.

KonMari: Focus On What You Love, Not What You’re Getting Rid Of

Don’t think about everything you’re getting rid of — think about curating what you love.  She likes to ask if an item “sparks joy” — sure, underwear and socks don’t spark joy, but do you love the way you feel when you wear your favorite socks? That counts too!

Have you tried the KonMari method? What do you think? Let us know — and find all sorts of storage supplies here at Manhattan Wardrobe Supply!