Fashion
It's impossible to navigate the internet without reading the name Marie Kondo at least once or twice. The woman responsible for changing how people tidy their homes is especially prominent at this time of year, when you're probably figuring out how to start anew and leave behind any unwanted baggage. Decluttering your entire house can seem a tall order but I've found that organising the things you wear every day can be the best way to start. Here's how to Marie Kondo your wardrobe and pave the way to a lighter life in 2019.
Kondo's famous KonMari method is what you'll need to focus on. Whether you've heard about it online, read Kondo's book: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying, or watched her new Netflix series, the innovative organisation method involves examining your personal connection with your items to decide what stays and what needs to be thrown in a bin bag pronto.
Kondo also delves into revolutionary new folding techniques so that you'll never have to hunt through a drawer again and why you shouldn't get bogged down by the past. The next few steps break down the KonMari method into five simple tasks that should seem achievable, rather than daunting.
1
Break It Down
Kondo believes in taking everything one step at a time. That means breaking down your clutter into categories instead of going room by room. Although 'clothes' in itself is a category, you can further simplify this into items like 'dresses', 'tops', 'shoes', and so on and so forth.
Once you have your categories, you need to gather all of the items that fall into that bracket and simply chuck them in a big pile on the floor. This may just seem like all you're doing is creating more mess but there is a method to the chaos.
2
The "Spark Joy" Test
By throwing everything together, you can see just how much stuff you really have. The next part is the most important. Kondo advises everyone to pick up each item individually and ask themselves whether it "sparks joy".
Does the jumper that constantly loses fluff still make you happy or is hoovering up the colourful trail it leaves in its wake simply too much to bear? If the answer is the latter, you know what to do. (Don't forget to thank each of your discarded items for their service before trashing them. It's the Kondo way.)
3
Avoid Nostalgia
When perusing your entire wardrobe, it can be easy to get too caught up in sentimentality. Yes, your mum may have given you that dress for your 18th birthday, but you haven't touched it since. And yes, you did love that Christmas jumper as a teenager but it's got too many holes to ever be of use again.
Although your clothes and accessories still need to "spark joy", don't let childhood memories cloud your judgement.
4
The "Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me About This?" Folding Technique
The KonMari folding process is something that you'll wish you had known since the age of being responsible for your own wardrobe. The usual drill involves attempting to fold everything neatly but still messing it all up when you can't find that one top you so desperately need.
Kondo's method is very very different. Not only does it involve vertically folding garments so that they stand up unaided but it also ensures you're able to see each and every thing in your drawer without having to lift a finger. This video shows you exactly how. Pro tip: use shoeboxes to divide up your drawers into manageable sections.
5
A New Way Of Hanging
Kondo also isn't a fan of traditional hanging techniques. Instead, she tells fans to hang clothes so that they rise to the right. This basically means hanging all your heaviest items (those that are long in length, dark in colour, or thick in fabric) at the left side of your wardrobe and the lighter pieces at the right. Apparently, it's great for the eyes and mind.
6
Well, I know what I'm doing this weekend.
